Putika Watoto began in September 2024 as a small workshop - a simple idea brought to life through curiosity and creativity.

In those early days, we tested, learned, failed, laughed, and grew with every step.

Our very first sale came shortly after, on 26 October 2024, at the Kilimani Community Festival. It felt small at the time, but it marked something much bigger: the true beginning of Putika Watoto.

From the start, Putika Watoto has been about celebrating the heritage of this continent - as we continue to discover it through fabrics, colours, and making. Today, we work primarily with kitenge, and slowly, thoughtfully, we are preparing to expand into khanga.

Putika Watoto is also a personal story. I am French and have lived in Kenya for over ten years. As a mother of two Kenyan–French children, I was drawn to creating clothes full of colour and character - pieces that tell stories while remaining comfortable, playful, durable, and easy to pass from one child to another, between siblings, friends, and community.

As the brand has grown, so has its purpose.

Putika Watoto is not only a clothing brand. It is a community. It includes the people who make the clothes, the children who choose them, and the parents, aunties, uncles, and friends who give them as gifts.

We are committed to working carefully and responsibly. Fabric offcuts are saved and repurposed into new creations, and our T-shirts are produced in partnership with a company that transforms reclaimed materials into new cotton pieces - better for both people and the planet.

In March 2026, we expanded our work beyond clothing and began making toys in our workshop in Tigoni, using reclaimed wood and recycled materials. These are simple objects for play and learning, designed to inspire creativity and show what can be made at home with care and imagination.

Our workshop continues to be a space for joy, learning, and opportunity. It has already provided first job experiences to three young people, and in June 2026, we will launch a one-year apprenticeship programme to support the next generation of makers.

Putika Watoto is still growing - and we are very happy you are here with us.