Our Multi-Country Investigation into Social Connection, Social Isolation, and Loneliness aims to give voice to people from the Global South.

What is loneliness? Through our TWCF video series, we want to explore universal experiences of loneliness and social isolation from the cultural lens of people not widely represented in research. Today, we share a powerful perspective from Zimbabwe that reminds us: loneliness is universal, yet deeply personal.

What does disconnection feel like? Loneliness isn't just about being alone— it's about feeling alone even when surrounded by others. In this powerful testimony by a participant from Zimbabwe, we explore the complex emotional landscape of disconnection through a personal lens.

Loneliness can drain your energy, your desire to do things, and even your relationships with others. It can make connection more difficult to achieve, even if you badly want to be understood by others.

As we go through life, we often want to share our experiences with others— both the good and the bad. Our participant from Zimbabwe talks about how loneliness keeps him from feeling connected to his family

The solution to loneliness seems so clear: reconnect with others. But how can we do that when it feels so debilitating? Isolation keeps us stuck in a loop, unsure of where to begin and how to ask for help.

For the final entry in our TWCF video series, we listen to Mr. Mohammed ZOUIRI, our research contractor from Morocco. Through this project and the numerous interviews they conducted, Mohammed and the Moroccan research team discovered that the act of sharing one’s experiences is therapeutic in itself.