Cameroonian-born Dr. Maria Ayuk has been announced as the winner of Africans Rising‘s 2023 honorary award for activism in the diaspora.
The academic guru and humanitarian was singled out for her passionate advocacy in the defense of the rights of African migrants and refugees in Europe.
Dr Maria, a believer in pan-Africanism and a resident of Germany, is credited with dedicating a greater part of her life to helping migrants and refugees gain not only their rights but also economic empowerment in their new environments.
Her works did not escape the spyglass of Africans Rising, a pan-African youth organization that named her honorary awardee of the year 2023 in the category of ‘Activism in the Diaspora.’
Besides impacting the lives of migrants and refugees, she also supports initiatives in Cameroon to empower young people.
Who is Dr. Mariah Ayuk?
Dr. Maria Enow Ayuk, a pan-Africanist from Cameroon, is a respected academic in peace and security and a proactive advocate for African refugees and asylum seekers in Germany.
Through Youth Renaissance Africa, MMI is aware that she has significantly contributed to their social and economic integration in Bonn.
Her initiatives include designing projects and conducting capacity-building workshops and training to empower African migrants, refugees, and youth workers in Germany and Europe.
Beyond Europe, Youth Renaissance Africa supports various social and economic initiatives in Cameroon.
She is a member of The African Union’s FemWise, an alumnus of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security in International Relations from the International Relations Institute of Cameroon, and a Bachelor’s degree in Bilingual Studies from the University of Yaoundé I.
What is Africans Rising?
Africans Rising is a Pan-African movement of people and organisations working for justice, peace, and dignity for all Africans, wherever they live.
The organization provides a space for progressive African civil society leaders and groups engaged in various civic struggles to convene, connect, collaborate, share knowledge and build solidarity among people and across issues.
Africans Rising promotes citizens’ organising and enables civic movements in their struggles for social justice.
The movement was formally launched in May 2017 with the understanding that African civil society needed to develop a new, collaborative, and effective way to work for change.
Its inaugural conference in Arusha was attended by 272 delegates from 40 African countries, in addition to an honorable representation by the African Diaspora.
About the Award
In 2019 Africans Rising started the Africans Rising Activist of the Year award to recognize African grassroots activists working for justice, peace, and dignity for African people.
The award initiative, according to the movement, has received such popular support that it has continued to expand.
In 2020, the African Rising Activism Awards recognized both individual and collective activism, and in 2021, the Activism Awards expanded to become a platform for showcasing the creative talents of African artists.
Some of this year’s winners include Joseph Tsongo, Marwa Werghemi, and Eudora Ogechukwu in the ‘Activist of the Year’ category.
On the other hand, Monica Bene Mutumi, Warren Nsoseka Lee, and Felicity Asibi top the chat in the ‘2023 Artist of the Year’ category.
Declared the 2023 Movement of the year are Centre Badilika, Wahenga Youth Group, and Zambia Malaria Youth Corps.
