Image: Courtesy of GoogleMaps
I recently asked on a different forum if anyone knew about Nyabohanse; this after hearing the name pop up here and there. No one seemed to know much about the place, so I did some digging up and I am glad to know this amazing village.
---------------------------------------
Nyabohanse is a village in Kuria District of Migori County. The village has been made famous by Fredrick Marwa, a Kenyan Wanderlust who has been traveling and sharing his stories on YouTube for 7 years.
In the process, he has turned his whole family and village mates into YouTubers. The sister -Dee Mwango has become a world traveler too and is currently in Jamaica.
They have built a beautiful home for their parents and a major upgrade of their living standards. In the last two weeks, Marwa has also been holding what will be a one-month house-warming party at his gigantic 7-bedroom house named Villa Medellin, after his favorite Colombian destination. He started vlogging in Colombia and hence the attachment to Medellin.
The party has brought the whole world into Nyabohanse village. Many YouTubers and followers have visited his home, village, and nearby Isebania and Migori towns. Many of the visitors came bearing gifts and lots of phones, cameras, clothes, furnishings, and medical equipment have been donated to the village, to individual YouTubers, to Marwa and his Argentinian girlfriend Rucio. There is another two weeks or so of partying.
From his lengthy videos while in his home, Marwa has introduced the world to his relatives and his neighbours. Not surprising that many overseas visitors are so connected to the people of Nyabohanse. They brought specific gifts for specific YouTubers based on what they had expressed in the videos. Many destitute families and causes have been assisted too.
There were YouTubers from US, Canada, Jamaica, Anguilla, the UK, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi and it has been a revolving door at the Villa with guests coming in and going. Some stay for a day, others a few days, and others longer. Some have taken time to visit nearby Maasai Mara, and Tanzanian border towns, some have driven to and from Nairobi, some rode bikes, some hitch-hiked to the destination.
Depending on the hierarchy, some slept in Villa Medellin, some in their parent's home, some camped, and some stayed in Nyabohanse and as far away as Isebania.
It has been a logistical nightmare just getting everybody to get some camera time with Marwa and he probably shoots 3 to 4hrs of videos daily to receive guests, and gifts, shout out to blessers and sponsors, and also encourage upcoming YouTubers who are there for minute or two of Marwa's endorsement.
This is as real as reality TV can get and the characters from Nyabohanse have not been short of amazing. I see many growing to prominence and fame and I see many disappointments too. It is a very competitive environment and you can feel the underlying tensions boiling.
Many foreigners have also fallen in Love with Nyabohanse and a few have bought land and plan to settle there so prepare to keep hearing about this village in South West Kenya.
Marwa runs a YouTube Masterclass online and also sells a clothing line called @SoftLife.
Nyabohanse probably has the highest number of Youtubbers, per capita anywhere in the world. Even young kids and probably every young person in the village has a YouTube channel. Including all of Marwa's immediate family- mum, dad, sisters, brother, aunties, employees, everybody. Check out his mum's channel at @congratsmum001 for some entertainment.
Just like young kids in many rift Valley villages know a famous athlete from their neighborhood and wish to emulate them, so do young kids from Nyabohanse! Their role model is Marwa or Dee Mwango his sister. They are millionaires by all measures and worth emulating.
Before your mainstream media catches on the Nyabohanse revolution, I know there will be many stories coming out of this now-famous village. The village that probably has leaped from the last century into the next digital era.
Check out their YouTube pages-
@iammarwa
@rocabreratravels
@babushkakenya
@deemwango
@davidjunior
@congratsmum001
@claudejoseph
@Geenyada
@@Majja_ke
@Burundian_Traveller
@tinamaroa
@ChrisMustList
@MAASAIWITHPASSPORT
@mamagifts
@max.one.from.kenya.
@stanleytheexplorer
@Makena_j
@Charlowkush001
@Lines_ke
@Royalkheem
@hello.Baby_
@iammayuguno
@adebenztv
@kenmacharia
@Mofromkenya
@captainkevinkenya
@Mercysempire_ke
@vinnandleni
-------------------
