From poverty to purpose: Overseas Filipino Worker mom’s 25-year journey as a domestic helper in Dubai

Dubai: In a quiet home in Dubai, behind doors she cares for like her own, 49-year-old Divina Valdez Domingo sits with memories that weigh heavy on her heart and tears that never seem far away. Her hands, roughened by decades of cleaning, caregiving, and sacrifice, rest quietly in her lap. These are the hands that raised two children, built a future from nothing, survived abandonment, and carry the fierce, unbreakable love of a mother.

“I’ve been a housemaid for 25 years,” she says, voice soft but steady. “And every day, I wake up with purpose.”

Divina’s journey didn’t start with hope. It began in harsh poverty, a childhood where shelter was uncertain and hunger was a constant shadow.

“When I was young, we didn’t have a home. We were kicked out many times, even in the pouring rain, because we couldn’t pay rent,” she recalls, her voice cracking. “My two siblings and I were separated because of poverty. Sometimes, we had no food. That pain never left me. So I made a promise, to break that cycle. That’s why I bought my family a home. They will never live like I did.”

She remembers a kindness that saved her in her darkest days. Her classmates, knowing she was hungry but too shy to ask, told their parents they had a school project, just so they could bring her rice.

“That rice kept us alive. I carry that kindness with me every day.”

The eldest of three, Divina finished high school, her highest education. She married young, hoping for stability. But life had other plans. When she moved abroad to work in Singapore and later Jordan, she brought her husband with her. But instead of building a future together, he left her for another woman. They separated 17 years ago. Since then, she hasn’t seen or heard from him.

But instead of falling apart, Divina rose.

“I was alone. But I had two children. I had to fight for them.”

From Singapore to Jordan, Qatar, Hong Kong, China, and now Dubai, Divina worked tirelessly as a domestic helper. Every peso she earned, she sent home. She endured homesickness, exhaustion, and heartbreak, so her children wouldn't have to live the life she had known.

And against all odds, she changed their lives.

“I bought a house in the Philippines. I started a small business, Divine’s Pancitan and Divine’s Boutique in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya." But the pandemic forced her to close everything down.

So, once again, she packed her bags and left.

Back in Dubai, Divina has been working for four years as a caregiver to an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s. She considers them family. Her caregiving and nursing assistant certifications, earned through TESDA and the Filipino Institute in Dubai, help her not just serve, but truly care.

“They treat me with respect and love. I use everything I’ve learned. I feel at home here.”

Years ago, her inspiring life story earned her a spot as a finalist in the Supermom competition in Dubai. She shared her journey, not for recognition, but to remind others: Never give up.

“To all the OFWs, to every mother struggling like me, trust in God. There is always hope, even in the darkest nights.”

And Divina’s light extends beyond her own family. She has helped over 100 relatives and fellow Filipinos find work abroad, from Qatar to Dubai.

Still, the cost of that success came at a heartbreaking price. She missed graduations, awards ceremonies, moments every parent dreams of.

“I couldn’t afford to come home. Plane tickets were too expensive. So I just sent the money for their tuition instead,” she says. “I just cried in silence. But my kids understood. They saw my sacrifices. And they made them worth it.”

My daughter, Janine, is now a bank teller. My son, John Denver, graduated cum laude in Business Marketing from Brilliant Minds in Dubai and Tuklas Talino in Bayombong. He’s now working here in a textile company in Al Quoz. I brought him here myself.”

In August 2025, Divina faced one of the most fragile moments of her life, a surgery for an ovarian cyst at a hospital in Mankhool. But even as she lay on the hospital bed, afraid and uncertain, she was not alone. Her kind-hearted employer covered everything the insurance couldn’t. And her greatest blessing, her son was right there by her side, holding her hand through it all.

“God is so good,” she says, tears welling in her eyes. “My employer, my son, everyone was there for me. I couldn’t believe it. My surgery came at the perfect time, my son was here to take care of me. I felt so loved, so cared for. After everything I’ve been through, that moment reminded me: I’m not alone anymore.”

Her children now beg her to retire. They say she’s done enough.

But Divina continues, not out of need, but of love.

“I still support my mother, my brother in Bayombong, and his children. Some are in high school, others just starting school. I want them to have the future I never had. I am happy and proud that my other brother is having a successful business in Cebu.”

When asked if she will ever stop?

She pauses, tears in her eyes, but a smile on her face.

“Maybe in five years. Or maybe longer. As long as my body can. Because this isn’t just work, it’s love. And love never retires.”

Divina is not just a housemaid. She is a warrior. She is a mother. She is proof that even from the humblest beginnings, greatness can rise.