On Tuesday, November 25, 2025, Dr. Henrietta, an invited professor, will give a lecture at Kobe University.
Title is "Hope and Hardship:Hometown Associations, Religion, and the Paradoxes of Migrant Optimism in Cape Town".
Please come and join us.
More Info：https://african-studies.com/activities/kansai/kansai-20251125/
??Date：November 25,2025（Tue）5:00p.m.～6:30p.m.
??Venue：Kobe University,TsurukabutoDaiichi Campus,Build E-4F,Gakujyutsu-Koryu-Room
??Title：Hope and Hardship:Hometown Associations, Religion, and the Paradoxes of Migrant Optimism in Cape Town
??Speaker：Dr Henrietta M. Nyamnjoh, Department of Sociology, University of Cape Town, TUFS ASC Visiting Proffessor
??Language：English
??Abstract：This presentation offers an in-depth exploration of how Hometown Associations (HTAs) and Pentecostal religion function as vital wellsprings of hope, resilience, and optimism for Cameroonian and Ethiopian migrants navigating the complex realities of building new lives in Cape Town, South Africa. Drawing on the theoretical lens of incompleteness and conviviality, the study argues that these institutions foster crucial social connection, interdependence, and collective flourishing, enabling migrants to bridge divides and find meaning amidst displacement and precarity. While providing robust support and a sense of belonging, the chapter simultaneously critically examines the paradoxes of migrant optimism, particularly the phenomenon of "cruel optimism". Through compelling narratives such as that of George, Helen, Ernest, Sam, Emelda, and Eunice, the chapter illustrates how idealised expectations of a better life can lead to profound disappointment, suffering, and even tragic outcomes when confronted by systemic marginalization, xenophobia, and unattainable desires. Ultimately, this research illuminates the dual nature of optimism in the migrant experience, showcasing both its profound power in fostering agency and resilience and its potential to exacerbate inequalities when not grounded in shared well-being and a critical understanding of power dynamics.
??Key words:
Hope, Resilience, Optimism, Hometown Association, Incompleteness & conviviality, Cameroonian and Ethiopian migrants.