• On the 65th anniversary of the Federation of Cuban Women, 26 pays tribute to those whom Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro called "a revolution within the Revolution."

The morning rush makes it difficult for me to reach her; she is rushing from one place to another. That does not mean she does not do her job well; she has to arrive on time for her daily pickups, doing her job sitting behind the wheel. That's what life is like for Dora Hidalgo Echavarría, driver of eco taxi 615 since she joined the Las Tunas Taxi Agency collective.

Getting there was a dream she had held onto for years, and she couldn't let the opportunity slip away. "I heard that electric tricycles had arrived in some provinces of the country, and I hoped that they would come to Las Tunas too. I went to the agency where they told me that they were supposed to arrive, but that no one had signed up yet, so I was the first. When they made the announcement, I approached them again.

“They gave priority to women; there were five of us applicants, but since we had to have a motor and a car license, not all of us met the requirements. And so, there were only two women left.”

It seems like a simple story, with few setbacks, but now it is easy to recount how difficult it was. "I have had a license since I was 18, and I always wanted to be a taxi driver, but in the 1980s, women were not accepted in these roles in the eastern provinces. There were only female taxi drivers in the western provinces.

“An aunt in Camagüey told me to go there, but I didn't want to. I aspired to be a taxi driver in my province. In those early years of having my license, seeing a woman driving was uncommon; I didn't know any other women drivers besides myself. At that time, I drove an ETZ, one of those brought from Germany. It was new.”

Love took Doris to another city, and she lived in Holguín for 24 years, working in various jobs. The arrival of combustion tricycles was a wake-up call, and she signed up. While waiting, she decided to return to Las Tunas, her homeland.

"When I sold my house in Holguín, they told me that I had been assigned a combustion tricycle, but I couldn't turn back, and I couldn't take it on."

“I came here to Las Tunas, worked in beekeeping, then at the Minint. I am retired from the women's prison, where I heard the news that restarted my life.”

In this new social role, family support is vital. "My family has taken it very well; they know my desire to drive and be a driver. Besides, they know that when I set a goal, I achieve it. I have never achieved my aspirations right away; I have always had setbacks, but in the end, I achieve what I want."

“Society has accepted me very well; they even encourage me. When I pick up passengers on my tricycle and they realize they are going to travel with a woman, they are happy and call me an empowered woman, saying that it is safer with women.”

There are many precautions behind the wheel, as well as anecdotes that come with each person who gets into the vehicle.

"Some people don't realize they are traveling with a woman and call me ‘buddy.’ When I say ‘partner,’ they are surprised. So far, there are two of us women in the agency who are doing this job, and I have seen a few others who are self-employed."

"My colleagues are exceptional. They call me ‘the queen’ because I'm a little older than most of them. They have incredible respect for me. I feel so happy that I don't know how to thank them for everything they do for me. They help me when I have a problem with the tricycle. I can't say it's just one person, because they all collaborate."

“Working among men is incredible. I feel cared for and respected. We are truly a united team.”

She takes a few minutes' break during her shift to drink water, breathe, and recover from the hours on the road. She starts her day very early, and although she has everyone's support, her physical and mental well-being come first. She is responsible for the lives of hundreds of people on every route she travels.

"Sometimes people don't understand that we are human beings, that we need to rest for a few moments, go to the bathroom, have lunch. We understand their haste, the urgency of transportation to reach their destination, but we also urgently need that understanding, that empathy."

"I am 61 years old; I spend all day fulfilling my duty, my greatest goal in life. When I return home, I have to face household chores, some of which I cannot delegate. It's a little difficult, but with desire and love, it can be done."

One of the greatest satisfactions in the life of Dori and everyone who works at the Las Tunas Taxi Agency is the gratitude of the public. "When we take people to health centers, we know that we are fulfilling an important social mission. The support we provide to those we know have no resources, the daily gratitude of those we take because we do, because that's how we are, and we feel fulfilled in doing so."

Now Dori is one of the women in yellow who travel the streets of this city. For some, that color means the hope of reaching their final destination; for her, it means her professional and personal growth, the pinnacle of her life.

“I always wanted to be a driver because I really like driving. My dream was to be a truck driver; I watched documentaries about women who drive trucks and felt a healthy envy. I didn't achieve that, but I did fulfill my dream of being a taxi driver, and here, in Las Tunas.”