Migration has reshaped family structures globally, giving rise to transnational families in which parents migrate for economic, social, or political reasons, leaving children behind. In Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, the ongoing economic crisis has led to increased parental migration, creating challenges for children left behind. This study explored their emotional, social, and economic realities. It examines the psychosocial impacts of parental absence, including feelings of abandonment, emotional detachment, and exposure to negative peer influences. While remittances offer financial stability and access to education, they cannot replace parental emotional support, often resulting in behavioural and identity struggles. This study used a qualitative approach aimed at understanding and improving the real-life experiences of children, parents, and key stakeholders. Guided by a transformative perspective, which focuses on promoting social change and giving voice to marginalized groups, the research applied Participatory Action Learning and Action Research (PALAR) to actively involve participants in the learning and problem-solving process. Data were collected through interviews and focus groups. Findings reveal that while some children show resilience, others face emotional distress, financial instability, and lack of parental supervision. Digital communication helps but is insufficient for maintaining parent-child bonds. The study recommends interventions such as enhancing emotional connections through regular communication, providing parental counselling for diaspora parents, and encouraging quality visits. These findings contribute to the literature on the psychosocial effects of migration and offer policy recommendations to improve the well-being of left-behind children. The study highlights the importance of community support, educational policies, and transnational parenting strategies in fostering the holistic development of these children.
transnational families, parental migration, diaspora parenting, child well-being, emotional bonds, remittances, resilience
Mthokozisi Moyo. MSC Lecturer. Department of Psychology, Zimbabwe Open University.
Phumuzani Mpofu. Corresponding author. PhD Post Doc. Department of Psychology, School of Community and Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Email: mpofup89@gmail.com
"All authors equally contributed to the conception, design, preparation, data gathering and analysis, and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
This work was not supported by any funding.
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines set by Zimbabwe Open University. The conduct of this study has been approved and given relative clearance(s) by Zimbabwe Open University.
The authors declare the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in writing this paper. In particular, the authors used ChatGPT for language editing. The authors take full responsibility in ensuring proper review and editing of contents generated using AI.
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Cite this article:
Moyo, M. & Mpofu, P. (2025). Understanding the lived experiences of children with diaspora parents in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. International Review of Social Sciences Research, 5(2), 283-303. https://doi.org/10.53378/irssr.353209
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