Paukwa? Pakawa!
Paukwa is a place dedicated to positive stories about Kenya. Our story house is named for the Swahili word that is an invitation to a story – Paukwa. It’s an age- old term, well known across East Africa. Paukwa invites one to remember the joy of stories from their childhood days and to get lost in new, familiar or unknown ideas about the daily things that surround us.
Each day ordinary Kenyans are pushing our nation forward. As volunteers, as SME owners, as creatives, teachers, farmers, counsellors, techwizards and more. There is a bigger story as they build our nation each day through their tenacity, hard work, positive attitude, search for excellence, and sheer hustle.
Through their efforts we all grow.
At Paukwa, we shine a spotlight on the everyday builders of our nation and the history we almost forgot.
This digital storybank celebrates memory, culture, modernity, but most of all, the positive. Dive in and discover a story of Kenya you didn’t know you never knew!
#KeHealthWorkers
We welcome you to a new story series that explores the engineers that drive our health ecosystem. Whether at the front line of delivering care within a facility, or behind the scenes making sure the logistics of health services are working even in the most difficult of circumstances, we are taking a moment to recognise the multiple players that keep us healthy. Welcome to #KeHealthWorkers, Paukwa’s story campaign that
Paukwa? Pakawa!
Paukwa is a place dedicated to positive stories about Kenya. Our story house is named for the Swahili word that is an invitation to a story – Paukwa. It’s an age- old term, well known across East Africa. Paukwa invites one to remember the joy of stories from their childhood days and to get lost in new, familiar or unknown ideas about the daily things that surround us.
Each day ordinary Kenyans are pushing our nation forward. As volunteers, as SME owners, as creatives, teachers, farmers, counsellors, techwizards and more. There is a bigger story as they build our nation each day through their tenacity, hard work, positive attitude, search for excellence, and sheer hustle.
Through their efforts we all grow.
At Paukwa, we shine a spotlight on the everyday builders of our nation and the history we almost forgot.
This digital storybank celebrates memory, culture, modernity, but most of all, the positive. Dive in and discover a story of Kenya you didn’t know you never knew!
#KeLibraries
Books! There’s something about them, whether old or new. The feel of the pages against your fingers, or, in our digital era, the ability to sit in one place and have access to unlimited books through the click of a button. The history of Kenya’s libraries ties back to the first European settlers in Kenya. Historical records indicate that the first library was set up in 1887, primarily
Remember the story of...
Kenyan Traditional Attire
Since time immemorial, people have adopted different types of clothing for various purposes. Women used lesos to protect their bodies from both heat and cold while men, especially among the pastoralist communities, used shukas. Elders wore specific jewellery or had a distinct dress code. In this first part of two, we revisit some of the traditional wear of the Luo, Turkana, Borana and Swahili people, as well as that of...
Our audio stories
A note from our team
THE POWER OF KINDNESS
When we think about the virtues that adorn the professional realm, certain traits like determination, tenacity, and hard work often take centre stage. These qualities, undoubtedly commendable, drive success and accomplishment. Yet, amid the cacophony of accolades, there exists a subtle hero – kindness. In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, kindness often stands in the shadows, its profound impact obscured by the more visible triumphs of grit and ambition. It’s time to change that narrative. Welcome to this edition of our newsletter, where we illuminate the transformative power of kindness and the indelible marks it leaves on the lives it touches. This newsletter is a dedicated space to shine a spotlight on acts of kindness, both big and small, that ripple through the fabric of our shared human experience. As you turn the pages of this month’s edition, immerse yourself in narratives that demonstrate the profound impact of kindness-stories that inspire and remind us of the strength inherent in compassionate actions. Now, dear readers, we invite you to join us in this celebration. Reflect on the kindness you’ve witnessed or experienced and consider how you, too, can be an agent of positive change. How can you be more intentional about practicing kindness in your daily life?
TEAM PAUKWA
A note from our team
CULTURE AND HERITAGE
One of our favourite things about writing stories at Paukwa is that there’s always something new to learn about Kenya. Sometimes it's through retelling the narratives that we have come to accept, and other times it's just about appreciating the people and the places that make us proud. We’re constantly challenging the norms and asking ourselves how we can celebrate different facets of Kenyan history and culture. Through our #OnlyInKenya story series, we learnt that one of the reasons that Kenyan communities told stories was to explain the unexplainable. Take the Crying Stone for instance, Ikhongo Murwi. The Luhya community has a story that explains why it cries from time to time. Creativity at its best, we’d say. And that’s just one of many incredible stories from Western Kenya. There are more of those in Paukwa’s repository which have been specially curated to spotlight trailblazers, hidden gems, and creations that hail from this region.
TEAM PAUKWA
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