Silent Cries at the Crossroads: Unmasking the Psychological Toll of Street Begging in Harare, Zimbabwe

Street begging in Harare is a visible yet often misunderstood phenomenon, typically framed in economic or moral terms while its psychological dimensions remain underexplored. This qualitative study examines the lived experiences of psychological distress among adult street beggars, with attention to culturally embedded expressions of suffering. Using a phenomenological design, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten purposively sampled individuals who had been begging at Harare’s busiest intersections for at least six months. Thematic analysis revealed persistent emotional and psychological challenges, frequently articulated through idioms such as kufungisisa (“thinking too much”) and kupererwa (“being completely overwhelmed”). These experiences were shaped by intersecting adversities, including chronic poverty, homelessness, family breakdown, social exclusion and daily verbal abuse. Grounded in a culturally sensitive lens, the study highlights a critical gap in Zimbabwe’s mental health support systems for transient, stigmatized urban populations. It contributes to psychological and public health literature by foregrounding localized expressions of distress and calls for exploratory, street-based psychosocial support initiatives, anti-stigma education, and cross-sectoral dialogue to address the complex interplay of urban poverty and mental health.