If Jesus Robson’s dreams come to pass, he will be the first black man to visit all countries in the world. He would be second to Jessica Nabongo, a Ugandan-American travel blogger and brand influencer, and the first Black woman to have done so. Robson’s mother raised him and his two brothers singlehandedly on the outskirts of Osasco in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Growing up, Robson attended public schools and with a scholarship, he graduated in business administration, with specialisation in project management at Mackenzie. Before taking on his travel commitment, which is to visit 195 countries, hence entering the Guinness World Records, Robson worked for 12 years in hospital management at different places. The journey The 33-year-old father of one says that his passion for exploring new places was ignited in 2018, when he travelled to the United States to study English for a year, but this particular mission started in February 2021 when Covid-19 travel restrictions were lifted. “I love exploring cultural diversity, ethnic racial plurality, learning about different religions, tasting different cuisines, basically discovering what’s unique about every place I get to go to,” he says. As his interest grew overtime, Robson found himself wondering if there were other people like him. He got to read about 150 people who have visited every country in the world, in the Guinness World Records, a reference book published every year listing world records of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. He was amazed, and frustrated however, by the fact that none of these travellers were Black. Robson has since become determined to be the first Black man to ever visit every country in the world and empower the Black community in Brazil. Robson describes himself as shy, and dreads public speaking. “I constantly have to push myself to encourage shy people like me to take on tasks that may seem impossible to complete,” he says. He broadcasts and shares the trip via Instagram (onegovailonge: Robson Jesus BR) and his YouTube channel. To be able to qualify for the Guinness World Records, he has to have at least two witnesses per country and to record as much as possible all his experiences, which he does with his phone. He only travels with a backpack and a few clothes and collects money from every country he visits. The biggest challenge for him so far has been funding the trips. “I have had different sponsorship from people who are keen to see me completing the task,” he says, adding that he would appreciate more help. Among other challenges is visiting countries that are undergoing conflict, or lack of correspondence in some countries. He plans to stay in one country for a period of time between four to seven days maximum, hence finishing his mission in an estimated two years. About his visit to Rwanda, Robson says, “It is not hard to move around, everyone is friendly and willing to help, the country is clean and there’s no corruption at all, I’m impressed.” He has visited 41 countries so far and promises to continue, covering Asia, proceeding to Oceania, Africa and Europe and ending his mission in the Americas. For more about him, watch an exclusive interview with The New Times.
