For the last few months, Huma Naz has been on a mission.
The mother of two from Western Sydney is determined to achieve her latest goal, one which will give her family a better life: learning to drive.
"The licence is just like a wing for me," she said.
"I will feel that now … like flying in air, you know. I can go anywhere I want, any time."
Ms Naz faced significant barriers in her quest for a driver's licence. She doesn't own a car and, having moved to Australia in 2018, had no-one to teach her.
Then a social service agency recommended she try Uniting's Driver Licensing Access Program, which matches student drivers with volunteer trainers.
So far, she's had about 12 lessons with her driver trainer, Lou Damiano. Slowly but surely, he's been helping with her biggest issue behind the wheel.
"I lose confidence. That's … a big problem for me. Otherwise, I know I can drive," she said.
Driving program a road to employment
"Slowly, slowly, slowly," Mr Damiano reminds Ms Naz, as she eases the car out onto the road.
"It's nice," he said, of his involvement with the learner drivers.
"I can't wait for Monday and Tuesday to actually come here."
There are 200 people across South-Western Sydney enrolled in Uniting's program.
It prioritises young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and student drivers — such as Huma Naz — who will have many more employment options if they can drive.
"Without a licence, it is very difficult to get a job," she said.
"Sometimes I get a good offer from different places, but because of [no] licence, I have problem."
For getting her children from point A to B, she said a licence would transform her family.
"If [you] drive, sometimes the distance is just 10 minutes, and if I don't have a licence I go [by] public transport. The distance is about one and a half hour, two hours. So, it is a waste of time if you don't have licence," she said.
Getting a licence opens doors and creates opportunities for students in the program, Catherine Matloub from Uniting said.
"When they get their Ps, they can finally drive on their own and be independent," she said.
The program's focus is helping learners achieve the 120 hours of supervised driving needed to get a provisional P licence in New South Wales.
So far, 66 per cent of the drivers in the program successfully get their Ps on their first attempt, better than the overall New South Wales average of 60 per cent.
"It just makes you feel joyous," Ms Matloub said.
"When you see them driving, it's awesome how they change their way of living."
Volunteers needed to meet huge demand
Ethan Jabbor, 17, is one of the program's learner drivers who recently passed his test and got his P plates. His trainer driver, Shahid Ur Rahman, couldn't be happier.
"Any of our students get P, red P or green P, we always feel proud," Mr Ur Rahman said.
"We actually did something [for] our student, and they need it."
Ethan said the program, and his new P plates, are life-changing.
"For people who don't have access to … the ability to be driven by their parents or by the other people in their family, I think it's very beneficial," he said.
"Ever since I got my licence, it's been easier for me. I don't have to go up and tell my mum, 'OK, drive me here, drive me there', making a hassle.
"I can just drive myself and … that's all that really matters."
The most recent New South Wales Road safety Action Plan flagged "further expansion of the Driver Licensing Access Program, to improve access to licensing for Aboriginal and disadvantaged road users".
For now, Uniting's biggest challenge is meeting demand. There's a significant shortage of volunteer trainer drivers.
"It's just doing something to help young kids grow, you know? And become better drivers," volunteer Lou Damiano said.
"If you got a bit of time, come in and do it. No problems … have a look. And just go out, teach kids."
