YouTube channels that won Kenyan creatives part of Sh11billion funding

For the second time, four Kenyans will get a share of Sh11 billion ($100 million) released by YouTube to support black creatives across the world.

Former Capital FM presenter Mandi Sarro, better known by her sobriquet Miss Mandi, Cheyenne Muvunyi, Justus Nandwa and Wendy Angel are among 135 black YouTube content creators, selected for this year’s funding dubbed YouTubeBlack Voices Funds.

In the course of the year, the selected will work closely with YouTube, offering them dedicated partner support, seed funding invested into the development of their channels and participation in a development programme that will focus on training them in production, community engagement and wellbeing. There will also be workshops and networking programmes.

Justifying the selection, YouTube said the four Kenyans were picked among hundreds of other creatives after a vigorous selection process that commenced last year.

“Creators were invited to apply for grants from the Black Voices Fund. A global panel of YouTube colleagues reviewed all submissions received. We evaluated applications across a number of factors such as channel performance and engagement metrics,” Sharon Machira, Google Communication and Public Affairs Manager, Kenya told Sunday Nation.

The funds were initiated in 2020 as a multi-year commitment dedicated to spotlighting and growing black creators to enable them continue thriving as they lead meaning discussions related to black life and culture.

“When we announced the $100 million fund, the aim was to centre and amplify black voices and perspectives on YouTube, alongside a commitment to doing better as a platform to protect black creators, artists and users. Since then, we have been doing a lot of work behind-the-scenes to bring these commitments to life because we believe when we centre black and other diverse voices, we reflect back the power of our global community,” Machira added. The funds mostly foot bills of creatives and meet other expenses while shooting.

Miss Mandi

Miss Mandi, who recently trended for three days on Twitter for bullying former colleague and journalist Koome Gitobu, was selected courtesy of her channel that showcases food stories.

In the channel that has over 80,000 subscribers, Mandi expresses stories of food from various parts of the world.

“For years, I worked in the Kenyan media space and in 2021, I decided to quit my job and take things a notch higher on my channel. What started as a hobby for me 10 years ago with a simple picture of a meal has now grown to a global community of foodies,” she says.

Cheyenne Muvunyi

The 21-year-old businesswoman of Kenyan and Rwandese decent, has been running her YouTube channel Cheymuv that focuses on cosmetics and beauty since 2014.

“A lot of people think about skincare and haircare to be a shallow thing. But growing up and my experience in school, I know things like acne really affect who you are. It’s a very superficial thing but quite deep in the sense that the way you look can affect your confidence if you have skin issue,” Muvunyi notes.

Such are the stories she shares on her channel that has over four million reach. Last year, she started formulating her own organic skincare product leading to the birth of her start-up Glow Face.

Justus Nandwa

He runs the channel Shared Moments with Justus where he uses the platform to advocate for equality, equity and democracy in all spheres of life by calling out relevant policy makers through visual journalism.

Despite joining YouTube in January 2020, his channel has over 67,000 subscribers has been able to attract over five million viewers thanks to the inspiring and life-changing stories.

Wendy Angel

She established her channel Angel Lately, in 2012 and even though she has only managed to upload 62 videos since then, the channel that has 19,000 subscribers has attracted a reach of over a million people.

Boyband Sauti Sol, former singer turned content creator Patricia Kihoro, Mitchelle Adagala and James Mumo were part of the 133 first cohort of YouTube Black Voices Class of 2021. The 133 hailed from the US, Kenya, the UK, Brazil, Australia and Nigeria.