A Norfolk-based charity founder and musician is celebrating a double-award success after being hailed as one of Africa's most influential businesswoman.
Anna Mudeka, originally from Zimbabwe but now based in Southburgh, near Dereham, was one of four winners in the Arts and Culture sector at Africa's Most Influential Women in Business and Government awards.
She was also crowned overall winner of the sector at the presentation ceremony in Kenya last week.
She is the founder of The Mudeka Foundation, which helps to fund the education of HIV and AIDS orphans in her beloved home country.
Her company Tambai Promotions offers African music and dance workshops to schools and businesses across the country. She also performs with her band The Anna Mudeka band and her dance troupe Tambai Ensemble.
Ms Mudeka said: 'It is absolutely brilliant to win not only one, but two awards. I am so grateful to the judges and to those who have supported me. I was so happy to even be nominated, so to win is like a dream come true.
'With the UK's Black History Month being just around the corner (in October), it makes me really proud of my Zimbabwean roots. I hope the awards will inspire African women and reward them for aspiring to do bigger and better things.'
The awards recognise Ms Mudeka's contribution to arts and culture in both the UK and Zimbabwe, particularly for her work promoting African music and dance worldwide and helping vulnerable people in her home country.
Although she couldn't attend the ceremony herself her two certificates were collected on her behalf by her music promoter and friend.
The Africa's Most Influential Women (MIW) awards have been running for 12 years. This is the first year they have extended beyond South Africa to cover the whole continent.
Anna is planning to tour East Anglia with her band and dance troupe and will be holding workshops in Norfolk libraries. She also organises the annual Southburgh World Music Festival near Dereham in July to raise money for the Mudeka Foundation.
For more information, see http://mudekafoundation.com/.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here