Paper short abstract:

This paper draws on the narratives and experiences of youth following the precarious development of the gas industry and crises born out of the COVID-19 pandemic. It demonstrates how youth negotiate and form subjectivities of self-employment as they seek societal and economical markers of adulthood.

Paper long abstract:

This paper draws on the narratives and experiences of youth ten years following the discoveries of natural gas and the precarious development of the industry in Mtwara Tanzania. The discovery of gas reserves in 2012 brought forth expectations of economic growth and development for the country but more so for the marginal region of Mtwara. Entangled in these promissory expectations were youth from the region who were propped up as the key beneficiaries for the hoped-for employment options that would become available. As such, embedded within the anticipated success of the industry were young people’s lives and hope for a more secure future that was later punctuated by multiple crises. This paper demonstrates how youth continue to navigate the nonlinear development of the gas industry, marked by a pause in the extractive processes, and the uncertainties born out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through an exploration of their then aspirations, the paper analyzes how working youth continue to negotiate through these uncertain times, their refashioned aspirations, and reconstructed subjectivities. At its core, this research paper aims to demonstrate how youth negotiate, strategize, and form subjectivities of self-employment as they continuously seek societal and economical markers associated with adulthood.