02/06/2026
'Blind but undaunted: Indian South African Irish social entrepreneur wins world tech awards'
Come and hear how Durban resident Shakila Maharaj shows how business with a conscience benefits all in the highly competitive world of app development.
WHERE: St Michaels Church Hall, Umhlanga. WHEN: Saturday, 20 June, 10am
An injury as a child in Pietermaritzburg led to failing sight for Shakila Maharaj. Her family was distraught that she was getting inadequate care under the apartheid system and her elder sibling, who was in medical training in Ireland, convinced her parents to send Shakila over in the hope of saving her sight. The multiple operations tragically, made no difference. Shakila spent her teenage years in Dublin, where she attended a convent school, Muckross Park. She qualified as an industrial psychologist from Columbia NYC. Her career in corporate and consulting led her to becoming a global disability policy strategist. She has long worked, devoting time to improving life for other blind persons. Recently she started a company, ShazaCin , and has been the innovator behind an app to enable blind users to follow visuals between dialogue through audio description in films and television on their mobile phones and computers. She has been invited to many countries to present her work and has received multiple national and international awards, including one from Ireland.
"People always ask me, 'So what's the connection - why an app?'" she says. Come along to Shakila's talk on 20 June and find out how her life in Ireland affected her and why she boldly jumped into the tech world.
Tea, coffee and snacks will be provided.
RSVP to [email protected] for catering purposes.
Below:- Shakila with the Taoiseach Micheal Martin
