{"podcast":{"title":"Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige","slug":"ready-to-be-real-by-s-le-seoige-1032894","podcast_index_feed_id":1032894,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/66d2140a-cd91-584c-ae39-d08918c12a56","website_url":"https://soundcloud.com/readytobereal","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/611ed77d06c05e843ef40e87/1676557877379-b7b4739589da7d7815237e646810f03a.jpeg","author":"Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige","episode_count":289,"summary":"In this podcast series, Síle Seoige chats to people of all walks of life; those who are well known, along with those who have extraordinary stories to tell and she also features topic lead conversations with a particular expert in their field. A skilled interviewer and avid listener, Síle’s warm approach encourages her guests to be as open and honest about their lived experiences as possible. This refreshing approach has made for some truly special conversations that she hopes will at times inspire, challenge, educate, comfort or simply entertain her listener. Please rate, review and subscribe if you like what you hear, thanks so much! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-24T16:20:25.269781+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/ready-to-be-real-by-s-le-seoige-1032894"},"episode":{"title":"Helen Ogbu : Community is everything","slug":"helen-ogbu-community-is-everything","published_at":"2026-07-02T23:19:39+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/ready-to-be-real-by-s-le-seoige-1032894/helen-ogbu-community-is-everything","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/ready-to-be-real-by-s-le-seoige-1032894","url":"https://shows.acast.com/ready-to-be-real-by-sile-seoige/episodes/helen-ogbu-community-is-everything","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/ready-to-be-real-by-sile-seoige/e/6a46f20b04fac73b24717b00/media.mp3","summary":"​Topics covered : her upbringing, her late husband, grief, mourning, rebuilding her life, fostering, community, belonging and public service.  This week, I'm joined by Helen Ogbu​ - Labour councillor, the newly elected Mayor of Galway, foster carer, life coach and PhD student. Helen made history this year by becoming Galway's first Mayor from a migrant background. But long before politics, her life had already taken her on an extraordinary journey. Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Helen was one of eight children in a home where kindness, generosity and caring for others were simply part of everyday life. Those early experiences would later inspire her to become a foster carer, opening her home in Ireland to around 30 children over the years. Helen also shares the deeply personal story of meeting her late husband, Sunny Orji-Ogbu, a principled Nigerian politician who believed passionately that his country deserved honest, accountable leadership. As political tensions intensified, Helen became increasingly fearful for his safety. She moved to Ireland with their young daughter, ChiChi, hoping he would follow. Tragically, in 2010, Sunny was assassinated while returning home from a political meeting. Helen speaks with extraordinary honesty about navigating unimaginable grief, raising her daughter as a young widow, and slowly rebuilding her life in Galway. Today, alongside her work in public service, Helen holds a Master's degree in History and Diplomacy, is currently completing a PhD, and continues to champion community, inclusion and belonging in everything she does​. ​C​onnect with Helen: Instagram: ​ Helen Ogbu (@iamhelenogbu) • Instagram photos and videos Labour Party profile: Helen Ogbu Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"​Topics covered : her upbringing, her late husband, grief, mourning, rebuilding her life, fostering, community, belonging and public service. This w…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3374,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ready-to-be-real-by-s-le-seoige-1032894/episodes/helen-ogbu-community-is-everything/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/ready-to-be-real-by-s-le-seoige-1032894/helen-ogbu-community-is-everything.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}