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!
#KeJamhuri
The journey to Kenya’s independence began long before that evening in December of 1963 when the Kenyan flag was hoisted for the first time. It began before January 1960 when the Kenya constitutional conference was held at Lancaster House in London. It began before the emergency crisis was declared in October of 1952. And even before Mary Leakey found the first Proconsul Africanus skull on Rusinga Island in 1948.
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!
#MagazetiYetu
Kenya’s earliest newspaper was established in 1902, a time before the country’s name was conceived, and when the region was still a protectorate. Nonetheless, the realities of colonialism were already setting in. With time, a resistance emerged. As some Kenyans took up arms to fight for freedom, others wielded pens, sharpening their words into weapons of knowledge. The latter contributed to the popularity of newspapers as tools used by
Remember the story of...
From Past to Present
One night in September 1939, a fire mysteriously broke out and destroyed the Government Secretariat Offices in Nairobi. The unfortunate tragedy, inevitably, had disastrous effects on the British colonial government’s records of the earlier years. Fortunately, the government was able to revive its offices through cooperation from members of the public and assistance from other government departments. However, despite this setback and a notice to revive all records lost by...
Our audio stories
A note from our team
LUGHA ZETU
Languages are the vibrant threads that weave together the tapestry of human existence. They are the essence of communication, connecting individuals and communities, while also serving as the key to preserving culture, heritage, and knowledge. African languages have long been underappreciated and overshadowed by colonial ones. However, times are changing, and with increasing efforts to promote cultural diversity and inclusivity, they are finally gaining the recognition they truly deserve. Kiswahili, in particular, has emerged as a leading example of this linguistic renaissance. At Paukwa, we have long been champions of different facts of Kenyan culture. Through #KeProverbs and #MisemoYetu we celebrate the rich diversity of our linguistic heritage.
TEAM PAUKWA
A note from our team
THE SDGS AND YOU
Have you heard about the SDGs? The collective global goals that serve not just people but the planet? #OurGoalGetters story collection has stories of 17 incredible Kenyans working towards each of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While preparing the collection, we were delighted to find countless Kenyans striving every day to build a sustainable future for the country. It is no doubt that Kenyans are working! From our forests to our seas, our schools, our institutions and even our homes, these Kenyans have taken the liberty of re-imagining the ways our world needs to change and then put their ideas to action. They are raising their voices, leveraging partnerships, bringing communities together and using every tool within their reach to ensure nothing less than the best for future generations. In discovering the expansive work being done right under our noses, we asked ourselves one question: “What is the everyday person’s role in contributing to the achievement of the SDGs?” We hope the insights inspire from this collection help you to take a second look at your surroundings and identify where you can support the realisation of these global goals.
TEAM PAUKWA
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