Resilience among refugees: A case of Zimbabwean refugee children in South Africa

Abstract

Refugee learners face traumatising post-migration experiences in South Africa. Their resilience is tested in all spheres – communities which they settle, schools they go to and places they try to get social services. The purpose of this study is to explore post-migration experiences which gave rise to resilience among Zimbabwean refugee children at a refugee school in South Africa. The study was done using a qualitative case study of a school of refugees in South Africa. Twelve refugee children and a school principal were purposively selected to participate in interviews and group discussions. School documents such as enrolment records and examination results were reviewed. It was found that refugee children’s experiences require them to be more resilient in order to succeed in a foreign country. A significant contribution that comes out of this study is a resilient identity framework for refugee learners which was developed based on the findings.