Despite abject poverty, these two Odisha girls crack NEET, set example for others 

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. The struggling stories of two girls from Kendrapara and Mayurbhanj districts will definitely inspire one and all to never give up when things become tough. 

A resident of Narada village in Kandrapara district, Subhalaxmi Sahu is now an MBBS student at Fakir Mohan Medical College in Balasore. But her journey so far has been full of obstacles. 

Her father Brajakishore Sahu goes from one village to another on a bicycle to sell stationary items. To keep the pot boiling, he has to go out every day, without fail. Even though Subhalaxmi passed Matriculation from Talakusuma Govindapur High School with good marks, her father had already decided to stop her study midway through, owing to the family’s poor financial condition. But he couldn’t do that seeing her strong desire to become a doctor. 

With the help of a well-wisher, he admitted her to a coaching institute in Bhubaneswar. And her hard labour finally paid off and she cracked the NEET. 

“Becoming a doctor has been my childhood dream. But I had never imagined that my parents would be praised for my success. The happiness of my parents is giving me immense pleasure,” said Subhalaxmi. 

“As she has fought all odds, I wish she should treat poor people,”  said Subhalaxmi’s mother Kanaklata Prusty. 

The struggling story of Jambimani Sawayan, a resident of tribal-dominated Sunamara village in Mayurbhanj district, is in no way less inspiring. 

After cracking the NEET, she is now doing her MBBS at Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College. 

She and her family live in a ramshackle hut. Her mother Parbati works as a cook at a primary school and father, is a common farmer. It had always been a herculean task for Parbati to run the eight-member family with her meager income of Rs 1400. Yet, Jambimani didn’t deviate from her aim. 

“Our village is not connected with a fair weather road. Because of this, my villagers are facing a lot hardship while transporting patients. So I want to be a doctor to treat my villagers,” said Jambimani. 

“I wish she should become a good doctor and treat patients, particularly poor patients,” said her mother, Parbati. 

When asked, Jambimani’s teacher Sabita Tudu said, “She has been good at studies since Class I. But, all credit should go to her mother who tried hard to educate her and her siblings.”