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!
#KePlaces
Paukwa is all about storytelling; that’s our superpower. We like to revisit the known and tell you about the otherwise. Our focus as you may have guessed by now is Kenya, and despite being confined to our homes during this time, we thought, what better way to stay active than to take another journey around the country? This time we will be visiting different cities and towns in Kenya.
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!
#PaukwaEssays
We love telling stories that celebrate various facets of the 254. But every now and then, we are compelled to delve into aspects of Kenyan history and culture that are not entirely positive. Our hope is that by sharing our thoughts on these issues, we can give them the attention they demand and, who knows, perhaps even incite change. Here are our Paukwa Essays. [uncode_index el_id="index-907995"
Remember the story of...
The Physics Associated with the Equator
The Nyeri-Nanyuki Highway is famed for many things, but none beats the yellow signpost, a landmark that lets you know that you are passing the equator – the halfway line between the North and South Pole. Kenya is one of the countries fortunate to host the equator, which means we mostly have equatorial or tropical climate for the better part of the year. And so, whenever travelers find themselves on the popular highway, they’ve been...
Our audio stories
A note from our team
ON GRATITUDE
Allow us to take a moment of reflection. We are grateful for the journey of time, for the learnings we have experienced about our country as we have spent time in archives, in interviews, on bumpy roads crisscrossing the nation, in online rabbit holes in our quest to build stories of Kenya. We are incredibly grateful for the community of readers we have and all the feedback, thumbs up, questions and exclamations that you have shared. We have enjoyed spending time in new spaces bringing our story collections alive in forums, on panels, in festivals and in virtual settings. Through each of these endeavours we are continually sharpened by others, we have found our tribe of individuals and collectives as curious as we are about our history, and we are comforted and emboldened by the reminders that we are not alone on our quest and indeed – this work of narrative shaping, of history building, of spotlight shining is important. With reflection comes gratitude, introspection, and hope and so we thank you for being part of our Paukwa journey.
TEAM PAUKWA
A note from our team
THE POWER OF STORIES
At Team Paukwa, we never tire of celebrating the power of stories. It is the very essence of our mission and the fuel that drives our work. We firmly believe in the transformative impact of storytelling for social change. Moreover, we take great joy in spotlighting the creatives who are actively reshaping the narrative of Kenya through their storytelling prowess. These individuals are catalysts for change, weaving tales that challenge stereotypes, elevate unheard voices, and ignite conversations that matter. We're excited to delve into our treasure trove of stories—our vault—that showcases their journeys and contributions. From budding writers to seasoned filmmakers, each story reflects the profound impact of storytelling in driving positive change. Eager to learn more? Check out the stories that Kenyan creatives have produced in #KeFilms, #KePodcasts and #KeReads.
TEAM PAUKWA
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