Robyn Lee Kriel

working at eNCA, Kriel traveled extensively across east Africa -- contributing to major stories, including the war and drought in Somalia, cross border clashes along the Sudan/South Sudan border, hostages held by pirates rescued in Puntland, the Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi, and the Garissa University attacks in northeast Kenya. Kriel's early career was spent covering Zimbabwe's economic and political meltdown. This included the 2007 price control crisis, the state crackdown on media and civil society groups and the 2008 March elections. Kriel's career has also taken her outside of Africa. In 2010 she traveled to Afghanistan, where she spent a month embedded with U.S. Marines in Helmand Province covering the Afghan parliamentary elections. Throughout her career, Kriel has won a number of reporting accolades including an Edward R. Murrow award for in-depth series reporting, an Overseas Press Club honorable mention, a David Burke Award for Bravery in Journalism, a Houston Press Club Award, and two Lonestar Emmys. In 2011, Kriel was recognized by Michelle Obama for what the First Lady called her "courageous reporting from Zimbabwe". Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Kriel graduated from TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, with degrees in Broadcast Journalism and Musical Theater. She is currently completing her Masters of Arts in War Studies through a distance-learning program at King's College London.