Cartoon Comedian recounts hawking omena after dropping out of school

Digital content creator and budding musician Vanessa Akinyi popularly known as Cartoon Comedian is opening up on the struggles she went through before blowing up.

The 24-year-old creative in a candid conversation with Oga Obinna highlighted that her fame is tied to her strong self belief in her craft and the sheer fact that she does not give up even when life drops a whole lemon tree on her.

Recounting her first job Cartoon revealed she used to hawk omena after dropping out in school while she was only in form 2. She didn't totally hate it as she made decently good money and she loved being able to buy groceries for her family plus the job helped her garner her mom's respect.

"I had the determination to do this business. I realized that if I woke up really early, the mama in the soko would buy the basin of omena for Sh.1000. I even used to go to hotels owned by Kikuyus to cook for them.

Per day, on a good day, I would make like Sh2,000. Because I would walk very far and wide to hawk. The best biz was selling to hotels very early," the content creator told Obinna.

Sadly though her lucrative business was cut short as her supplier moved back to the country side. Her second job didn't cut it for her as she used to earn only Sh.250 per day.

Cartoon noted her friend got her a job making khaki papers but besides the poor pay she was also being harassed by her bosses so that had to go as well.

"You see those brown bags that places use to pack chips in, the brown ones?  I was being paid sh250 per day," She didn't like the hardship because they were harassed by the bosses.

But she wasn't going to give up, Cartoon highlighted she had the biggest crush on YY Comedian and his craft, she literally used to dream of being the female version of him.

 "I had tried auditions for real househelps while I was still in school. But it didn't work. So I used to dream about YY... no not in that way," the 'Mbona Unacheat,' crooner said quickly correcting her statement as she realized how it might come off to other people.

Clarifying what she meant she added;

"I wanted to be this guy, to talk like him, to dress. to joke. If there was a comedian I looked up to was YY. He literally had what I wanted to be."

He used to kill me ka nonsense. So I went for raw auditions. I DM'ed the Churchill IG page. They replied and gave an appointment to audition,"

However, things weren't rosy for her. The auditions were tough and she tried for two years before finally landing an opportunity.

"I auditioned every Tuesday for two years, and I never missed. I loved that persistence. I don't give up. I don't lose," said the young creative clearly proud of her journey and where she currently is in life.

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