Truphine Apondi is just a girl who wants to experience life fully, remain curious and find beauty wherever she is. Her words, not ours, and honestly they say everything.
Born and raised in Kisumu by Lake Victoria, Truphine grew up with a natural love for nature and the simple things before moving to Nairobi to pursue a BSc in Medical Laboratory Sciences. City life came first. Then a job offer arrived at one of the lowest points of her life, unemployed, recovering from a toxic work environment, navigating a really hard season, and it was pointing straight to a remote village. She gave herself six months. Two years later she is still there and will be the first to tell you it was the hardest yes that shaped her in the best ways possible.
Today she is known in her village simply as Sister, the term for a female healthcare provider, where she cares for cancer patients, people living with sickle cell, HIV patients and others navigating some of the most difficult seasons of their lives. Online she is Simply Apondi, the 2026 BAKE Awards Creator of the Year, and The Whimsical Scientist, a name she came up with because it just sounded right and has made her happy ever since.
Her story is proof that ambition and slow intentional living can go hand in hand. That the detour can become the destination. And that sometimes the answer to your prayer just looks like a village you never imagined calling home.
In her Lead Out Loud Interview, Truphine talks about the hard season that brought her to the village, what caring for people in their final months has taught her about living her own life, and why she still cannot fully explain why the village feels more like home than anywhere else ever has.
You traded city life for the countryside, cooking over open flame and fetching your own water — and somehow made it so appealing that the whole internet wants to follow suit. Who are you, really?
Well, I’d be lying if I said I’m good at cooking using firewood but ever since I started living in the village, I’ve gotten the chance to have a first hand training from my grandmother haha.
So who am I? I’m Truphine Apondi, a girl from Kisumu who grew up by Lake Victoria, moved to Nairobi to pursue a Bsc in Medical Laboratory Sciences, and eventually found myself living and working in the countryside.
I’m passionate about healthcare and giving back to my community, but I’m also just someone who loves life, learning, nature, live music, exploring and the little things that makes life special.
Through the different phases of my life, I’ve learnt a lot about gratitude, contentment and staying grounded while still chasing my dreams.
I guess through my story, I just want people to see that you can dream big, pursue your passions/career and still find joy in the simple things.
Where did the name, “The Whimsical Scientist” come from, and does the name still crack you up?
Haha, I just sounded right when I said it out loud! And yes, it actually still makes me happy, haha. I’m a medical scientist who also has a deep desire to keep my childlike wonder alive and find joy in what people would otherwise consider ordinary. I think it basically shows that you can have a serious career and still find happiness in the “unserious” things, haha. Being a scientist doesn’t mean I have to take everything so seriously. I can be passionate about my work and still be curious, playful and find magic in the little things.So that’s how the whimsical scientist came to be.
By day you’re doing serious HIV/AIDS clinical work, and by evening you’re documenting cottage life online. How do those two worlds live together inside you?
I think that’s an easy one. I’m a mosaic of all my passions. As humans, we’re lucky to have this thing called free will, so we can always pursue whatever it is that makes us happy and gives us a sense of fulfilment. I don’t believe we are limited to just one thing.
I’m passionate about healthcare, and I also genuinely love my life outside of work, haha. I cannot let my profession be the entirety of me. There’s so much more to life than what I do for a living.
They say all work and no play makes Apondi a very dull girl, haha.
What is one thing village life has given you that the city never could?
Can I mention more than one? Haha.
Well, as someone who had only experienced city life previously, I’d say a different kind of exposure. They say exposure opens our eyes and minds, and unfortunately, most of the time, this idea is usually limited to travelling to fancy places and cities (well, I do this too, and I highly recommend it, haha). However, there is a different kind of exposure that you get from living in the village.
Living here among community members has taught me the gift of gratitude and contentment. Sometimes, we rush through life trying to chase the next big thing and forget to just sit still and appreciate how far we’ve come and what we currently have.
It’s exposed me to my roots and my culture. I’ve gotten to spend so much time learning to speak my mother tongue more fluently. I’ve also been privileged to spend time with my grandma, learning traditional medicine from her and linking that knowledge to modern medicine. It has given me an even deeper understanding and appreciation of our traditions.
Lastly, I’ve learnt the beauty of being a member of a community. We don’t pass each other without saying hello, and I find it really nice nowadays, haha. It’s also helped me improve my people skills.
I know my time here in this village is limited. Soon, I’ll want to spread my wings more, pursue my career, and experience all that life has to offer; different places, cultures, and experiences. And that’s why I greatly appreciate every moment I’ve spent here and the lessons I’ve learnt.
What’s one thing city dwellers romanticize about rural living that’s actually far from glamorous in reality?
Honestly, the only particularly unglamorous thing I’ve experienced is the muddy roads, haha. That’s something I cannot personally control, so I’ve simply adapted to it. Country living, and slow living generally, requires you to be very present. And being present also means putting in the work where it’s needed to see results.
This or That
- Sunset walks or Live concerts?
Can’t I have both?haha. I love sunsets so much but I also love concerts. I can’t go to concerts everyday so I’ll choose sunset walks for now haha.They both feed my soul.
- Slow mornings or Late nights?
Slow mornings
- Afrobeats or Live acoustic music?
Easy, live acoustic music. It’s more intimate, makes you fully present and really feeds the soul.
- Travel somewhere new or Rediscover home?
I know East or West home is the best but I’d choose traveling somewhere new haha. How else will I get a different experience and exposure from what I’m already used to? The different cultures, languages, way of lives etc. If anything, home will always be there for me to rediscover.
- Cooking at home or Ordering in?
Well, I already live in the village so there’s nothing like ordering in over here haha. We’ll stick to cooking at home for now haha.
