From Tragedy to Triumph

Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Rebroadcast Thursday February 21, at 11:30 pm

Another View goes behind the scenesat the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) in Irvington, New Jersey, where oxtails and grits aren't the only thing that make the restaurant unique. Liberian-born entrepreneur Adenah Bayoh owns the franchise and oversees its day-to-day operations.

Bayoh's story began in war-torn Liberia. She and her family crossed the border to Sierra Leone where they started a vegetable market. To sustain the market, they had to walk a grueling 50 miles every week, buying vegetables from Liberia and then selling them in Sierra Leone. .

At the age of 13, Bayoh left her homeland and came to the United States in 1991. Her first job came at McDonald's where she flipped burgers. Now, some 15 years later, she oversees more than 100 full-time and part-time workers at her IHOP franchise. The 3.5 million dollar investment opened in October 2007 and is now a landmark as well as a financial success in Irvington, New Jersey.

Bayoh shares her story -- a journey from tragedy to triumph on this moving edition of Another View.