By Dipali Magar:
A few years ago, I was associated with a company in a back office job. The constant pressure and cubicle life were depressing for me, and I didn’t enjoy the culture. I decided to quit that job and began preparing to join the police academy, but fate wasn’t in my favour. I didn’t get in.
Soon after, I decided to join a fitness training institute, to get trained to train others. I was always inclined towards challenging and out-of-league roles, and it was a happy coincidence that, during this fitness stint, I met a Zomato delivery partner who told me about his experience. In our conversations, he also encouraged me to join the delivery fleet.
Food delivery was completely new territory for me but my first delivery helped me realise that this is what I wanted to do. I was really nervous about it. While I was familiar with the delivery location and had faith in myself, there were a lot of factors I was confronted with. I wanted to deliver on time and be presentable in front of the customer. I didn’t want to disappoint my colleagues and family, who were counting on me. Thankfully, it turned out to be a great experience. The people I delivered the food to were surprised to see me and appreciated me for taking up this job.
Over the last nine months of working with Zomato, there have been numerous memorable moments, but one experience tops others. One time, a customer was so surprised seeing a girl deliver his order that not only did he appreciate me in person but also took a picture with me and spoke about his experience on social media. I felt empowered and encouraged and will cherish that day for the rest of my life.
I was really surprised to get this opportunity as I had mostly seen boys doing this job. I feel one of the primary reasons women do not take up food delivery as an occupation is the lack of awareness about the potential in this sector. Initially, very few females were seen in this profession. However, the trend is changing now and women are also taking up this role. It feels great when people come up to me and tell me that I am a courageous woman to do what I do. I take pride when other women reach out to me for suggestions on job opportunities. In fact, I have also motivated a few women to work as food delivery partners, to follow their hearts. It feels wonderful when you inspire other women and play a role in empowering them.
This job has completely transformed me; I have more knowledge about the world outside and have become more technologically savvy. Using the Zomato app has helped me to use other apps as well.
My job has not only made me financially stable, but also more confident and independent than I was ever before. Today, I can do things that I always wanted to do for my family without a second thought. I am able to earn, pursue my graduation and also save for my career. I am no longer dependent on anyone for anything.