Will Youtube Save Young Kenyans from Poverty?

[sema]

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Someone told me about this guys youtube channel so I' checked out a few of his video's.  He seems to have found success on youtube and decided to celebrate his success by having an open party at his house where I guess anyone who watched him could show up to this one month party where he'd feed and house hundreds of people for the full month on his tab.  He appears to have a large international audience and maybe he thought that these international people would show up but what I"m seeing is different.

It is young kenyans showing up asking for him to promote their youtube channels and all of them saying that they have no jobs, they are struggling, they're broke....poverty stories everywhere.  So, eventually this guy marwa tells them to stop coming to his compound but they keep coming and coming and begging and begging for shoutouts, for help, just begging.

As I am watching them, I'm like, what the hell is going on in kenya that these young people's only hope is some youtube channel? Andrew Kibe's channel has been permanently banned from youtube and I predicted this would happen.  Youtube is not a job you should rely on as your only source of income, but basically, this guys channel has been turned into a begging session for young kenyans.

[Georgesoros]

Not only in Kenya. Its all over the world.

[sema]

Not only in Kenya. Its all over the world.

In the US, the youtube rates are much, much, higher and if you get viewers, you can make some money, but even in the US, it's very few people that succeed on youtube and are able to make a full time living off it, but the young in the US are lucky because if youtube doesn't work, they can get jobs and I'd say that most people in the US are doing it part-time while they have full time jobs.

In kenya or africa, the rates are much lower (US advertising companies are not looking for consumers in burkina faso or kawangware) so this fellow has boxed himself into a corner and will have to deal with unemployed beggars just showing up everyday

[RV Heavy Hitter!]

Not only in Kenya. Its all over the world.

In the US, the youtube rates are much, much, higher and if you get viewers, you can make some money, but even in the US, it's very few people that succeed on youtube and are able to make a full time living off it, but the young in the US are lucky because if youtube doesn't work, they can get jobs and I'd say that most people in the US are doing it part-time while they have full time jobs.

In kenya or africa, the rates are much lower (US advertising companies are not looking for consumers in burkina faso or kawangware) so this fellow has boxed himself into a corner and will have to deal with unemployed beggars just showing up everyday

Most Youtubers tend to target Audiences abroad, especially in the US, because it elevates their pay. I hear they spend a lot on equipment, data/internet, and other bottlenecks that bring peanuts if all are added up. Wigs, hair, and clothes cost more for women because they can't wear the same clothes on every content! That explains why there is one Youtuber with uniforms, so she doesn't have to spend money on wardrobe manenos! Youtube and algorithms are insane. All the Youtubers around the globe make peanuts while Google and Uncle Sam laugh all the way to the bank! Silicon Valley/California runs the globe

[patel]

No youtube will not save Kenyans but atleast they can learn one or more skills to pull themselves out of poverty.

We have graduates in this country in or heading to retirement who have never been gainfully employed. It's so bad and sad...very depressing.  Advertise for 1 or more jobs on kenyan newspapers and see the number of applications you will get. How did we get here as a country??..

[RV Heavy Hitter!]

No youtube will not save Kenyans but atleast they can learn one or more skills to pull themselves out of poverty.

We graduates in this country in or heading to retirement whi have never been gainfully employed. It's so bad and sad...very depressing.  Advertise for 1 or more jobs on kenyan newspapers and see the number of applications you will get. How did we get here as a country??..

Bad leaders started from JOMO, but most importantly, Kenya's education never churned out thinkers, inventors, industrialists, etc. No one wants to get dirty but wants clean money; to make matters worse, they are not honest. I have never met many Kenyans who are upstanding, driven by integrity, and honest in life! Most people will embezzle, swindle, cheat, lie, cut corners, abuse alcohol, cheat on their spouses, or do anything horrible if not under supervision. I can bet 80% of civil servants are like that. That is why the country can not move forward quickly enough. Ethics, personal integrity, responsibility, and personal accountability are critical, especially within masses!
A few months ago, I had to help someone who went to Kenya with a nearly expired passport. He thought it would be easy to renew in person, but after paying a 10K bribe, they wanted more because they saw he had a week to fly back on a return ticket. I'm sure Kenyans getting IDs, documents, title deeds, and anything to uplift their lives comes with difficulty. Private space is the same; you have to be connected or willing to spend money to achieve something. That is not a great place to grow up. If this new Government don't transform Kenya in the next few years, Kenya will slowly spiral down akin to the exit of Tubman in Liberia in 1980.

[RV Pundit]

If you have genuine talent and content - that can keep people glued - go for it. If you're in for the money - do it as passive sport. Like you could be digging and have camera capture it - edit it - post it. End of the day you still dug.

[Georgesoros]

No youtube will not save Kenyans but atleast they can learn one or more skills to pull themselves out of poverty.

We have graduates in this country in or heading to retirement who have never been gainfully employed. It's so bad and sad...very depressing.  Advertise for 1 or more jobs on kenyan newspapers and see the number of applications you will get. How did we get here as a country??..

Youre right. I see tubers from China Azerbaijan etc making millions. Cost of living in Kenya is not the same as in California, so one should take that into consideration. The old ways of making a living are OVER.

[sema]

I see tubers from China Azerbaijan etc making millions

Stop cracking jokes here.

This guy marwa seems to have made quite a bit of money over the years (the house he is building in his village must have cost a bit and I don't think he took out a loan) But I think he's been on youtube for almost 10 years now and he said he speaks fluent spanish (lived in colombia for three years and started his youtube channel from there)

But youtube has changed over the last 10 years and it's now flooded with lots of people (not sure if those poor looking kenyans showing up at his compound will make it) but I was definitely alarmed by how desperate they all are and you can see that the land in kenya is good and fertile, but these young people don't want to farm. They don't want hard labor. Just walking around that compound all day asking for shoutouts and wondering when they'll be monetized so they can get a little money from youtube.

The other thing they're doing is asking US viewers to send them money via paypal and mpesa. ALOT OF BEGGING.

[sema]

but atleast they can learn one or more skills to pull themselves out of poverty.

What skills? I tried to watch one or two of them and couldn't. They just look poverty stricken. Stuck in that village. Just walking around with their cell phones filming (because they honestly can't afford to do anything else). They literally have no money, no jobs, no idea's about what next. Nothing. Just youtube and telling people to subscribe to their channels.

But most of them speak very good English, which tells me they've gone to school.  I think these young kenyans have to start thinking about immigration to the middle east at this point.

[Georgesoros]

but atleast they can learn one or more skills to pull themselves out of poverty.

What skills? I tried to watch one or two of them and couldn't. They just look poverty stricken. Stuck in that village. Just walking around with their cell phones filming (because they honestly can't afford to do anything else). They literally have no money, no jobs, no idea's about what next. Nothing. Just youtube and telling people to subscribe to their channels.

But most of them speak very good English, which tells me they've gone to school.  I think these young kenyans have to start thinking about immigration to the middle east at this point.

Accept the fact that lots of people live off youtube. So they have to make it good and get followers otherwise no income

[gout]

Youtube is just like any other factor of production. Will work for some, won't work for others. And mzungu will leech off the creativity of mwafrika given our spineless leaders.

Mwafrika land, coffee, gold, blood and sweat is till benefitting mzungu more than mwafrika as long as the dollar printing criminal enterprise has the biggest army to protect it.

Hasla is mesmerised by climate change to distract us from such extractive leeching.

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

Youtube has evolved into a powerful platform.  Similar to other established platforms e.g. amazon, eBay etc, some people will try their luck.  Some will make it, some won't.  C'est la vie.

[RV Kirgit]

YouTube cannot be a long-term solution to kenya problem.

What if USA decide to shutdown YouTube or blacklist Kenya because we start to accept LGBTQ or any other of their numerous list of possible offenses?

Kenya need to develop homegrown solutions and reduce dependence on foreign mercies.

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

YouTube cannot be a long-term solution to kenya problem.

What if USA decide to shutdown YouTube or blacklist Kenya because we start to accept LGBTQ or any other of their numerous list of possible offenses?

Kenya need to develop homegrown solutions and reduce dependence on foreign mercies.

Youtube is a private concern.  If they are shut down for whatever reason, someone will take their place.  They would be dumb to shut themselves out of a market they have literally created.