I am Farzana Bobi. I drive for ActionAid Bangladesh.

I used to live in Tangail, Bangladesh with my family. We are six sisters and two brothers. My father was a driver and had a rent-a-car business. Seeing him, my brothers and elder sisters also took up driving as their profession.

When I was in class 10, my mother suddenly got very ill. I had to discontinue my studies as a result, although I didn’t want to. My elder sister got married around the same time and shifted to Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. After some time, she suggested me to move to Dhaka as well and live with her. Since then, I have been living here in Dhaka.

After I moved, I was looking for work instead of staying idle at home. At that time, my elder sister suggested that I could also opt for driving. I was unsure at the beginning, but her encouragement gave me confidence. Afterall, she has always been my idol.

When I touched the steering wheel for the first time something in me changed, I knew I would enjoy this profession. I have been driving for 16 years now and I am proud of my profession.

My journey with ActionAid started in 2007. For the last 15 years it has become a second home for me. The thing I like the most about AAB is how they treat each of their employees with immense respect. Irrespective of designations, everyone greets me here with a smile and never makes me feel disrespected in any way.

I have to travel to different places due to my job nature, but I never felt uncomfortable. The management here is considerate of its staff’s wellbeing. I even got the opportunity to complete my study besides working here full time.

Although I spent 15 years with the organisation, I feel the same amount of joy every day when I come to the office every morning. I will always cherish my journey with ActionAid.