Shanno Begum never dreamt that she would become a cab driver. A single mother, she worked as a cook and caregiver to finance her children’s education. But the irregular work made it hard to plan.

But when she heard that the non-profit Azad Foundation in Delhi offered a six-month driving course, she applied. “It was a risky move since I wouldn’t be able to earn anything for those six months,” the 39-year-old says. “But I knew that I could get regular work afterwards.”

After completing her training, Begum worked briefly as a private chauffeur, and within a year, became the first driver to join Sakha, one of the early women-only cab services in Delhi.