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!
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!
#KeDesigners: Sustainable Fashion
Fashion is more than just clothing or jewellery or accessories; it is a language that speaks volumes about our identity, beliefs, and aspirations. In a world where our interactions with individuals are often shaped by their outward appearances, we invite you to look beyond the consumers and into the dynamic realm of the producers – the designers. Welcome to #KeDesigners, a story collection that delves into the vibrant world
Remember the story of...
Mukami Kimathi: Mau Mau Freedom Fighter
I picked up this book wanting to learn more about the Kenya that existed before me. What life was like during the Emergency and gaining a deeper understanding of what sacrifices were laid down so that I can live the life I live today. Mukami Kimathi’s biography written by Wairimu Nderitu gave me all of that, plus so much more. I didn’t expect a love story. I didn’t expect the...
Our audio stories
A note from our team
CELEBRATING THE EARTH
We only get one home, or one planet to call home. The idea of the existential threat of climate change often feels too heavy or distant to contemplate, but if we are indeed to be the stewards who keep our shared home viable for us all, that’s exactly what we need to do – contemplate, then act! Thankfully there are many everyday champions who do act – as stewards, as changemakers, as earth warriors and we are happy to have shared their stories in our collection #OurGreenHeroes. Through their actions we all are a bit closer to keeping this shared home of ours safe for all who inhabit it. We urge you to do your “little thing” like Wangari Maathai – reduce your plastic use, plant a tree, teach a child about environmental action because as Margaret Mead once said, “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has”.
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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