Comedian Dem wa Fb got her breakthrough after appearing on the Churchill Show but prior to that, her story has been one of dedication to achieving her dreams.

She recently sat down on her YouTube channel and opened up about her childhood.

Dem wa Fb's real name is Millicent Ayumba, and she is a born-again Christian.

"I was born and raised in Trans Nzoia. We are six children, I am the second-born. My dad is called Pastor Albert Nabai, and my mum is Jackline," she shared.

"We have faced a lot of struggles, and with that poor background while in Primary School, Millicent would work as a farm help in Kitale, "I was in class five and when weekends came, I would be up by 6am to plant maize. Every weekend we had to hustle while planting or harvesting maize. We would be paid sh150. We would ask our dad to keep that money safe so that when Christmas come we would buy outfits."

Her dad described her as Jovial, "She was a child I like so much because whenever I was to travel I would travel with her. She would make us laugh."

She could not attend Secondary School owing to lack of fees; "I had passed very well. I got smart marks, but my parents were not in a position to take me to High School."

She was at the time a good footballer. "In Primary, playing football I got to the regional level." A concerned teacher asked her parents that she would get a football scholarship.

"I told dad, I don't really like that school. He begged her to persevere, reminding her about the hardship the family faced."

The biggest problem was integrating in boarding from a day school. Another football opportunity saw her forget an offer for school fees.

In Form 4, another principal was hired who cancelled football scholarships. Dem Wa facebook was shuttered. "That time we had already registered for KCSE. we were all chased from school, we even feature don Citizen TV."

She was out of school for several months before being readmitted, and sat her national exams. The results? "Haikuniramba sana. I did not give up and refused to stay in the village and get married. I felt I was still too young."

She joined a local area football team, and without gaining anything, Millicent was the breadwinner earning sh10,000 to assist with bills.

"I told God what I need to do. I need to become a billionaire, and with this job, it is so tough to see how our family is suffering. I prayed to God; I wanted to be a billionaire."

She was the first ever Captain Chapa Dimba from Kenya sponsored by Safaricom to win Ksh1million.

"I was the Captain and I was very serious. i told my team I mean business. I was the first Captain to win the Chapa Dimba cup. They divided the 1million between 12 people. But management came wakatuosha kidogo," they got sh35,000 each. Millicent bought a cow, that she named Rachel.

"I told my dad we would be milking that cow to save mum the time she spends going to the market to buy a cup of milk for 20bob."

Her passion for education again saw her land another opportunity to join a college with a scholarship in Bungoma Polytechnic.

"I swore to take on any job even mjengo as long as it would make me make it in life. I would tell boys when they go to the sit to call me."

She also sold fish wholesale after classes. "I got 2k and invested. I would walk around selling fish for rent and other necessities."

She even worked as an askari before seeing a poster for the Churchill Show in Kakamega. She auditioned there and received advice on how to do stand-up comedy.

"I prayed to God, 'Use me as a vessel. My family has really suffered,'" she said about manifesting success. 

Fortunately, Churchill himself encouraged her onto the stage, where she received immense love from the crowd.

"After that, I became known. Churchill, thank you for your encouragement backstage," she said.

Her TikTok following skyrocketed the next day, jumping from 400 to 20k followers. With what she earned from Churchill, she paid her rent arrears and her family’s bills.

This exposure led to multiple interview requests from Kenyan YouTubers. However, her biggest challenge was bus fare to Nairobi and finding a place to stay.

A fan hosted her in Karen, but she later moved to Pipeline to try and make it on her own. Another fan eventually moved her to Mwiki, then to Kayole, where she stayed in a bedsitter and slept on the floor. She often went to town to hustle.

As her brand grew, she moved to a one-bedroom house. She found a friend who became her manager and later landed a second interview with Oga Obinna. Fans noticed their chemistry and urged them to work together on a show.

The two launched The Weekly Show on trending topics. "We vibed, and I worked so hard," she said, thanking him for recognizing her potential.

Her primary mission has always been to uplift her family. She has since built a KSh 4 million home for her parents in the village and bought a nduthi for her dad to earn money.

"At the time, I remember people used to troll me, saying I didn’t know how to dress, but my mission wasn’t about me. It was about changing my background. I used to look at my family and say, 'My God, I need to focus and make sure my parents live in a smart house.'"