ABOUT US
PAWA Initiative, popularly known as PAWA 254, is a non-profit established in Kenya in 2010. A unique Kenyan art and cultural collaborative hub, PAWA254 houses, fosters, and catalyses creative and community-driven projects for social change. The acronym “PAWA” is a Swahili alteration for “power”, while “254” is Kenya’s country code.
PAWA has established itself as a bold niche organisation in the ‘artivism’ space that creatively integrates art and activism to promote active civic participation, human rights, livelihood improvement, and employment development for Kenyan youth.
PAWA leverages the energy and intensity of the arts to strengthen understanding and exploration of emerging issues in Kenya and increase youth involvement in positive development processes. As a collaborative creative hub with a vision of mainstreaming arts and culture in the pursuit of social justice for all, PAWA254 works with artists, awakening in them a deep socio-economic and political consciousness. This is achieved by empowering them to connect their art to the pursuit of a better Kenya. PAWA254 is an integral part of the Youth Serving Organisations (YSOs) and works closely with community groups and like-minded Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the governance and human rights space to further the goal of championing human rights while advocating for accountability in the utilisation of public resources.
OUR THEMATIC AREAS
Arts and Media
PAWA254 is dedicated to the advancement of the arts and media. This is developed through building the capacity of emerging artists and facilitating the integration of artistic expression for livelihood development. This entails investment in an innovative learning and capacity-building approach in order to activate artists through active artistic expressions.
This is coupled with the provision of a state-of-the art co-working space that consists of creative suites for artists as well as professional equipment such as cameras, lighting, and other media production equipment. PAWA actively creates, promotes, and shares opportunities for arts skill transfer, mentorship, and partnerships.
Civil Engagement & Social Accountability
At PAWA, we recognise that change comes through working collaboratively with like-minded groups and individuals. As such, working closely with local communities is at the heart of our work, as we advocate for the improvement of the quality of life in our communities and the country at large.
The goal of working to make a difference in our communities is close to our hearts; therefore, we continually strive to produce and empower active citizens who are able to drive change. Citizen-led action is an important aspect of holding public officials accountable in regard to the use of public resources as well as service delivery.
OUR VISION
Active Citizens Driving Change.
OUR VALUES
We use bold, socially conscious art to drive citizen-led action, and empower active citizens to drive change.
OUR MISSION
To awaken consciousness, and demand for positive change through active artistic expressions.