Recorded live at the World Hope Forum: East Africa.

What if culture isn't something we simply inherit but something we intentionally build? Fashion designer Katungulu Mwendwa has spent her career living that question.

In this special episode of Selam & Hello, Lilly sits down with Katungulu Mwendwa, founder and creative director of Katush, for a moving reflection on identity, belonging, creativity, and the responsibility we carry to future generations. Drawing from her journey as a Kenyan designer, new mother and storyteller, Katungulu unpacks a question that has shaped her life's work: "Who am I culturally?"

From growing up in Nairobi between multiple cultural influences, to rediscovering traditional craftsmanship through Akamba artisans, to reflecting on what her own son will inherit, Katungulu explores how culture is not simply preserved through beautiful objects but through relationships, rituals, community and shared creation.

One of the most powerful moments comes as she describes weaving alongside women from her ancestral village, realising that "culture was not the basket. It was the circle." Through shared tea, prayer, conversation and collective problem-solving, she reframes culture not as nostalgia, but as participation.

In this episode:

• What colonial history means for African identity today
• Why African fashion is about process, not just aesthetics
• How motherhood transformed Katungulu's understanding of legacy
• Why culture is built through community, memory and participation

About Katungulu Mwendwa: Katungulu Mwendwa is the founder and creative director of Katush, a Kenyan fashion brand known for blending contemporary design with traditional African craftsmanship. Her work has been featured in Vogue, CNN and Forbes Africa. She collaborates closely with artisans across Kenya to celebrate heritage while reimagining it for today.

Our theme of "Culture as Joy, Power and Source" runs through all eight speakers at The World Hope Forum: East Africa, including Donica Merhazion, Kevin Mwachiro, Omer Eltigani, Iona McCreath, Yonas Tadesse, Njoki Karu, and Lilly Bekele-Piper.

If this conversation resonated with you:

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Selam & Hello is a Pan-African storytelling platform where Africa and her diaspora come to think, reflect and be heard.

Follow Katush: @katushnairobi | www.katushnairobi.com

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Email us at:

• lilly@selamandhello.com
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Music Credits: Selam & Hello Jingle by Silas Piper

@silaspiper https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTJMBigciZgiSLzagdsFYLw

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