From grazing cattle to growing MBBS dreams: Odisha sibling duo’s inspiring story

When life plays hard, struggle becomes the only path to be followed. That is the inspiring reality of Monalisa Pradhan and Bibhishan Pradhan—siblings from a tribal family in the remote village of Sikabadi under Daringbadi block of Kandhamal district, Odisha.

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With no financial backing and no educated guide to show the way, the two have carved a journey from cattle-grazing fields to the corridors of a medical college.

Raised in a mud hut by elderly parents and part of a large family of seven children, they refused to let poverty decide their fate. Every day, they graze cattle, and Monalisa also works at a cloth store in Berhampur to support their education.

Monalisa’s earnings help fund her elder brother Bibhishan’s study, who is now a 4th-year MBBS student at Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital (SLNMCH).

Monalisa herself has recently cleared NEET and enrolled in the same college, proving that resilience and purpose can defy all odds.

The siblings’ unwavering support for each other and their self-driven efforts make them a powerful symbol of hope in a land where dreams often wither in deprivation.

“When I completed my Plus II, my elder brother was preparing for MBBS. I could not join a coaching institute at that time due to financial problems. Hence, I was doing a part-time job at a saree retail shop. I had to pay my house rent and give some money to my brother for his studies,” Monalisa said to OTV.

“We were living in penury. Our elderly parents were unable to eke out a living and meet the household expenses. They were worried for the financial pressure. Hence, I joined the saree retail outlet,” Monalisa expressed when contacted.