For many who watch his videos, Kevin Wu, better known as KevJumba, is known as a funny man. With original and comedic videos like “Nice Guys” and an appearance on CBS’ The Amazing Race with his father, Kevin has gained a substantial and loyal following (4+ million subscribers strong). Recently, on The Huffington Post, Kevin describes how his audience helped him help those in need, on a continent on the other side of the globe.
Back in 2009, Kevin began his YouTube charity called JumbaFund. From this channel, all ad revenue from viewer hits would go directly to charity. For the first two years, money from the channel went to various charities. But after a life-changing trip to Nairobi in 2011, during which he taught a classroom of 5th graders, Kevin made the decision to donate his incoming ad revenue from JumbaFund to The Supply — a group that “creates and runs secondary schools based on an innovative low-cost school model focusing on localized education, service learning, and financial sustainability.” After raising over $50,000, the KevJumba High School was opened in Lenana, Kenya.
Though the school is named after him, Kevin does not take all of the credit for this incredible act and remains humble, blessed and grateful to his viewers:
Celebrities tend to receive most of the credit when it comes to philanthropy. I am aware that my efforts could be categorized as such, however I feel that the real credit deserves to go to my viewers – without them, it would not be possible for me to support The Supply and KevJumba High School. I feel incredibly blessed that I can use YouTube to provide a platform for the voices of so many children that go unheard. These children deserve a chance. Imagine, with the opportunity to educate themselves, children in the slums around the world could grow up to become doctors, lawyers or teachers – to improve the quality of life of their families and their community. We have all had mentors in our life – people to help guide us and make good decisions. Thanks to my viewers who support my cause and the work on the ground being done by The Supply, we can all play a role in making the difference in the education and lives of these children.
