After joining DriverBen programme, today I am able to fight for my rights and also rights of others. I am able to read and write Gujarati.”

Mumtazbanu is from Ahmadabad and belongs to a Muslim conservative family. She comes to our training center in Burkha. She is living in a slum area where the environment is very unsafe for her two daughters. She studied only up to the 3^rd standard class in Urdu medium school. She used to work from home, but then got inspired by her younger sister “Gulnaz” who was sent by our partner Janvikas to Azad residential Women on Wheels Academy in Jaipur and placed as driver in Ahmedabad by Janvikas. Looking at the change in her sister’s life, Mumtaz decided to join DriverBen programme in Ahmedabad – implemented by JanVikas and SAATH in partnership with Azad. It was not easy for her as she was not able to read and write Gujarati, neither Hindi. But she didn’t give up and continued to practice hard and cleared her Learning License Exam on the first attempt.

“I was the elder child in my family and hence all the time my parents used to give me responsibilities of my younger siblings. It was my dream to study up to higher classes but I was forced to dropout of school post 3^rd grade. I got married and my husband was dominating. He didn’t allow my daughter to study after 5^th class, however I opposed him and continued my daughter’s education. Today she is doing her graduation and one daughter is in 3^rd std. After joining DriverBen programme, today I am able to fight for my rights and also rights of others. I am able to read and write Gujarati.”