Nubia Gaona is a 38-year-old farmer who lives in Chipaque, Colombia, 45 kilometers from Bogotá. She has two children, David and Alejandro, ages 14 and 9, and a dog. Until a month ago, Nubia was a complete stranger, since she created her YouTube channel and is followed by people from Saudi Arabia, Spain and Italy. In just over a month 'Nubia and children' got more than 500,000 subscribers and hundreds of comments applauding the initiative, her first video exceeds one million views.
Together with David and Alejandro, he tells what life in the country is like, gives advice to enrich the land, care for farm animals or create an urban garden. "45 days ago my life improved with the channel, I was able to give him the things my children needed," says Nubia in a telephone interview with Verne . Both she and her neighbors are going through a very difficult economic moment, exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis.
As in other Latin American countries, the Colombian countryside has been punished with losses and a lack of investment. "The countryside in Colombia is one of the most needy and abandoned areas. Farmers cannot plant because of the way they have to invest a lot of money and when they sell they do not have the benefit of the harvest and they get into debt," explains Nubia.
Nubia says that she is glad that more people can know "how beautiful, rich and tasty the countryside is in Colombia." On its land, it grows rue, peppermint, chamomile, mint, beets, onion, coriander and tomato for self-consumption. "I want to continue with the channel so I can buy a farm and make my mini farm more advanced," says the woman.
Two years ago her husband died and she was left in the care of her family. The land he cultivated did not generate enough profit, as it happens to most of the small farmers who survive cultivating the land in Colombia. With the support of the company Huertos de la Sabana, Nubia and her children began recording the videos and in a short time, they received support from different parts of the world.
"Humble peasant family tired of the losses with their agricultural products due to the high number of intermediaries, decides to become a YouTuber to teach people how to cultivate," says the description of their first video on the social network.
Follow Verne México on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and don't miss your daily ration of Internet wonders.