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A woman behind the wheel of a taxi in the streets of Damascus ... a challenge and a proof of ability and love for the profession

2020-11-29T14:17:45.968Z


Damascus-Sana, in her elegant dress and constant smile, young Kenana al-Bunni wanders the streets of Damascus daily while she drives a car


Damascus-Sana

With her elegant clothes and her constant smile, the young Kenana al-Bunni wanders the streets of Damascus daily as she drives a taxi that she relies on to transport passengers to the places they want, amid various reactions that appear on their faces when they see the taxi driver (a woman), whom Kinana always meets with a spontaneous laugh, as she puts it.

After her graduation from the Commercial Institute, 37-year-old Kenana realized that working in closed spaces did not appeal to her, especially as she liked to drive cars a lot, so she decided to work as a driver for a taxi company in Damascus, which is not her first experience as she has been transporting passengers for 10 years. Especially her friends and relatives from Damascus to Beirut with her own car, but she stopped that with the closure of the Syrian-Lebanese borders following the precautionary measures to address the Corona virus, which prompted her to search for work in this field with a local company.

During her interview with SANA, Kenana said: “Arab societies usually refuse the involvement of women in some work that is known to be specific to men, including driving taxis, but in Syria there are many models that have gone out of the ordinary and there are a number of women who have defied difficulties and worked during recent years as drivers of cars to face the vicissitudes Al-Hayat affirmed that driving is a profession in which it is difficult for a woman to easily prove her presence, so it needs a personality and a strong will.

Kenana's goal of this work is not limited to providing income for her two children, as she is the only provider for them, but because she is determined to change society’s view of women’s work in this profession and the prevailing perceptions that women are not skilled in driving cars and are unable to work in them, so she worked previously as a trainer to teach driving and now a driver for a car Taxi confirmed that, with the support of her friends and her surroundings, she managed to overcome the difficulties and gossip that accompanied the beginning of her work while she dreams and seeks to have her own taxi company.

The varying reactions towards a woman’s work as a taxi driver did not diminish Kenana’s determination, as she said: “I witnessed a welcome from some and a lack of acceptance from others .. A woman or a young woman rides with me in the taxi and they encourage me to continue with a smile .. As for others, their gazes are full of surprise and surprise, but they are Happy and encourage me ”.

"Young people are also surprised, and some express their admiration for the situation and have curiosity to know if I can drive well or not, and some people underestimate the issue," she added.

Kinana describes her workplace inside the taxi at the medical clinic, as she goes beyond her basic mission to deliver the customer to the place he desires, to turn into something like a psychiatrist, as she puts it, because she finds herself forced to listen to the customer's companion’s talk and his sympathy. She added, “The taxi is the place where a lot of People with their troubles and problems during a short trip without fear of any consequences of this disclosure.

At the beginning, the Kenana family met the subject of her practice of this work with rejection and dissatisfaction, fearing that the people would see it and the risks that it might be exposed to, and about that .. “My family opposed the issue on the pretext that it is strange and no one in our family has done it before or because society refuses to respect that. I may be subjected to harassment and ridicule by some, but I insisted that this is my future and a work that I love, and I am looking forward to accomplishing something greater in this field. ”

Kenana's day begins early as she wakes up to prepare her children to go to school and practice sports for some time, then starts her eight-hour car journey to teach her children and spend the rest of the day with them and says, “My passion for this profession and my passion for driving makes me often spend longer hours on the streets of the capital. To save all its popular and upscale roads and neighborhoods, and this work gives me a good financial income, so I decided to devote myself to working on the taxi car, which has become a lifetime partner.

"I feel satisfied because I find myself and my work a source of pride for my children and for all those who love me, a source of encouragement and respect for them in the eyes of many," Kenana concludes.

Bushra Barhoum

Source: sena

All news articles on 2020-11-29

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