A determined mother, Gulnaj is setting a great example to her children about the value of hard work. At 14 years old her, Gulnaj’s father died suddenly, leaving a heavy burden on her six siblings and mother. She couldn’t go to school and had to drop out after 7^th class. Her mother was doing work at the Agarbati-factory, and Gulnajwas was forced to start working from a young age.

Later, Gulnaj married to a man she loved, however her family did not accept the marriage. She was forced to leave her home and move to Bhopal when 17 years old. Living there for 14 years, she longed to come back to her hometown of Ahmedabad. She eventually moved back with her husband and three sons, yet her family are still annoyed and refused to accept her back. Although she feels sad about this, her husband gives her a great support.

Gulnaj and her husband had a desire to set up a business together, but struggling to succeed, they bought an auto rickshaw instead. However the income was extremely low for the needs of the entire family. When Gulnaj heard about Azad Foundation from her sister, who is working with Jan Vikas (NGO), she enthusiastically decided to start the programme and become a professional driver, as she has always been interested to learn driving. Her husband supports her in taking up the training and become a professional driver. As she was quite nervous at the beginning, she failed her first test. However her husband and other staff motivated her along the way and gave her the confidence to continue. She is currently on the road practice and overjoyed with her permanent license.

‘I couldn’t stop crying when I got my first license – it was the happiest day of my life.’

Gulnaj is a very sincere lady and is always ready to take extra responsibly. She says that she is enjoying the best moments of her life at Azad. With her children maturing, she knows that they will be proud to see their mother driving on the road. Her dream is to drive in Ahmedabad and contribute to her family’s income.