Chef Mawa McQueen Hosts Third Taste of Africa Dinner in Aspen

Can you taste the difference between a meal that fills your stomach and one that changes a life?

That’s the question hanging in the air at Mawa’s Kitchen, where the scent of spiced meats and roasted vegetables seems to seep from the walls of the Aspen Airport Business Center, waiting to be unpacked. It’s June 13, and Sarah Nininger is back home, returning to the place she grew up — Aspen High School, to be precise — to partner with Chef Mawa McQueen for the third annual “Taste of Africa Dinner.” This isn’t just another charity gala with stiff cocktails and polite applause; it’s a deliberate, sensory bridge between the high country of Colorado and the red-earth communities of Uganda, a tangible way for locals to sink their teeth into making a difference.

The event kicks off at 6 p.m. at 305 Aspen Airport Business Center, where the $198 ticket price buys you a welcome cocktail hour with Woody Creek Distillers, followed by a four-course dinner complete with wine, tax, and gratuity. But if you look closely at the menu, you’ll see it’s more than just a transaction. Chef Mawa, whose Michelin-recommended kitchen has become a staple for those seeking depth and authenticity, is curating dishes that reflect her home country, the Ivory Coast. You can feel the intention in every plate, deeply personal influences, vibrant flavors, traditions crafted with care. It’s a celebration of culture, yes, but also a direct line to the “boots-on-the-ground” mission of Action in Africa, the nonprofit Nininger founded in 2006 after being inspired by her time in high school to support the Ugandan community through fundraising.

Why does this matter to us, right here in the valley? Because the impact is transformative. The nonprofit is focused on advancing the social, personal, and economic development of children, youth, and adults in Uganda, expanding access to education and life-changing resources. This year, the goal is specific: raise $60,000 to expand clean water access and build more safe spaces for children to play, create, and learn. And they’re already more than halfway to that goal, according to Nininger. That’s not just a number on a spreadsheet; that’s clean water for a village, a safe room for a child to read by candlelight.

There’s a warmth to the evening that you can’t fake. Action in Africa is bringing David Masiko, the organization’s director in Uganda, who is making his first appearance at the “Taste of Africa” dinner. Nininger calls it “a really big deal,” and for good reason. You’ll have the chance to mingle with him, to hear directly about the work being done, to see the faces behind the statistics. It’s a rare opportunity to connect the donor to the donee, to make the abstract concrete.

Other local businesses are pitching in, too. Big Wrap and Timberline Bank are buying water, contributing to the broader effort to keep the community hydrated and the mission funded. It’s a network of support that feels less like a top-down donation drive and more like a neighborhood coming together to fix a leaky roof. Chef Mawa describes herself as a dear friend of the organization, an ambassador for the work, and you can see that friendship in the way she curates the menu. It ties directly into the flavors of Africa, but it’s grounded in the reality of what’s needed now.

As the sun sets over the Elk Mountains, casting long shadows across the business center, the dinner will begin. The clink of glasses from Woody Creek Distillers will mingle with the murmur of conversation, the stories of Uganda flowing as freely as the wine. You’ll eat, you’ll drink, and you’ll leave knowing that your meal was more than a meal; it was a seed planted in distant soil, waiting to grow.