Still
choosing
joy. ♡
Meet the founder

Hi, I’m Nonnie.

I have always loved teaching and service — meeting people with different stories, traditions, cultures and perspectives, learning from them, and sharing what I have learned along the way.

Through my own transitions, one thing I have always wanted to retain is my joy and the freedom to be myself. Irugah is a space for honest reflection, real stories, different perspectives and the reminder that becoming ourselves does not have to mean becoming heavier versions of ourselves.

My Full Story   →
☀PeopleReal Conversations
◇ReflectionRooted in Our Stories
♡JoyOn Purpose
Our offerings

Stories, Reflection,
And Tools for the Journey.

Thoughtfully created conversations, resources and experiences — all designed to help you reflect, understand, connect and keep room for joy through every season.

Explore All →
Good Questions.
Brighter Days.
Journals & ResourcesTools for reflection, clarity and growth.→
Where Did You Go When Transition Came Your Way?
Real stories. Real people. Real growth. What happened when life changed the plan? Where did you find yourself, what did you learn, and which parts of the life you imagined were still waiting for you on the other side?
StorytellingHonest stories for every season.→
Community
Conversations
Change Lives
Community ForumA space to connect, share and learn.→

Same Stories,
Brighter Futures.

Irugah is a community, a movement and a reminder that transitions do not get the final word. There can still be joy, possibility, purpose — and all the good things you thought life could be.

Join the Journey   →
Community

Three Voices.
One Purpose.

Cheptoo. Sienna. Pauline. Different perspectives, one shared space for honest conversation, reflection and a brighter you.

Meet Our Voices →
The Irugah Arc

Tujijue. Tuulize.
Tuelewe.

Know ourselves. Ask the questions. Understand. A simple rhythm for honest reflection and deeper understanding.

Explore the Arc →
Stay Connected

Stories, Updates
& More.

Be the first to know about new workshops, community conversations, journals, stories and upcoming events.

Join the Newsletter →
My Full Story

Teaching, service, faith
& still choosing joy.

Working in different environments and experiencing life across two countries has continued to shape the way I think. It has taught me that there is rarely only one way to understand a life, a transition, or even ourselves.

That is part of what led me to Irugah.

Irugah Initiative is built to challenge the limitations we can allow into our lives. The timelines we follow, the expectations we carry, inherited beliefs, and the ideas we have accepted about who we are supposed to be can quietly shape what we believe is possible.

I believe growth can be honest without always being heavy. We can question what we have inherited, remain curious about perspectives different from our own, and still retain the freedom to become who we are.

Nonnie Karanja, AAC
Founder, Irugah Initiative · Washington State

Journals & Resources

Good questions.
Brighter days.

Thoughtful companions for reflection, transitions, clarity and joy. The first Irugah journal collection is coming soon.

JOURNALS · COMING SOON
IRUGAH · TRANSITION NEWS

Where did you go when
transition came your way?

Stories about the seasons that changed the plan — what we grieved, what we discovered, what remained, and how we found our way back to possibility.

The point is not simply to arrive. Live your way there.

FIRST STORIES · COMING SOON
Community Forum

Bring your story
to the table.

A welcoming space for honest conversations, different perspectives, reflection, connection and learning — without requiring everyone to arrive at the same conclusion.

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS · COMING SOON
Community Voices

Three voices.
One purpose.

“A warm and safe space…”Cheptoo · Australia
“I started slowing down enough to hear myself again…”Sienna · Washington, USA
“I stopped being a stranger to my own life…”Pauline · Nairobi, Kenya
The Irugah Arc

Tujijue. Tuulize. Tuelewe.

TujijueKnow ourselves.
TuulizeAsk the questions.
TueleweUnderstand.