“Everyone kept telling me that a woman can’t do this job – with late nights and travelling alone.” Geeta Sadhu had a desire and did all she could to break-free from the stereotypical thinking of our societies, and fight the feeling of being excluded.
When Geeta expressed her desire to be a loco pilot, she was surprised to hear a string of negative comments and concerns from everyone. No one seemed to believe in her, a woman, being able to pull this off. “Will I really fail at achieving this dream of mine?” Geeta remembers thinking often when she mulled over the sea of sarcastic comments she received. Despite feeling alone and cornered, Geeta clung to her Lord. She turned to him when she didn’t have anyone else to turn to. She sought his voice when she was buckling under the heaviness of all the other voices.
The journey to achieving her dream was one with many obstacles, and a lot of loneliness for Geeta. Even when she went to attend her training classes, she felt excluded. One woman in a room full of men, she felt out of place, and definitely not wanted. “They would make their own groups and discuss what they learnt, and here I was, sitting alone, trying to mug up what I learnt, alone,” Geeta said, revisiting that lonely time. The sense of exclusion added an extra layer of difficulty to Geeta’s journey. It intensified the challenges she faced, as she not only had to overcome societal expectations and stereotypes but also the feeling of being an outsider in her own professional space.
At last when Geeta became the first female rail engine loco pilot of Chhattisgarh, people started noticing her hard work. The negative comments turned into comments of appreciation. They were amazed at her ability to run a house whilst working such a unique, demanding job. Geeta recalls how Isaiah 41:10 was her go-to verse from the Bible. “I felt as if God was speaking directly to me through this verse! I rely completely on Christ, every single day. He drives the train with me every day!” she said.
Geeta has broken barriers for herself, and other women by proving that a woman can do all that she desires. She gives all glory to God and says that each day he guides her and protects her as she ventures out to live her dream job.
Geeta’s story serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of inclusion and the potential that lies within individuals when they are given the opportunity to pursue their passions.
