Shaheena Attarwala has overcome all of life’s hurdles, from not being able to purchase a computer to working at one of the world’s largest software businesses, from “sleeping on highways” to residing in a luxurious Mumbai flat. In a Twitter thread that went popular online, Ms Attarwala, a Microsoft Design Leader, spoke about her experience growing up in a slum and how it affected her life.
After noticing her former house on a Netflix series, the Microsoft employee was transported back in time. “Bad Boy Billionaires: India,” a Netflix series, gives a bird’s-eye perspective of a slum in Bombay. I grew up before going out on my own in 2015 to start a new life. One of the residences you see in the photos is ours,” she wrote on Twitter.
Ms Attarwala said she resided in the Dargah Galli slum near Bandra railway station, according to NDTV. Her father was an essential oil peddler who relocated to Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh. “Life in the slum was difficult and exposed me to the worst living circumstances, gender inequality, and sexual harassment,” she added, “but it also drove my curiosity to learn and create a different life for myself.”
“By the age of 15, I had seen many women around me who were powerless, dependent, abused, and living without the ability to make their own decisions or be who they wanted to be.”
She told NDTV, “I didn’t want to accept the default fate that awaited me.”
Ms. Attarwala was drawn to a computer the first time she saw one at school. “I thought computers might be a wonderful equalizer, that everyone who sat in front of one would have chances,” she added.
However, due to her bad marks, she was allocated to needlework instead of computer lessons. That didn’t seem to bother her. Despite the rejection, she aspired to work in the technological field.
Shaheena Attarwala compelled her father to take out a loan so that she could attend a local computer class. She missed lunches in order to save money for her own computer, and she began walking back home.
There was no turning back for the determined schoolgirl after that.
“I stopped programming and opted to pursue a career in design because design convinced me that possibilities exist and that thing can change, and technology is the means for change,” Ms Attarwala explained.
“My father went from being a hawker and sleeping on the streets to enjoying a life we could only imagine. Luck, hard effort, and choosing the right battles are all important factors “She expressed herself on Twitter.
Ms. Attarwala also expressed her thanks for her father, who saved and sacrificed for decades in order to provide a better life for his family. “He doesn’t have a formal education, but his perfumery has altered everything,” she explained. “His patience and sacrifice have helped us rise beyond the slums after decades of living in poverty. We concentrated on conserving, living within our means, and making sacrifices where required.”
