AWEF RISE, November 2026

Discover AWEF RISE

About AWEF

African women-led. Rooted in lived experience. Creating change since 2006.

The African Women’s Empowerment Forum (AWEF) is an African women-led organisation established in Nottingham in 2006 to empower African women, refugees, asylum seekers and migrants to overcome barriers, exercise their rights and build stronger, more independent lives.

AWEF leadership

Experience, compassion and purposeful leadership

Meet members of the leadership team guiding AWEF’s next chapter of growth and impact.

Marigold Katsande, Chair of AWEF.
Marigold Katsande, Chair.
Chair

Marigold Katsande

  • Chair, African Women’s Empowerment Forum (AWEF)

Marigold Katsande is the Chair of the African Women’s Empowerment Forum (AWEF) and proudly makes history as the first Zimbabwean woman to lead AWEF as Chair.

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She brings extensive professional and lived experience as a Registered Mental Health Nurse, Nutritional Therapist, Personal Performance Coach and Author.

Marigold is passionate about empowering women, strengthening communities and supporting people to achieve their full potential. Her experience, compassion and commitment to positive change will play an important role in guiding AWEF through its next chapter of growth, leadership and impact.

Preston R. Harris, Chief Ambassador and Investor at AWEF.
Preston R. Harris, Chief Ambassador and Investor.
Chief Ambassador and Investor

Preston R. Harris

  • Chief Ambassador and Investor, AWEF
  • Chair, AWEF BLACK Wisdom Council
  • Founder and CEO, Hunters Mastermind
ambassador@awefcharity.org.uk

Preston R. Harris is an international business leader, entrepreneur, investor and strategic connector who serves as Chief Ambassador and Investor for the African Women’s Empowerment Forum (AWEF). He is also Chair of the AWEF BLACK Wisdom Council.

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As AWEF’s global representative and investor, Preston champions the organisation’s mission while investing his expertise, resources, international networks and strategic leadership in its growth. His contribution spans investment development, fundraising, advocacy, international engagement, organisational development and the creation of sustainable global partnerships.

As Chair of the AWEF BLACK Wisdom Council, Preston brings together respected leaders, professionals, investors and people with valuable lived experience. The Council draws upon collective wisdom, knowledge and influence to guide AWEF’s development, strengthen its global reach and create opportunities for African women, families and communities.

Preston is the Founder and CEO of Hunters Mastermind and is widely known as “The Master Builder”. With more than a decade of experience in business development, leadership, investment and partnership-building, he is passionate about bringing people together and transforming ambitious ideas into sustainable opportunities.

Gwendoline Mutambanengwe, Welfare Officer and Fundraising Lead at AWEF.
Gwendoline Mutambanengwe, Welfare Officer and Fundraising Lead.
Welfare Officer and Fundraising Lead

Gwendoline Mutambanengwe

  • Welfare Officer and Fundraising Lead, AWEF
  • Founder, CIATA Foundation

Gwendoline Mutambanengwe is a dedicated community leader who serves as Welfare Officer and Fundraising Lead for the African Women’s Empowerment Forum (AWEF).

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In her role, she supports the wellbeing and inclusion of AWEF members, helping to ensure that women feel listened to, valued and supported. She also contributes to fundraising, partnership development and activities that strengthen AWEF’s sustainability and community impact.

Gwendoline works closely with AWEF’s Chair, Founder and Executive Director, Charity Ambassador, trustees and members to promote the organisation’s mission of empowering African women and strengthening communities. She is also the Founder of CIATA Foundation, supporting people affected by domestic violence, mental health challenges and social isolation.

Portrait of Faith Gakanje-Ajala.
Faith Gakanje-Ajala, AWEF founder.
Founder and Executive Director

Cllr Faith Gakanje-Ajala

    Faith founded AWEF in Nottingham in 2006. As Founder and Executive Director, she works alongside the leadership team to advance the rights, equality, wellbeing and empowerment of African women and their communities.

    Five women wearing colourful outfits at a Black History Month gathering.
    Celebrating Black History Month.

    Our story

    From lived experience to community leadership

    AWEF was born from lived experience. Our founders understood first-hand some of the challenges women can face when rebuilding their lives in a new country: navigating unfamiliar systems, overcoming language and cultural barriers, accessing appropriate services, finding employment, securing accommodation and trying to make their voices heard.

    From those experiences came a simple but powerful belief: women should not only receive support. Women should have the knowledge, confidence and opportunity to shape the decisions that affect their lives.

    AWEF began when African women came together to create a safe and supportive space where women could share experiences, access information, develop skills and support one another. What started as a grassroots response developed into a wider movement for empowerment, inclusion and equality.

    Today our work combines community support, advocacy, education, wellbeing, skills development, lived-experience leadership, partnership and action for wider social change.

    Founder and Executive Director
    Cllr Faith Gakanje-Ajala
    Established
    2006, Nottingham
    Registered charity
    1191388
    How lived experience shapes our work

    Our vision

    A society where every woman can live with dignity, equality, opportunity and a voice.

    Our mission

    Educate, empower and advocate alongside women

    AWEF exists to educate, empower and advocate alongside African women, refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. We work to:

    • Strengthen knowledge, confidence and independence
    • Advance equality
    • Support women to understand their rights
    • Improve access to services and opportunities
    • Promote health and wellbeing
    • Develop skills and economic opportunities
    • Amplify women’s voices
    • Identify recurring inequalities
    • Work with partners to improve policies, services and practices

    What grounds our work

    Leadership from within our community

    1. 01

      African women-led

      Being African women-led means recognising African women as leaders, advocates, professionals, volunteers, researchers, entrepreneurs, mothers, community organisers and experts through experience.

    2. 02

      Lived experience

      Women who have personally navigated asylum, migration, displacement, inequality, discrimination and other barriers hold valuable knowledge about how systems affect people’s lives.

      Lived experience should not simply be collected as testimony. It should help shape decisions.

    3. 03

      Rights, equality and dignity

      AWEF helps women become better informed about their rights and more confident navigating employment, housing, health, family and public services. Where specialist professional or regulated legal advice is required, we connect women with appropriate services and professionals.

      AWEF is not a regulated legal-advice provider, and AWEF is not an emergency service. In an emergency call 999; if you cannot speak, press 55.

    Our values

    The standards we hold ourselves to

    • Dignity
    • Equality
    • Empowerment
    • Lived experience
    • Inclusion
    • Justice
    • Partnership
    • Integrity

    Our approach

    Support the woman. Strengthen the community. Influence the system.

    1. The woman

      Culturally responsive support

      Information, advocacy, education, wellbeing, skills development and appropriate referrals.

    2. The community

      Connection and leadership

      Reduce isolation, develop leadership, strengthen networks and create opportunities for women’s voices to be heard.

    3. The system

      Evidence and influence

      Learn from recurring experiences, gather evidence appropriately and work with partners to advocate for improvements in services, policies and practices.

    Faith Gakanje-Ajala with civic and community leaders at a Nottingham People's Alliance gathering.
    Working with partners to strengthen community voice in Nottingham.

    20 years of AWEF

    Two decades of women empowering women

    • 20years of experience.
    • 20years of women’s voices.
    • 20years of empowerment.

    And our journey continues.

    Women greeting each other at an AWEF community session in Nottingham, with AWEF banners behind them.
    An AWEF community session, Nottingham, 2015.
    Women seated and standing together in front of AWEF banners at a community session in 2015.
    AWEF women together, 2015.

    There is a place for you here

    Be part of AWEF’s next chapter

    Join a women-led community, work with us as a partner or help make support available to more women and families.