Jessica Nabongo
Jessica Nabongo (born 15 May 1984) is a Ugandan-American travel blogger and brand influencer. [1] She is the second Black woman to have travelled to every country after Woni Spotts who traveled to every country and continent in 2018. [2] [3][4] On 6 October 2019, she arrived at her final country, the Seychelles. Spotts disputes Nabongo's claim because she visited Golan Heights, not Syria.[5][6]
Early years and education
She was born in Detroit, Michigan to Ugandan parents. She attended St. John's University in New York City where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and then the London School of Economics, where she acquired a Master's degree in international development.[7][8][9][10][11][12]
Career
Nabongo received her first passport at the age of four or five.[13] After completing college, she worked at a pharmaceutical company for two years, taught English in Japan and worked as a consultant for the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, before finally becoming a travel blogger.[14] She founded a company called Jet Black, which organises custom itineraries for small group trips in Africa, as well as selling travel gear such as branded T-shirts and passport covers. She is also a brand influencer, working with hotels and hospitality brands.[7][9][10][12][15]
World travels
As of 2016, she had already visited 60 countries. In 2017 she decided to visit all 193 UN member countries and the two nonmember observing states of the world.[13] According to a post on her Instagram page, she arrived at the 195th country on her list on 6 October 2019, the Seychelles.[7][16][11][17]
References
- ^ "Jessica Nabongo completes her journey".
- ^ "Woni Spotts Well Traveled".
- ^ "Woni Spotts tells us how she became the worlds most travelled".
- ^ "CORRECTION: Woni Spotts is the first Black woman to visit every country".
- ^ "Golan Heights Status".
- ^ "Jessica Nabongo in Golan Heights".
- ^ a b c Marcus, Lilit (2018-04-26). "Pioneering black traveler completes quest to visit every country". CNN Travel. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- ^ Graham, Latria (2019-03-28). "Meet Jessica Nabongo — The First Black Woman Set to Travel the Entire World". Medium. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- ^ a b "Jessica Nabongo's thirst for travel has taken her across the globe". NBC News. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- ^ a b "Meet The First Black Woman To Visit Every Country In The World". Vibe. 2019-10-10. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- ^ a b "Meet di first black woman to visit all 195 kontris for di world" (in Nigerian Pidgin). 2019-10-10. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- ^ a b Talty, Alexandra (2019-10-11). "She Traveled to Every Country on Earth. Here's What She Learned". Outside Online. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- ^ a b Nabongo, Jessica (2022), The Catch Me If You Can, USA: National Geographic Society, ISBN 978-1-4262-2226-9
- ^ "Uganda's Jessica Nabongo Is the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country in the World". OkayAfrica. 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- ^ Talty, Alexandra. "How Jessica Nabongo Will Become The First Black Woman To Visit Every Country". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- ^ "Detroit woman completes quest to become first black woman to visit every country". ABC7 Chicago. 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- ^ "Jessica Nabongo finally completes her quest to become the 'first' black woman to visit 195 countries". www.pulse.ng. 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
