David Gaona Gaona often wears a peaked cap because of the sun, he has a light brown complexion and his feet are in rubber boots.

It's muddy where he lives: in Chipaque, Colombia, in the mountains east of Bogotá.

Franziska Proll

Editor in Politics.

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People who look and act like himself have long been missing for David on social media.

Especially during the corona pandemic, he only saw politicians or doctors on platforms like YouTube, studied people, wearing suits with white skin.

So he said to his mother, Nubia Gaona Cárdenas, a farmer: "Mom, let's make a video."

Nubia, David and his younger brother Alejandro tell their story in a video call in January 2022.

They still can hardly believe what they have achieved in the past almost two years.

"You are a wonderful family!"

On April 29, 2020, the Gaonas released their first video, which has since been viewed 1.5 million times. Around 50 more clips followed, with people from all over the world commenting, for example from Mexico or from Saudi Arabia. A Spaniard writes: "You are a wonderful family!" Without the corona pandemic, it would probably never have come to this.

When the virus started spreading in Colombia in spring 2020, the situation for women farmers became even more difficult than before. Restaurants and canteens, which usually take large quantities of grain or vegetables, remained closed. In Bogotá, the capital, many market vendors became infected with the virus in the first few weeks. Markets were banned for months. The government stocked food packages for the needy who do not earn anything during the pandemic with industrial products rather than buying the goods from farmers.

So Nubia and her sons had to find a new distribution channel. In their videos, they explain how to grow cherry tomatoes on your own balcony, how to grow avocado plants, or how to make fertilizer from eggshells. For the equivalent of 4.50 euros, they offer plant and food sets that they have put together. It contains eggs, seeds, honey and oil - also from their neighbors.

In Colombia, 42.5 percent of people live in poverty, including many farmers who provide food to others but cannot afford three meals a day. "Middlemen are the problem," says Nubia. "They hardly pay us anything, but they resell our products at significantly higher prices." Between the farmer and the end consumer there are six to twelve traders, as the BBC reports, citing studies. With each sale, the product becomes more expensive, but none of this reaches the farmers.

Nubia, her sons and the neighboring farmers are building an alternative business model on YouTube.

They send their plant and food sets directly to the customers.

Nubia does not want to say how much money her family has already earned with it.

According to media reports, the Gaona family received 6,000 requests in the first three days after the first video was released.

When asked about this, Nubia says she has no overview of the numbers.

She was able to buy a computer and smartphones for the boys with the money.

A sponsor gave them rubber boots.

The Gaona family is supported by their former neighbors.

Sigifredo Moreno, an engineer from Bogotá, coordinates press inquiries.

Juliana Zapata, his wife, films and edits the videos.

Viewers describe the family as 'modest'

There is no script.

Nubia, David and Alejandro just tell what's on their mind.

You will find simple words that everyone understands.

If someone gets muddled or forgets a word, everyone laughs.

They take turns explaining.

None of the three seeks the center, on the contrary, they seem rather shy.

Especially in the older videos, they often do not look directly at the camera.

In the comments, viewers often describe the family as "humilious," "modest," or "humble."

Her fans appreciate her for that.

Many of them are city dwellers who are working from home during the pandemic and are discovering gardening on the balcony.

The tips from Nubia and her sons are just right.

In November 2021 Nubia graduated from high school.

At the age of 38 she was able to do what she had been denied as a teenager when she worked in the fields.

On Instagram she posted a photo with her graduation certificate.

She wrote: "There was no way I would have thought about graduating from high school a few years ago.

It's not easy in the country.

Many of us have to give up learning.”

In Colombia, town and country are often far apart, not only geographically.

If the Gaona family drives to Bogotá, they need at least an hour for the approximately 30 kilometers, partly on unpaved roads.

Until almost two years ago, the gaonas had no electricity.

Now the WiFi is stable on good days.

Even if life in the country is difficult, Nubia would never want to move to the city.

"Look how beautiful it is here, we are blessed by God," she says in the video interview.

With the smartphone, she rotates around her own axis.

Lush green meadows appear in the background, trees, mountains.

And Lola the cow, happily grazing.