About Us

Our Mission

To foster and promote deeper understanding of the African community, particularly African women, in Portsmouth
To support the African community, particularly African women, to live healthy and fulfilling lives
To promote positive images of Africans, particularly African women, to our young people and to support wider initiatives – nationally and internationally – that do the same
To work with communities, service providers and statutory bodies where possible to achieve these aims.

Activities

Promoting African culture through the delivery of events programmes, stand-alone activities, and projects run in partnership with cultural, educational and statutory bodies and organisations, including the National Museum of the Royal Navy, New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth City Council, and local schools, colleges and the University of Portsmouth.
Workshops, events and awareness-raising to support the health and well-being of African communities, particularly women
Fundraising activities in the local community to sustain AWF; on behalf of local charitable organisations such as the Portsmouth Lord Mayor Appeal (Rowans Hospice); and to support Teekpeh Village, Liberia

Achievements

Our achievements include:

Creating and delivering a year-long programme of events and activities to commemorate the bicentenary of the abolition of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade in 2007, including workshops, the creation and performance of a play, and an exhibition in partnership with Portsmouth city council.
Running a series of health seminars to address the health concerns of African and Caribbean people, including diabetes, Female Genital Mutilation, high blood pressure, prostate and breast cancer.
Running regular events celebrating African culture including African food, dance and music
Working in partnership with the University of Portsmouth and others on the first study in Hampshire to explore African people’s attitudes to female genital mutilation (FGM); and working with students to produce awareness raising materials, including a foldaway booklet and animated video
Raising money to support the villagers of Teekpeh in Liberia with clean water, and hoping to raise funds for a school, latrine and a medical centre
Delivering projects supported by national funding bodies such as Heritage Lottery, Arts Council England, The BIG Lottery and Rosa Fund.

Membership

AWF has an open membership policy to all women of African ancestry. Join us and make a difference to your community. Kindly go to our JOIN page to fill in an application form.

Meetings

The AWF meets bi-monthly on Sundays. For more information, please ring 0775 8805316 or email awf07@hotmail.co.uk.

We have raised funds for local charitable organisations such as contributing funds to the Portsmouth Lord Mayor Appeal for The Rowans Hospice, breast cancer and others. We have decided to help provide fresh drinking water for the villagers of Teekpeh in Liberia, West Africa – being the second poorest country in the world (BBC radio 4, 2012).

We are therefore asking for donations or help in any way to raise funds for TEEKPEH TOWN which is situated deep in the forest in South West Liberia. The villagers are poor, live on subsistence farming, have no communication with the rest of the world except visitors who travel by four-wheeled drive vehicles on a track road to the village.

CAN YOU HELP US PLEASE?

Kindly click on the contact button or you can find other ways to reach us on our contact page