As someone dangerously and uncontrollably slipping into my mid-30s, Nairobi can be overwhelming and often unexciting. A lot of people my age probably would find me appalling and unnecessary company. They, on the other hand, are normal people going about the business of being normal. They are not particularly bothered by increasing inequalities in the country they live in.

So, when one has lived for over three decades, they begin to look for places where their views can be accommodated (honestly, a lot of times tolerated).

Sometimes one might be lucky; they mighty find a place. Although not entirely with their age-mates but with like-minded people, one might find PAWA254. This will be defined as an arrival of some sort. An arrival that will be the beginning of a thirty-something year-old’s journey into learning, teaching and creating.

If everything one knows about Nairobi is from an NGO report about the Flying Toilets of Kibera, or from the literary portraits of savages in Karen Blixen’s Out of Africa, it is easy to imagine that PAWA254 is a fictional place. In Nairobi, a thirty-something year-old, like me, religiously attends events at PAWA254 and is a ‘lifetime’ member of the weekly ‘Off The Record’ debates because at PAWA254 no minute of one’s life is wasted. There is something to learn. Everyday.

I trace my current job to some of the activities I did with PAWA254 in late 2011 to early early 2012.

I started coming to PAWA254 when I was jobless. I had heard that PAWA254 was connecting creatives by offering them space to do their work. They also held workshops. I joined their Sauti Project, which was organised in partnership with Al Jazeera. Soon after that they started “citizen journalism,” classes where people were encouraged to tell their own stories.

This opened our minds and encouraged us to do stories and post them on YouTube. I liked the idea and I met a couple of guys who had also completed college and were interested in journalism.

All our stories were posted on the Sauti Project page and YouTube. Soon after, Al Jazeera started their Swahili broadcast service in Nairobi. I was picked as one of the editors because I was good in video editing.

PAWA254 was the platform where I could practice and sharpen my skills before I got a job. Even in my current job, PAWA254 has been instrumental in providing contacts useful for the execution of my assignments.

I have been with PAWA Initiative for the past two and a half years, a period I cherish as very enriching as a creative. I am the Project Manager of Mtaani News Bureau (MNB) which runs an independent online newspaper, Mavulture.com and also runs a nationwide journalism training and outreach programme. MNB is a first in Kenya as its content comprises ground-breaking investigations primarily focused on social justice, corruption and governance.

Before joining PAWA Initiative, I was in the corporate world for 5 years. I was, however, not satisfied with what I was doing. I believed that the fundamental principles that drive the corporate world are unethical. Leaving the corporate world meant forfeiting a higher pay but accepting the satisfaction of having my creativity better deployed.

At PAWA, I have also been involved in providing art direction in a number of projects. These include Mavulture stickers, Mavulture street graffiti, Evaluation Research, where I served as the Monitoring and Evaluation assistant for the Amani Tour project (Picha Mtaani II), and Programme Manager of Diaper Mentality project, www.diapermentality.com.

The county journalism outreach programme empowers citizens to tell their own stories. My greatest take home from PAWA is social capital – the people that I have met and interacted with and forged relations. It has also enabled me to be who I am in totality (a visual artist) and pursue my goals in tandem with this identity.

Happily, I met my wife during a photography workshop organised at PAWA254. Noonkuta, for that is her name, was a budding photographer who had been referred to PAWA254 by a friend. Two years later in November 2013, we had a wedding graced by PAWA254 staff and community members.

I’m the founder and team leader at Kingdom Clothing Co, Kenya’s premier urban street fashion label whose philosophy is to be original, creative, artistic, relevant and responsible.

My start-up incubated at PAWA254, when I was offered free space to conceptualise, create and market the Street T-Shirt collection, #ThreadRevolution, which was officially launched on 3rd May, 2014 at PAWA254 rooftop.

At PAWA254, I have had opportunities to network with competent and gifted professionals with whom I have collaborated. I have met photographers, writers, videographers and other creative. PAWA254 has also offered me state-of- the-art equipment and a fully equipped photo studio for my fashion shoots. I also made use of the amazing rooftop where we had our official launch for the t-shirt collection.

I was born in Kitale, west of the capital city of Nairobi, 27 years ago. I’m from a humble family. My dream of furthering studies in computer science was dimmed by the lack of resources. This led me to another passion: photography.

I have matured in photography over the years, my forte being portraits, lifestyle, studio, and general photography. To widen my client base, I decided to set my base at PAWA254.

I have met many people at PAWA254. The facilities here are impressive. I feel more confident about my future in photography as my skills improve and my business network keeps expanding.

PAWA254 is a community. A place to grow and build networks. Through these networks, I have toured South Africa and Germany. From the time l joined PAWA254, l got to discover who l really am. PAWA254 is my family and that’s where l became more socio-politically aware. If you want to shape your ideology, PAWA254 is the place to be.

PAWA254 has good facilities and you can meet anyone at the space, from CEOs in the top corporations to artistes on the rooftop. I did a Mtaa (hood) challenge at PAWA254; we mobilised young guys from the hood to come up with business ideas, trained them and funded the best ideas.

Musically I have done many collaborations at PAWA254. In 2013 I worked with eight musicians from six counties and we did a song called Mama Kenya in one day. We wrote, recorded and shot a video in one day. We met women from Dagoreti who shared their struggles, triumphs and hopes. The meeting inspired the song.

My biggest career song Utawala, which has over 250,000 views on YouTube and receives ample airplay on local radio stations, was inspired and developed at PAWA254. When Kenya was turning 50, I worked with Sarabi Band in producing Fuata Sheria.

Subsequently I worked with Sarabi, H_art the Band, Gachago, Teradrops and Berry after the Lamu terror attacks to produce Nitabaki na Nini (What Will I Remain With?).

In a nutshell PAWA254 has made more socially conscious and it has led me to start an arts & talent hub in Dandora where Kenya’s hip hop was born and where l grew up.