Two sisters and their cousin have cleared the prestigious NEET exam, securing admission to government-run medical colleges in Odisha and bringing into focus an impoverished tribal family in Kandhamal district with five children now on course to become doctors.
Growing up in a family where the sole breadwinner is a migrant worker who also tills a small piece of land, the children knew very early that education was their guiding light out of poverty. And for success, they would need persistence and perseverance.
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Bibhisan Naiak (25), the eldest son of Brushi Naiak (76) and Anusaya (62) of Sikabadi village in the hilly and forested terrain of Daringbadi, was the first to clear NEET.
He got admission to Saheed Laxman Naik Medical College in Koraput and is now undergoing internship in the same institute. His sister Monalisa (23) is a second-year student at the same medical college.
Now, Sunemi (20), Ashriya (18) and Meenakshi (19) have cleared the medical entrance exam and are pursuing MBBS at government-run medical colleges in Puri, Bolangir and Bhawanipatna.
{{/usCountry}}Now, Sunemi (20), Ashriya (18) and Meenakshi (19) have cleared the medical entrance exam and are pursuing MBBS at government-run medical colleges in Puri, Bolangir and Bhawanipatna.
{{/usCountry}}Meenakshi (19) is the daughter of Brushi's younger brother Jishiya Pradhan. However, she was brought up by Brushi and Anusaya since childhood.
"All are my children. We have nine members in the family. Two of my younger sons are studying in school," Anusaya said, sitting in their asbestos-roofed and mud-walled house.
All the children were schooled in Daringbadi and completed intermediate courses in Nayagarh.
Bibhisan Naiak, who is set to become the first in his family to earn the title 'Dr', said, “I guided my younger sister Monalisa for the NEET examination, and she cracked it easily. This boosted my confidence, and I brought the other three to Berhampur town for coaching for a few days.”
Asked how they financed their studies, he said, "My father provides me a meagre amount. I teach children in the locality and have so far taken a loan of ₹6 lakh for me and my siblings' studies."
Bibhisan explained that all his siblings have clearly understood that they have no option other than to excel in their studies to overcome poverty.
"We have seen our parents' struggle. They are our inspiration. We have learnt from them the meaning of simple living and high thinking. We have gone hungry at times, but always strived for excellence in our studies," says Meenakshi.
Brushi himself studied only up to Class 2, but understood the importance of education and toiled all his life to ensure his children faced no hurdles in pursuing their studies.
He earns a livelihood by cultivating paddy, ginger and turmeric in the small patch of land the family owns. Sometimes, he goes to other states, working as a labourer to arrange funds for the children's studies.
Besides, the family is enlisted as a beneficiary of government schemes for those below the poverty line.
"I do not know how they succeeded in life... My immediate concern is funding the studies of all five children, which is becoming increasingly difficult," Brushi told PTI. "They have taken some loans, but the children need more money for books and other materials. Medical education is expensive."
His wife, Anushaya, who had no formal education herself, may not understand the lessons her children pore over, but she knows what their education could mean -- a chance to break free from the poverty that has shadowed the family for generations.
"My job is to cook for the family and discipline the children," she says, smiling.
Sunemi Pradhan, who got into the MBBS course this year, said, "We realised early in life what poverty is. Keeping in mind our parents' financial condition, we try to keep things within our limits."
"We have seen our father worried sick that he could not do much for us and try our best to alleviate the situation," said Ashriya.
Brushi's brother Jishiya Pradhan appealed to the state government to provide some assistance to unburden the family. "Our children will serve the people of the locality as doctors. The entire village feels proud of them," he said.
As they prepare to soar beyond the village, the children remain rooted to the soil that shaped them, helping Brushi tend the family's farmland and care for its cattle.