Life is not the same for everyone. For some, achieving dreams is facilitated by available resources, while for others, it is a relentless struggle. However, when someone overcomes all odds to fulfill their dreams, it creates history. Such history has been made by the students of Zindagi Foundation, as all 20 of them, from the poorest backgrounds, have qualified for NEET, one of the most challenging exams in the world, to realize their dreams of becoming doctors.
Jagadish Mohapatra, son of a small farmer and daily laborer, faced financial struggles that made quality education seem unattainable. Despite his parents taking loans for his studies, Jagadish initially failed to crack NEET, leading to disappointment. However, under the guidance of Zindagi Foundation, he scored 705 in NEET ’24 and is now set to join a prestigious medical college.
Sampada Muduli faced numerous hardships due to his father's disability and his own kidney impairment issues. Instead of surrendering to his problems, he aspired to become a doctor. Zindagi Foundation supported him every step of the way, helping him achieve his dream.
Gayatri Das, daughter of a daily wage laborer, grew up in a village lacking medical facilities, driving her dream to become a doctor. She shares, "Zindagi Foundation gave me the support and resources I needed to pursue my dream. I am grateful for their belief in me, which kept me motivated despite all the challenges."
Abhishek Kumar from Khagaria, Bihar, faced extreme hardship after his father's death, with his mother working as a household help and his elder brother sacrificing his education to support Abhishek’s dream of becoming a doctor. Kalu Charan Soren, from a poor tribe in a remote village in Odisha, lost his father early in life but never gave up on his dream of becoming a doctor.
Sharing his experiences, Ajay Bahadur Singh further said that he himself wanted to become a doctor, but due to his father's sudden illness, he had to drop out of his studies. He sold tea and sherbet to support his family. So when he was empowered as an educator while facing difficult circumstances, he started helping poor students like himself who dreamed of becoming doctors. This laid the foundation of the Zindagi Foundation.
Talking about future plans, Ajay Bahadur Singh said, "I could not become a doctor but now I am preparing doctors for the society. This gives me great satisfaction and I fulfill my dream through these students. Unlike previous years, this year we have taken students from other states besides Odisha. This year's batch also had students from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh and all of them performed very well. We hope to continue expanding and taking our mission to more needy and deserving students."
