“We have to be the change we seek” Honorary graduate, Dr Cecily Mwaniki, shares the mantra that keeps her energised and motivated.
With a dream of working with the UN, Dr Cecily Mwaniki has remained committed to her pursuit of empowering women, underrepresented groups, and driving change.
For over 25 years, 
Cecily, Health Inequalities Engagement Officer at Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, has been devoted to strengthening community partnerships, improving access to health services, and addressing health inequalities across Berkshire. In recognition of this incredible work, Cecily Mwaniki was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree during the University of Reading’s Winter Graduation ceremony in 2025.
Cecily shares with CONNECTED more about her journey to date, her incredible work, her proudest moments, biggest challenges, and what keeps her motivated.
Caring for others
Cecily began her career as a secondary school teacher in Kenya before moving to Reading in 1997 to pursue academia. First, completing a bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies at the University of Liverpool. She explained:
“I originally pursued a BA in Women’s Studies as I thought it would help me reach my dream job of working with the UN. I have been on a wonderful meandering journey since then.”
In Reading, Cecily was first a voluntary outreach worker with Berkshire Women’s Aid, supporting female survivors of domestic abuse. Following this, she worked with people experiencing homelessness in Reading. It was witnessing their struggles alongside alcohol and drug misuse that inspired Cecily to embark on a second degree in 2006 – a BSc in Substance Use and Misuse at the University of West London. This decision was also inspired by her parents’ commitment to bringing about change in their community. “My parents were successful rural farmers of tea and coffee and they worked incredibly hard. They instilled in me the values of hard work and commitment needed to create the change you want to see in the community.”
Cecily later worked in the Housing department at Reading Borough Council, where she helped people experiencing homelessness manage their new tenancies. Throughout this time, she became increasingly aware of the complex issues that persons experiencing homelessness faced. She explained: “The role gave me a lot of experience and exposure to what goes on in our communities and the challenges the local authorities, social services, and health services experience to support these people.
“I also realised many of the people I was helping were not just struggling with drugs and alcohol, but the impact their situation was having on their mental health, which was making their lives even more complex.”
It was the complex nature of these issues that attracted Cecily to the public health sector and inspired her to embark on two postgraduate degrees – a master’s degree in international public health and a postgraduate degree in Public Health. She shared: “My career has taken many twists and turns over the years, but when I look back now, I see what I dreamt of has unfolded and continues to unfold.”
Cecily has conducted some of her most impactful and recognised work in the public health sector. She has run in-community health programs, provided mental health support stations, worked closely with community faith groups, raised awareness and supported University Community Participatory research groups.
Building her own UN – Utulivu Women
In addition to her work in Public Health and inspired by her work with Berkshire’s Women’s Aid, in 2001, Cecily founded the now award-winning women’s-based charity, Utulivu Women.
The Reading-based charity tackles inequalities faced by women and girls from Black, Asian, minority ethnic, and refugee communities. She has supported countless vulnerable women and Berkshire residents with her work, including those living with mental ill health, survivors of domestic abuse and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
When asked about her motivations for founding the charity, Cecily shared,
“Utulivu was born out of my desire to support and empower women and girls and reinforced by the introduction of the Millennium Development Goal 3: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. But it was also born out of frustration.
At the time, I was not in a role where I could not execute my dream of empowering women actively, so in 2001, I decided to make it happen and create this safe space for myself and others.”
Just ten years later, in 2011, Utulivu received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
For Cecily, the importance and inspiration for empowering women and girls stems from childhood.
“Growing up, I was motivated by one particular woman in my village who was so unique in the work she did. She worked with the social services in communities, trying to really encourage them to do better for themselves,” she recalled.
“There were cultural restraints amongst the communities that meant women could not have careers or active roles in the communities – their place was deemed to be in the kitchen. But she was someone who continued to advocate for women and encouraged them to go out and do something for themselves.”
“Although I was young then, I was still old enough to understand that the place of a woman is not in the kitchen, and a woman needed to be educated as much as a man did – a view my parents held so dearly and modelled so well.”
When asked about some of her proudest achievements from the charity, Cecily shared:
“The charity has grown over the years, and we can see the products of that journey. We have supported people to focus and identify what really matters to them. For some, that goal has been education – some women from the charity now have PhDs, others have started their own businesses or are in careers that they love.
“I’m also proud of the work we did with the young people. We met them at our community programmes when they were young, and we have since watched them grow and mature both academically and socially. I am especially proud that the message of empowerment stays very strong, clear and important to them as they continue to advocate for themselves, and we see them venture into their chosen careers.”
Being the change, we seek
Although Cecily loves the work she does, it doesn’t come without its challenges. She said:
“The real barrier for a lot of these issues is people not having the chance to prove their potential. I believe in giving people opportunities and believing in their potential.”
And there is one mantra that keeps her motivated:
“Looking at the bigger picture and knowing what I could change if only I persist – that is what continues to ground me. I have a mantra that keeps me energised and motivated to carry on; we have to be the change we seek.” She shared.
“I include myself in this. I have to be the change that I seek. Those barriers are there but how can I work with those barriers and achieve what I want to see changed.
“It has not been easy. There have been times I have failed, and I could have lost my confidence completely, but my motivation has come back to looking at the bigger picture and refocusing on my goals.”
Looking to the future
Despite already having an incredibly impactful career, Cecily is still committed to making changes. “What’s next for me? As I mentioned in the beginning, you never say you have arrived. You keep doing something that will bring change. For me, it is really to keep doing what I can to make the most difference where it is needed.
“In my current role as Health Inequalities Engagement Officer, I ask myself what more can I do to meaningfully and practically make a difference? How can I support communities and grassroots, so they are brought on the journey, and their voice is heard at the table where decisions are being made?”
When asked what advice she would give to others interested in supporting and empowering others, Cecily advised:
“To understand your potential to make an impact and to take control of that. Be open-minded. And open to venturing into the unknown… opportunities will arise where you least expect them.”
