“The power of choice"

Jessy Abi Khattar, Batroun, Lebanon

“Without my father’s support, I couldn’t achieve anything; I couldn’t be independent. My father gave me the power of choice,” says Jessy Abi Khattar, owner of Dar Al Khattar guesthouse in Batroun, Lebanon.

Jessy is the oldest of four girls, the age difference between her and her youngest sister is 16 years. She says it “was my father’s last try to have a boy.” Her father owns a gas station, and he always thought that this work was only for men. He dreamed of having a boy to inherit his business. He used to take Jessy’s cousin with him wherever he went because he was the one who would inherit this work. Yet, her father ultimately changed his mind and put his faith in her sister, who is now running the station.

Jessy worked for almost 15 years in a high-paced job that was affecting her mental health. In 2012, she wanted to leave work and start her own business. Back then, her parents did not like the idea due to Lebanon’s multiple crises. A few days later, however, her father decided to register an apartment he owned in her name to help her build her own Airbnb business.

Without her father’s support, she would not have been able to achieve her dream. Her father gave her “the power of choice.” As a result, she was able to leave her stressful job and start her own business. Jessy could also start her own communication consultancy with the newfound luxury of flexible working hours.