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:
- Social Worker of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award (for a person who has contributed significantly to social work and development in Africa for a long time in their life)
- Mzee Award for an older person who is contributing or has contributed to social work and development in Africa).
- Decolonising Award
- Developmental Worker of the Year Award
- Social Development Award
- Community Worker Award (Ujamaa Award)
- Social Work Education Award
- Student Award
- Research student of the year (honours, masters and PhD)
- Service Award (for organisations or institutions)
- Researcher of the Year
- 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
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