YouTube recently named its YouTube Black Voices Creator Class of 2022 and three Zimbabweans were named in the list from the UK. Cheryl Moyo, Petronella Kunzwa and Vee Kativhu are set to benefit from the fund which will see them working closely with YouTube over the coming year, and they'll receive 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.
The fund was announced in 2020 and this is the second class of 135 beneficiaries across the globe. Last year's class of creators included musicians, beauty entrepreneurs, comedians, activists, poets, personal trainers and more. These creators went on to hit subscriber milestones, lead meaningful discussions related to Black life and culture, and pursue new businesses. In part of their statement, YouTube wrote:
We’re building on that momentum today, and are excited to introduce you to the 34 creator grantees of the #YouTubeBlack Voices Class of 2022 from the UK, which includes everything from creative entrepreneurs, music lovers, crafters and doctors and more.
Cheryl Moyo is a 21-year-old recent Computer Science graduate. She started her channel in 2019, documenting her experience as a transfer and international student in the UK. Over the last two years, she has shared educational content, offering advice to students across the globe and encouraging them to pursue higher education, particularly in STEM subjects.
Nellahgrace (YouTube channel) is a newly qualified doctor and has been sharing her entire journey throughout the medical school for the last 6 years on YouTube. She studied abroad in Lithuania and wanted to show a different representation in the medical field as a black African female in the hope of inspiring other young black girls to pursue anything they want.
Vee Kativhu is a 23-year-old trailblazing young woman who champions access to education for underrepresented students and is the founder of Empowered By Vee (an academic empowerment platform for students who feel unsupported). Vee is best known as an education content creator on YouTube and has amassed over 16 million views since 2017.