Africa Social Work and Development Awards

Get recognition for your African talent, innovation or passion.

2024-2025 Awards Ceremony

Awards ceremony will be during the last hour of Day of the African Child Students Conference, 16 June 2025, 08AM-1230PM WAT | 09AM-130PM CAT/SAT | 10AM-230PM EAT on 16 June 2025

Award category	Awarded to
Social Worker of the Year	Ms Valary Cheptoo, Kenya
Lifetime Achievement Award	Prof. Rodreck Mupedziswa, Botswana/Zimbabwe
Social Development Award	Amanda Ndebele, South Africa
Social Work Education Award	Professor Chinwe Rosabelle Nwanna, Nigeria
Decolonising Award	Dr Charles Kalinganire, Rwanda
Student Award	Abdirahim Jirde, Somaliland/Somalia

2023 Awards Ceremony

Award	Awardees	Work summary
Social Worker of the Year	Thomas Nyangaresi Onsoti, Kenya Diploma and Degree in social work	Working with pit emptiers in Nairobi, Kenya and communities to manage environmental pollution and ensure better practices and policies.
Lifetime Achievement Award	No nomination received
Mzee Award	No nomination received
Decolonising Award	Dr Sharlotte Tusasiirwe, Uganda	She has created and produced substantial literature and publications in this area of decolonising social work in Africa which are aimed at increasing African voice, knowledge and literature in Africa and globally. Sharlotte has produced academic and non-academic outputs that advance decolonisation agenda in Africa. She has also dedicated time to organise seminars and symposia that enable knowledge exchange on decolonisation and beyond.
Developmental Work Award	Not awarded this year
Social Work Education Award	Dr Augustina Naami, Ghana	She has been an inspiration to her students, colleagues in academia, the disability, and the general community in Ghana and beyond, through her lived experiences. She is also the Head of the Department for Social Work, at the University of Ghana. She previously taught at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls in the United States. She has led several educational research projects and mentored many students and academics. She has completed 2 PHD, 20 masters and 16 bachelors research supervisions. Dr. Naami has a total of thirty-four (34) publications consisting of one (1) book, six (6) book chapters, and twenty-seven (27) peer-reviewed journal articles. She has serviced on several educational committees.
Student Award	Organisers of the Conference: Day of the African Child Social Work and Development Conference 2023	Names •Danzel Rademan, University of the Free State, South Africa (Chairperson) •Atuhairwe Collins, Student, Master of Social Work, Makerere University, Uganda (Vice-Chairperson) •Never Winnie James Sebit, South Sudan; Bachelor in Social Work, RCSS, India (Secretary) •Tatenda Sukulao, Bachelor of Social Work, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe (Vice-Secretary) •Norman T. Manyika, Student, Bachelor of Social Work, University of Zimbabwe (Committee member) •Takudzwa Banda, Bachelor of Social Work, University of Zimbabwe (Committee member) •Ighalo Jennifer Benita, Bachelor of Social Wok, University of Benin, Nigeria
PhD Student Award	Not awarded this year
Service Award (for organisations or institutions)	Amy Foundation/Ubuntu Foundation, South Africa Official: Kevin Chaplin	The Amy Foundation is a non-profit organisation working to educate, train and develop youngsters from the townships, ensure they don’t drop out of school, or turn to drugs and gangs and to reduce the high levels of youth unemployment and create entrepreneurs our country needs so badly. Their after school programmes in Gugulethu and Bonteheuwel provide an environment that allows school-going children to overcome shortcomings in their education, by focusing on creativity. Their Youth Skills Development programme based at our Head office in Sybrand Park, helps young adults prepare for the world of work, employment and entrepreneurship.
Emerging Researchers Award	Willard Muntanga, Zimbabwe Kudza Mwapaura, Zimbabwe	Increase of research and research publications

2022 Awards Ceremony

List of Awardees 2022

Categories

This year we are expanding the awards to include:

1. Social Worker of the Year
2. Lifetime Achievement Award (for a person who has contributed significantly to social work and development in Africa for a long time in their life)
3. Mzee Award for an older person who is contributing or has contributed to social work and development in Africa).
4. Decolonising Award
5. Developmental Worker of the Year Award
6. Social Development Award
7. Community Worker Award (Ujamaa Award)
8. Social Work Education Award
9. Student Award
10. Research student of the year (honours, masters and PhD)
11. Service Award (for organisations or institutions)
12. Researcher of the Year
13. Emerging Researcher of the Year (growing research and research publications)

Instructions and Conditions of Award

We ask social workers and development workers who are impacting or have impacted the village, community, country, region, Africa or the world to nominate themselves or others or to accept nominations from the public. These are the key considerations for this award:

• The work was done in Africa.
• The work impacted or is impacting people positively as evidenced by testimonies, references, videos, pictures, news articles and statistics.
• There is varied evidence to support the application.

The persons awarded with certificates and will be invited to give a speech at one of our events.

To nominate, please use the web or downloadable form below before 31 March of the following year.

Selection Committee

• Augustina Naami, PhD, Department of Social Work, University of Ghana
• Mbongiseni Samuel Mngomezulu, Mpumalanga Department of Social Development, Standerton Sub-District Office, South Africa
• Thomas Simbeye, Regional Administration and Local Government, Social Welfare, Manyara Region, Mbulu District, Tanzania

Nomination Form for Africa Social Work and Development Awards