Filipina entrepreneur’s journey from poverty to restaurant owner in the UAE – The National

Filipina entrepreneur’s journey from poverty to restaurant owner in the UAE – The National

Growing up in the slums in the Philippines, Jenny Segalowitz knows all too well the importance of food. This is why, when she was presented with an opportunity to start her own business in Abu Dhabi, the first thing she thought of was a restaurant.

"I had eight siblings and we used to come home from school, drop our bags and head out to find food. We'd sell anything, from garbage to vegetables, in exchange for something to eat," Segalowitz recalls of her childhood living on the fringes of Las Pinas city.

"By the time I was 10 years old, I decided to work as a housemaid in someone else's home just so I could get regular food to eat and be able to buy my school uniform."