Mukrim Haji Shaka


Mukrim Haji Shaka was born in August 2004 and raised in Jambiani in a family of five children who are all female except for him. His father is Haji Shaka Hamdi who works as a fisherman, and his mother is a seaweed farmer. Mukrim is the 4th child in the family. His elder sister is married, second sister is blind, another is in secondary school, and the youngest is still a child. Growing up in a modest background, Mukrim has always been motivated to pursue his dreams despite challenges he is facing – he is blind. Throughout his schooling, he developed a passion for storytelling and journalism. His dedication and determination let him complete Form 4 education that allows him to study.

Mukrim aspires to become a journalist, inspired by his role model, Salum Othman who is a journalist at ZBC TV. He is passionate about bringing important stories to light, especially those that affect his community and the wider world. His long-term goal is to work for major news outlets and eventually contribute to shaping the media landscape in his country and this can also help his family through a good salary. The CDF-scholarship is a unique transformative opportunity for Mukrim to pursue his dream of studying Journalism and Media Studies at Kilimani Campus of State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), starting in the Academic Year 2024/25.

The scholarship will help him acquire the skills necessary to become a voice for his community, meet new people and make new friends along the way, as well as a respected journalist in the future. By accomplishing his dreams, he can help his poor family and siblings considering that he is the only male in the family apart from his father.