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!
#KeTextiles
It is said that African textiles can be used to tell the story of the continent. By studying the continent’s cloth, one can trace her history, discover which nations interacted with and influenced her, and document monumental political and cultural episodes. As part of the post-independence reclamation of traditional African heritage, there has been a resurgence in the interest surrounding African textiles as more people seek to understand their
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!
#KeFestivals
From the beginning of time, culture has been a part of who we are – and even as time has evolved, we have purposely added new aspects into our broadening lifestyle. And for those who don't know, Kenyans love to enjoy life. Throughout the year, people commune to celebrate these cultures; whether its a celebration that focuses on music, or various forms of art, or food, and even
Remember the story of...
Niko na Fuliza
How many times have you tried sending someone money only to be told, "Niko na fuliza"? This overdraft facility was launched by Safaricom in 2019 to give Kenyans access to easy loans. The loan amount is automatically deducted whenever money is received on M-PESA, giving rise and popularity to this msemo. Are you guilty of using this phrase or any of its variations such as "nifulizie" and even "send...
Our audio stories
A note from our team
FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD!
We love food, and who doesn’t? It’s an indispensable element of our lives. Food fuels our health and wellbeing and transcends dietary realms. But it is so much more than that. It is also a defining element of our heritage, deeply ingrained in our culture. By simply looking at what’s on our plates, how we’ve cooked it, and digging deeper into the intricacies of who eats what, it is possible for someone to tell who we are. As such, food is a key part of our identity. This manifests itself in many ways. In the different locations our communities inhabit, you will find varying types of produce, and with it, different methods the harvest undergoes from farm to table. Regardless of these differences, food always brings us together. In the farm, as we gather by the fire around a sizzling pot of stew, or at the table. In this uniting spirit, we welcome you to a celebration of food and its production processes through #VyakulaVyetu and #StreetFoodKenya
TEAM PAUKWA
A note from our team
WOMEN WE ARE INSPIRED BY
Celebrating the achievements of women in all spheres has been one of our key focuses. The word celebrate comes from the Latin word celebrare meaning to assemble and honour. Gathering is core to the etymology of the word celebration. It means celebrating women must include meaningfully cultivating spaces to acknowledge and honour each other. The poignancy of this kind of fellowship has not been lost on us. At Paukwa, it has meant reflecting on journeys of that show the complexity of life that is so fulfilling when one stays the course. The awe-inspiring tenacity and unbridled excellence of Kenyan women quite simply demand celebration as we have shown in out collection of #KeFemaleFirsts. We commit to holding space to recognise, embrace and speak life from the phenomenal women that inspire us.
TEAM PAUKWA
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