Venoo Handura (20) is a content creator from Windhoek, who, just a few months ago moved to the United States (US).
She has managed to capture Namibia in an authentically created Namibian summer holiday bucket list through her YouTube channel ‘It’s Venoo’.
Handura, a first-year psychology student has been consistently sharing local travel content, ranging from farm life, camping, and travelling to Namibia’s go-to holiday destination, Swakopmund, and visiting a wildlife resort.
“It frustrates me as a Namibian residing in the US that barely anyone is aware of our beautiful country. As a result, some of us end up claiming to be from South Africa to cut down on the time it takes to describe Namibia’s geographical location and natural beauty,” she says.
“Since my grandmother’s gravestone unveiling was the primary reason I travelled to Namibia in September this year, I had not originally intended to create any content during the time I was there,” she says.
However, soon enough Handura says she realised this would be an amazing opportunity to showcase Namibia to the world, in addition to being a great chance also to reconnect with friends and family.
The young creator says she has noticed that when some YouTubers document their Namibian travels, they do not truly showcase the Namibian “vibe”.
“I want to demonstrate to my non-Namibian viewers that not only is Namibia a stunning country, but also that its people are lively and generally fascinating to be around,” she says.
“Due to time constraints and spending the majority of my visit with relatives, I was unable to establish stronger bonds with other tribes than my own, the Ovaherero.
“Next time, though, I’d like to find out how other tribes operate and let my audience know about it on my page,” Handura says.
She says she officially started uploading YouTube content in March last year.
“Even though it took me a minute to start, I eventually did it with the help of my friends, who inspired me to do what I want without overthinking it,” she says.
Her YouTube audience includes both younger and older viewers and Handura says she is genuinely surprised by how much people enjoy her content.
“Young girls almost always leave me encouraging messages on Instagram and supportive comments on YouTube. Some get inspired and ask for advice on how to start a channel.
“I usually encourage them to just go with their instincts, be authentic, and enjoy the process,” she says.
Other comments are from Namibians living overseas. she says.
“When they saw the content I made, such as the farm vlogs, they told me it made them feel less homesick. All in all, I have incredible subscribers who, to be honest, make me love this YouTube thing much more,” Handura says.
She says she has been travelling with her mother, whom she credits for supporting her passions.
“My beautiful mother helped me do all of this. My cousins Rii and Otja Handura also travelled with me,” she says.
“Rii has an amazing YouTube channel called @Itsericahh, where she shares her personal experiences along with all our little excursions,” she says.
Due to her academic obligations and the fact that she just wants to relax this holiday season, Handura’s says she is not sure whether her subscribers should expect more travel-related content from her for the remainder of this year.
“However, I love to travel and discover new locations, so more travel-related content will definitely be coming in the future.”
– Afterbreak Magazine
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