Zain Verjee

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Zain Verjee

Zain Verjee (born February 11, 1974) is a State Department correspondent for CNN and is based in Washington DC. Previously, she served as a newsreader for The Situation Room and a co-anchor of CNN International's Your World Today.

Born and brought up in Kenya of Indian parents, Verjee received her undergraduate degree in English from McGill University, Montreal, and studied at York University, Canada, as well. Zain is a Citizen of Canada. She speaks Gujarati, Kiswahili and conversational French.

Verjee joined CNN in 2000. She has covered world events such as the Agra Summit, the conflict in the Middle East, the trial of former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milošević, the September 11th terrorist attacks, the Hajj and the war in Iraq. She also reports on African business news for the weekly program Inside Africa, which offers an in-depth look into news on the continent.

Previously, Verjee worked for 98.4 Capital FM Nairobi & the Kenyan Television Network (KTN). Verjee freelanced also for the BBC, producing several programs.

She recently published Live and On the Air, a children's book exploring the experiences of a young girl who moves from rural Kenya to Nairobi to work as a broadcaster. Verjee has also produced successful radio campaigns spreading awareness of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and polio.

According to a 2001 profile in the Kenyan newspaper the Daily Nation, Verjee is from a family of Ismaili Muslims (and six feet tall).

Her community efforts include work with Street Children, Operation Smile and Violence Against Women.