Woman pilot, who flew over North pole, gives Mumbai slum girl wings to fly
Jan 05, 2024
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 5 : Unlike most girls her age, who harbour dreams of becoming engineers or doctors, Nadrat wanted to pursue a different career.
Many laughed at her dream then, as she belonged to a dirt-poor family that could barely afford two square meals a day.
However, with support from Captain Zoya Agarwal, the Air India pilot who flew an aircraft over the North Pole, Nadrat's dream of becoming a pilot has finally taken wings.
She has been residing in the slums of Mumbai's Ambedkar Nagar with her mother and two brothers since their father's demise.
Her mother brings home humble earnings from a small-time job to run the household.
Sharing how she kept her dream alive despite the grinding poverty and the everyday struggle for a dignified living, Nadra told ANI that she always wanted to be a pilot.
"My mother wanted me to pursue a career in engineering but I always had the dream of becoming a pilot someday. My mother barely earned enough to put meals on our plates and funding my aviation dream was way beyond her means. Even though I cleared the entrance test at the flight school, I was rejected because of my financial background."
On Captain Zoya Agarwal coming forward to help her fulfil her dream of flying an aircraft, she said, "Ever since she (Zoya Agarwal) received the 'Bharat ki Beti' award from PM Modi, I felt that she would be the one to help me realise my dream someday."
In 2021, Captain Zoya became the first woman commander to fly on one of the world's longest air routes over the North Pole -- between San Francisco and Bengaluru -- with an all-female flight crew.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, Zoya said she couldn't see Nadrat give up on her dream of becoming a pilot because of want of resources.
"This is just the beginning. I want to help every girl, who is passionate about her dream. The aviation sector is growing rapidly and will be double of what it is today in the next 14-15 years," Zoya added.
"We need our girls to excel in every field. We cannot let them give up on their dreams for lack of funds. I see it as my humble contribution to helping Prime Minister Narendra Modi realise his dream and vision of 'India shining at 75'," Zoya added.
