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Africa Social Work and Development Awards
Get recognition for your African talent, innovation or passion.
2027 Awards
Nominations are open now for 2027 awards.
Go to the Categories section to understand the available award categories. Go to the How to nominate section and make a nomination.
2026 Awards Ceremony
The Mtandao Awards recognise excellence in African social work and social development. In 2026, for the first time, the awards will be presented in person at the Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development (SWSD 2026) in Nairobi, Kenya. The ceremony takes place on Monday 29 June 2026 at Booth 16, Tsavo Ballroom Exhibition Area, KICC Nairobi, from 11:05 to 11:25. The awards are facilitated by Meinrad Lembuka and Ropafadzo A Tome.
2026 Awardees
| Award | Awardee | Country | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Worker of the Year | Divine Kodjo Exorgbe | Ghana | National President of the Social Workers Association of Ghana (SWAG) and Municipal Head of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development for the Adenta Municipal Assembly in Accra. A prominent child protection advocate driving professional social work leadership across Ghana. |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Professor Abye Tasse | Ethiopia / France | Former President of IASSW (2004–2008) and Chair of the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development (2010–2014 and 2020–2030). Rebuilt social work education in Ethiopia as founding Dean of the School of Social Work at Addis Ababa University in 2004, and has advanced the profession across Africa, Mauritania, and Congo. |
| Mzee Award | Mama Afiya Mugambi | Kenya | — |
| Decolonising Award | Professor Linda Hams Smith | South Africa | A scholar whose work applies decolonising frameworks to social work research and practice in Africa, challenging Eurocentric methodologies and centring African and indigenous knowledges in the production of knowledge. |
| Decolonising Award | Professor Emerita Linda Kreitzer | Canada | A pioneering scholar whose work has advanced the decolonisation of social work knowledge, education, and practice in Africa. Her contributions to the history and legacy of the Association of Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA, 1965–1989) have helped reclaim and centre African intellectual heritage in the profession. Her scholarship challenges Eurocentric frameworks and builds the case for African-led knowledge systems in social work and social development. |
| Developmental Worker of the Year | Bikila Tesfaye | Ethiopia | A development practitioner with seven years of experience working with youth, people with disabilities, refugees, and host communities. As a youth training facilitator at the Development Expertise Center, Bikila delivered life skills, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship training, mobilising communities with limited resources to lasting impact. |
| Social Development Award | Vongai P Mangwiro | Zimbabwe | A lecturer and researcher at the University of Zimbabwe whose work spans mental health, disability, rehabilitation, drug and substance abuse, and children and adults in conflict with the law, advancing rights-based social development in Zimbabwe. Statement: ‘I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Africa Social Work and Development Network for nominating me to receive an award. I’m deeply humbled and incredibly grateful to accept the Social Development Award from the Social Development Network. To be recognized by an organization that has done so much to champion community progress, social integration, and empowerment is truly the highlight of my career. In the field of social work and development, our greatest successes are never achieved in isolation. I share this award with the dedicated colleagues, mentors, and community partners I’ve had the privilege to work alongside. This recognition isn’t just a celebration of past milestones; it is a profound motivation for the future. It strengthens my resolve to continue striving for equitable growth, poverty alleviation, and a society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Thank you once again to the Social Development Network for this incredible honour, and to all of you for your unwavering support and shared commitment to building a better, more inclusive world’. |
| Social Work Education Award | Thembelihle Brenda Makhanya | South Africa | Programme Leader and PhD holder from the University of KwaZulu-Natal who has built a decolonial Bachelor of Social Work programme grounded in African-centred knowledge, with extensive peer-reviewed publications on Ubuntu, climate justice, and inclusive higher education across Africa. |
| Student Award | Linah Mahlaola | South Africa | A Bachelor of Social Work student at UNISA committed to community development, who has volunteered with COSUP, the Department of Social Development, and advocacy campaigns for people with disabilities and older persons, combining learning with practice in South Africa. |
| Student Award | Tafadzwa Mhereyenyoka | Zimbabwe | A Level 4 social work student at the University of Zimbabwe whose research examines child protection service delivery in geographically extensive rural districts. Her work, grounded in field placement experience with Zimbabwe’s Department of Social Development, addresses structural barriers faced by both social workers and vulnerable families. |
| Service Award | ASWEA (1965–1989) | Pan-African | The Association of Social Work Education in Africa laid the groundwork for pan-African social work education and decolonised practice across the continent for over two decades. Mtandao honours ASWEA as its predecessor and continues its legacy through the Sankofa framework. |
| Service Award | IASSW | International | The International Association of Schools of Social Work is recognised for funding the Ubuntu Ushahidi Digital Project, advancing African knowledge sharing and decolonised social work education through Mtandao’s digital platform. |
| Service Award | Day of the African Child Conference Students Committee (DACCS) | Pan-African | Recognised for successfully hosting DACCS 2025 and DACCS 2026, with the 2026 event doubling to 28 presentations in 6.5 hours on 16 June 2026, focused on the African Union theme of Water and Sanitation, with students from Africa and beyond as participants, presenters, and chairs. |
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:
| Number | Category | Who can be nominated / what work qualifies |
| 1 | Social Worker of the Year | A practising social worker whose frontline work over the past year has made a demonstrable difference to individuals, families or communities in Africa |
| 2 | Lifetime Achievement Award (Sankofa Award) | A senior figure whose career, spanning decades, has shaped the social work profession or social development field in Africa through leadership, scholarship or practice |
| 3 | Mzee Award | A senior social worker or elder of the profession, recognised for long service and contribution to social work education or practice over many years |
| 4 | Decolonising Award | A scholar, practitioner or activist whose work challenges Eurocentric frameworks and centres African and Indigenous knowledges in social work theory, research or education |
| 5 | Developmental Worker of the Year Award | A community or development practitioner whose grassroots work, such as youth training, livelihoods or empowerment programmes, has produced lasting impact with limited resources |
| 6 | Social Development Award | An individual whose research, policy or practice advances rights-based social development, including work on disability, mental health, justice or social protection |
| 7 | Community Work Award (Ujamaa Award) | An individual or group whose community-based, cooperative or collective work embodies Ujamaa values of shared responsibility and mutual upliftment |
| 8 | Social Work Education Award | An academic or programme leader who has built or strengthened social work education, particularly curricula grounded in African-centred knowledge |
| 9 | Student Award (Undergraduate, Honours, Masters and PhD) | A social work student at any level of study, from undergraduate through honours, masters or PhD, whose academic work, research or combination of study and community practice makes a notable contribution to social work or social development in Africa |
| 10 | Service Award (for Organisations, Groups, Committees or Institutions) | An organisation, group, committee or institution whose sustained service has advanced social work education, practice or knowledge sharing on the continent |
| 11 | Researcher of the Year | An established researcher whose published or ongoing work has significantly advanced social work or social development scholarship in the past year |
| 12 | Emerging Research Award | An early-career researcher whose recent work shows strong promise and original contribution to social work or social development scholarship |
| 13 | Family Development Award (Ukama) | An individual, family or organisation whose work strengthens family wellbeing, parenting, kinship care or family-centred social development |
| 14 | Global Social Work and Development Award | An individual or organisation outside Africa whose work advances African social work and development, or strengthens global solidarity with the profession on the continent |
| 15 | Social Media and Digital Advocacy Award | An individual or organisation using social media or digital platforms to advance African social work knowledge, decolonising narratives, or Ubuntu-grounded practice to wider audiences |
| 16 | Mentorship Award | An individual sustaining a mentoring relationship that has supported the growth of a student, early-career practitioner or researcher in social work or social development |
| 17 | Ethics Award | An individual or committee whose contribution to research ethics governance has strengthened Ubuntu-grounded and African-led ethics practice |
| 18 | Gender Award | An individual, group, committee or organisation whose work applies African feminist and gender theory, including work that challenges or addresses misogyny, sexism, femicide, intimate partner violence, gender-based violence and girl violence |
| 19 | Umvelo-Maathai Award (Environmental Award) | An individual, group or organisation whose work advances environmental sustainability, climate justice or environmental stewardship grounded in African knowledge |
| 20 | Diaspora Award | An individual, group or organisation applying African philosophy such as Ubuntu, and other African theories and knowledge, in the diaspora, with work extending beyond African diaspora populations to other populations too |
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
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, or if stated, globally.
- 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 work is not colonising or perpetuating colonisation of humans, non-humans, practices or knowledge.
The persons awarded with certificates and will be invited to give a speech at one of our events or share a written statement.
How to nominate
To nominate, please use the web or downloadable form below before 31 March of the following year.
Nomination Form for Africa Social Work and Development Awards
If the form is not working, email your nomination to asw@africasocialwork.net with the nominee, their email and mobile number, institution, country, qualifications and a statememnt of their work. Include evidence.