The Other Kenyan: Bringing Community Care from Cali to Kenya – with Nyobugi Okullo

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What happens when a casual curiosity about trail running transforms into a life-changing journey of service? Bugi's remarkable story unfolds as she recounts her evolution from a nervous first-timer at a Brazen Racing event to becoming "the other Kenyan" – an ultra runner who now feeds 42 children daily through her foundation in rural Kenya.
The magic of the trail running community shines throughout this conversation as Bugi describes finding her people through those long, vulnerable hours spent traversing mountains together. "When you spend six or seven hours with someone, you become real," she explains, highlighting how these connections sustained her through profound grief after losing her mother. Running became her constant companion through life's challenges – a space for processing emotions, finding clarity, and building self-belief.
Most powerfully, Bugi shares the genesis of the Okullo Foundation, which began with a simple act of kindness: paying a child's $6 school fees after finding him unable to attend class. What started as addressing an immediate need evolved into a comprehensive program providing meals, education, healthcare, and hygiene products to kindergarteners at a school just steps from her family home. Through donations from her American running community, these children now have backpacks, proper toilets, clean water, and nutritious food – transforming their educational experience and health outcomes.
Beyond her service work, Bugi offers wisdom about overcoming fears, building confidence, and embracing community. Her journey from doubting her abilities to setting ambitious ultra-running goals mirrors her approach to community service: start where you are, take one step at a time, and trust that showing up matters. As she puts it, "What brings me hope is that kindness and empathy still exist."
Ready to be inspired by how one person's passion can create ripples of positive change? Listen now and discover how the simple act of lacing up your shoes might lead to unexpected purpose. And if Bugi's story moves you, she extends an open invitation to visit Kenya and see the foundation's work firsthand!
Learn more about the Okullo Foundation at: https://okullofoundation.org/

Chapters

1. Finding Trail Running Family (00:00:00)

2. Running's Impact on Personal Well-being (00:04:21)

3. Overcoming Fear on Solo Trail Runs (00:07:42)

4. Kenyan Running Culture Differences (00:12:49)

5. The Okulo Foundation's Origins (00:18:00)

6. Transforming Lives Through Education and Nutrition (00:29:40)

7. Trail Community Inclusivity and Future Goals (00:42:50)

8. Finding Hope Through Connection (00:49:20)