Ilman Farabi comes from Meherpur, a quiet border district in Bangladesh. Like many others, his life took a sharp turn after the COVID-19 pandemic. To support his family financially, he started working as a walking Foodpanda delivery rider - yes, on foot, not even a bicycle.
Every day, he would deliver food around the city, then rush back to attend his university classes. After that, it was hostel chores and study time. Life was exhausting and making ends meet was still tough. He tried different side hustles - tutoring, helping with research - but nothing really made a big difference.
Then something changed.
He stumbled upon Grameenphone Academy. Curious, he signed up for a few online courses and masterclasses. One that really caught his interest was on UX design. Gradually, he heard about Freelancing Factory Program, an upskilling hands-on training program of GP Academy, and he decided to give it a shot.
To his surprise, he got selected.
From there, everything started to shift. For the next five months, Ilman gave it his all. He learned, practiced, asked questions, and kept pushing forward - day and night. With the help of the mentors and instructors, he built real skills. And soon, he landed his first freelance gigs.
In 7 months, Ilman had earned over $7,998 - his first ever income from freelancing.
From walking miles to deliver food to working with clients around the world from his laptop - Ilman’s journey is a reminder that even the toughest situations can turn around when opportunity meets determination.
And this? It’s just the beginning for him.
