Haru Mutasa’s tough road to the top

Haru Mutasa is recognised as one of the prominent female voices in an industry which remains dominated by men. For many Haru’s journey to becoming one the most popular female journalists may seem to have been a routine journey but in a post on twitter Mutasa highlights the gruesome journey she had to go through in attempts to complete her journalism studies.

Mutasa writes “Everyday for two months (2002) i’d trek up the hill in the snow to intern at the small town TV station in the US , then trek back to waitress during breakfast shift, then clean hotel rooms and toilets i wld earn extra money weekends shovelling snow. Paid my univeristy tuition”. This is just an indication of the sacrifices Haru had to make in paying for her tuition and becoming a rop journalist.

In a profession where many may be deemed ordinary and decent, Haru Mutasa has separated herself from the crowd, gaining recognition by being one of the few female journalists to prosper. Haru Mutasa is famed for her current role with Al Jazeera where she regularly sends reports on events as they occur in Zimbabwe. Previously Al Jazeera relied on Supa Mandiwanzira but following Supa’s stint with the big news organization, Haru was quickly identified and assumed the role of being their local bureau.

Reflecting on her way to the top Haru remembers coming across people that doubted her vision of one day becoming a journalist for a top international news channel, “Remember working as a waitress at a ski resort in the US, during varsity break, a couple staying at the hotel liked i was from Africa earning tuition fees, they asked what I want to do when i graduate. I said work for an international news channel, they laughed said aim lower”.

Haru’s story thus serves as an inspiration to young girls that harbour ambitions of excelling in the journalism field as Mutasa’s story depicts how through hard work, dedication and ambition nothing is ever impossible.