An alcoholic husband, an egg cart, and a meagre income — up until 2019, this was Sushila Devi’s life. But with the help of green mobility, she has since broken free from the shackles of patriarchy.
For the last two years, Sushila has been proudly driving an electric rickshaw down the congested streets of Allahabad’s north Malakka area, every day for 12 hours. With an average income of Rs 10,000 per month (which is twice what she made through the egg cart), she has finally tasted freedom.
“I own this vehicle,” Sushila, who is in her thirties, proudly tells The Better India, and adds, “I never thought driving a vehicle could turn my life around, considering how I mocked my friend when she first suggested it. But now, I’m loving this sense of freedom and dignity. The best part is that I get to do it without feeling guilty about emitting vehicular pollution.”
In 2018, Sushila had approached SMV Green Solutions, a social enterprise that aims to upgrade careers and…