HI! I’m Sadaf Waqar, from Pakistan, currently a level 6 local guide. I hail from Karachi and I love to travel, discover new places, gather great memories, and share my experience with people around me. I stumbled upon the Google Local Guide program on a fine day when I received an email from Google Maps telling me about the places I have been to, the pictures I have uploaded and the reviews I have written on the places I have visited and how it has helped many people in getting to know about the particular place. It further explained how I can gain points while giving my input on the local map and be a part of the fellow local guides community.
Although I wasn’t a very social person before but ever since I have observed the way I can be helpful to random people, I have changed my ways. This has developed a sense of community service to me and I feel great about it. This Local Guide program has given me a new meaning in my otherwise mundane life. Now I see places and routes with an entirely new perspective and I strive to observe more so that I am able to write accurate reviews. The fact that Google never fails to send an appreciation email every time my photo makes an impact and gains record views and how my reviews are assisting people; locals or travelers, is the greatest source of encouragement I get which lifts my mood and the will to contribute more and more.
In my part of the world, girls are stereotyped and not appreciated much if they excel in the skills supposedly male dominant in our society. Driving seamlessly and knowing the routes and the way around the city are two of the stereotypes. Google Local Guides program has motivated me to do well and connect with like-minded guides. It is my dream to represent my country at Connect Live 2020 and break the stereotypes for the girls of my country.