Design Reparations | Design meets Indigenous

Our circles

Cultural Knowledge Revival Program

Join the team documenting Samia Indigenous knowledge and how it can guide sustainable practices against climate change.

Regeneration Festival

A festival in Busia county to center traditional knowledge on climate indicators, sustainable farming, and cultural history.

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Bring Gaza Home

Bring Gaza Home advocates for the right of Palestinians to return to their homes.

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Nairobi Design Week

Design Reparations is participating in Nairobi Design Week with a workshop in Busia, an exhibition and a discussion panel.

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Showcase the artistic and design culture of the Bafut community

Working with the Bafut community to give visibility and space for the local creative talent and how it is connected to the ancestral wisdom of the Bafut people.

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How can design heal, repair and restore rather than extract and exploit?
Design Reparations is about nurturing relationships of understanding, care and reciprocity between the design community and the traditional, indigenous communities around the world,for ecological and just outcomes in design and beyond.

Join our crowdfunding and get invited to one Design Reparations session!

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Design Reparations is participating in Dutch Design Week, 22 and 25 October, Eindhoven.

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Design as a way to communicate with the ancestors

On January 10th, 2025, Design Reparations partnered with Princess Abumbi Prudence from the Bafut Community in Cameroon.

Known for championing the empowerment of youth and women, she is a vocal advocate for community-driven progress. Her deep connection to the Bafut community and her visionary approach to nurturing future generations will guide us in this conversation.

We discussed about Bafut practices in design, dance and community, embracing collaboration grounded in equity, respect, and ancestral wisdom.

News, reflections and invitations

The Art of Traditional Craft: How Mzee Edward’s Skills Can Inspire Modern Designers.

Mzee Edward Namuye from Busijo Village in the Samia community is a skilled artisan dedicated to traditional craftsmanship. At 76 years old,

The power of intergenerational conversations

Group picture after the workshop at Bumbe Cultural Centre. Photo by Obosh Pixels On 1st March 2025 , a unique and significant gathering...

Reweaving Design: ancestrality, reciprocity, and complexity in practice

Ian Francis Onyango with the designers at the workshop during Dutch Design Week. Photo by Cecilia Scolaro This article emerges from an...

Mzee Manga offers his perspective after participating at @nairobidesign_ with Design Reparations.

🧺 More traditional practices and objects could find space in this kind of events

🗣️ Talking with many people was interesting and inspired them to go back to their roots and reconnect with their communities

🌱 Many ideas from all over the world that came together

✍🏼 Going back to our roots means also knowing our traditional names, where they come from and what they mean

Thank you Mzee for the wisdom, looking forward to the next steps of our journey.

#designreparations #decolonize #responsibledesign #ancestralwisdom #indigenousknowledge

@nairobidesign_ is over but the conversations are continuing. This is @kavulaniart sharing her perspective about decolonizing design. What do you think? How are you re-discovering your own roots?

@_ki.sia sharing a beautiful story of connection with ancestors and how her grandmother lives within her.

@nairobidesign_ we're asking designers, creatives and visitors to share their views on decolonizing design and how they connect with their ancestors and ancestral knowledge.

Join us to hear more stories!

At @nairobidesign_ we're having fantastic conversations with people on what does it mean to decolonize design.
Here Mathew Waweru from @ceramica.africa sharing his perspective and the importance of inspiration.

#decolonize #DecolonizeDesign #nairobidesignweek

✨ Design Reparations at @nairobidesign_ Week 2025! ✨

What is design? 🤔 What does it have to do with the climate crisis and colonization? How do we decolonize design?

At our stand, we invite you to reflect on these questions and explore what we can learn from ancestral cultures—especially from the Samia community in Busia County. Through traditions like weaving papyrus reeds, crafting clay pots, and sustainable fishing, we uncover knowledge deeply rooted in the land, offering guidance for the future of responsible design. 🌿🔥

Join the conversation and imagine new ways of designing with care, reciprocity, and justice. Let’s learn, unlearn and act together!

in collaboration with @kengecontenthive , photos by @oboshpixels

#DesignReparations #NairobiDesignWeek #WeAreTheAncestors #ClimateJustice #IndigenousKnowledge #DecolonizingDesign #SustainableFutures

Join us to explore what means decolonizing design by weaving together Indigenous wisdom, ancestral practices, and regenerative design approaches to tackle climate change. As designers and creatives, how can we move beyond extraction toward community-led, sustainable practices? What can we learn from Indigenous knowledge? Join elders, designers, and researchers in an interactive dialogue to reclaim, reimagine, and take action.

Kindly supported by: @stimuleringsfonds

#AncestralWisdom #SamiaPeople #IndigenousKnowledge #DecolonizeDesign #SustainableFutures #DesignReparations #Kengecontenthive #nairobidesignweek

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@designreparations

Pictures of recent projects from our partners

COMMITTED TO ECOLOGICAL AND JUST FUTURES

picture of a book that depicts Bendian Dance

Thank you!

Special thanks to the contributors of our crowdfunding campaign. Special shout out to Enrico and Maria, Micha Commeren with Create New, Amber Stieber and Geraldine Moodley and Het Cultuurfonds.

Our circles

Cultural Knowledge Revival Program

Regeneration Festival

Bring Gaza Home

Nairobi Design Week

Showcase the artistic and design culture of the Bafut community

Join our crowdfunding and get invited to one Design Reparations session!

Design Reparations is participating in Dutch Design Week, 22 and 25 October, Eindhoven.

Design as a way to communicate with the ancestors

News, reflections and invitations

The Art of Traditional Craft: How Mzee Edward’s Skills Can Inspire Modern Designers.

The power of intergenerational conversations

Reweaving Design: ancestrality, reciprocity, and complexity in practice

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Follow us on Instagram

Pictures of recent projects from our partners

COMMITTED TO ECOLOGICAL AND JUST FUTURES

Thank you!

Projects