Four Kenyans among 133 creators selected in the 2022 YouTube Black Voices Fund

Cheyenne Muvunyi, Wendy Angel Nangayo, Justus Nandwa and Mandi Sarro are among 26 African YouTubers selected for the #YouTubeBlack Voices creator fund for 2022.

About the YouTubers

Angel Lately is Wendy Angel Nangayo is a female creator, who speaks about all of the things she finds beautiful — whether that is writing, food, places, people or experiences.

Cheyenne Muvunyi is a content creator and entrepreneur of Kenyan and Rwandan origin. She’s been self-employed since graduating university and also runs her YouTube channel, cheymuv. Her ultimate goal is to create businesses and tell stories that directly improve people’s lives, whether it’s through visual storytelling or creating products.

Shared Moments with Justus is the channel from Justus Nandwa, a digital media content creator based in Kenya through which he expects to spread hope and shape narratives through stories. He uses media to emphasise the costs and benefits of policies by putting a human face on issues that appear abstract, or immensely overwhelming and out-of-reach from afar. Justus inculcates his skill set in advocating for equity, equality, and democracy in all spheres of life by calling out policy makers to order, through his visual journalism.

Mandi Sarro aka Miss Mandi is an advocate of the stories that sit on the plate. She believes that food is a way to tell a story, and has harnessed her passion for cooking into a platform to showcase the stories of individuals from all around the world.

#YouTubeBlack

“Black creators have played an important role in shaping the culture on YouTube. From fashion and comedy to politics, learning and wellness, Black creators have propelled our platform forward.” YouTube acknowledged in their statement.

The #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund is a multi-year commitment launched in 2020 and is dedicated to spotlighting and growing Black creators and music on the platform, by giving them access to resources to help them thrive on YouTube.

Once selected for the program, a creator receives dedicated support from a YouTube Partner Manager, seed funding invested into the development of their channel, development incubator focused on production, community engagement, and wellbeing and bespoke trainings, workshops, and networking opportunities throughout the year.

“Over the next year, we’ll work closely with these creators, offering them dedicated partner support, seed funding invested into the development of their channels, and participation in an intensive development program that will focus on training in production, community engagement and wellbeing, followed by ongoing workshops and networking programs.” YouTube said in astatement

“The #YouTubeBlack community is filled with so many talented, brilliant, passionate, and driven creatives, and we’re honored to equip these awesome creators and artists with additional resources to match their drive.” the statement read.

Youtube pledged at launch that it will invest $100 million over three years to “amplify” Black talent on the platform. The fund was launched with the goal of specifically supporting Black producers and artists so that they can thrive on YouTube. The money has also been used to finance larger productions, such as a documentary series and a charity event, in addition to individual creators.