Diaspora Philanthropy for Rural Infrastructural Developmental Projects in Zimbabwe: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities.

Abstract

In this chapter, the authors explore the trends, challenges and opportunities presented by Diaspora philanthropy in rural infrastructure development. It is noted that Diaspora contributions through remittances have become a source of development for several countries. Despite research showing that Diaspora philanthropy fosters social change and drives development in countries of origin, the authors point out that few studies have examined the relationship between Diaspora philanthropy and rural infrastructure development (such as in Zimbabwe). The chapter contributes to the growing literature on Diaspora pilanthropy using Zimbabwe as a reference country. A purely qualitative approach has been adopted, employing document analysis and literature review as techniques for data collection. The findings highlight the trend in which there has been an increase in infrastructure projects supported by Diaspora philanthropy since 2015. In addition, it was found that Diaspora philanthropy can provide tremendous opportunities for developing rural infrastructure, despite the high cost of remittances, legal and policy gaps and government mistrust. Developing countries such as Zimbabwe, where Diaspora remittances are critical to economic growth, benefit from Diaspora philanthropy supporting rural infrastructure development. Finally, it is recommended that Zimbabwe accelerates efforts to revise its Diaspora policy, enact legislation that allows citizens abroad to support rural infrastructure projects, and reduce remittance costs.