Mahakalpara: The adage ‘where there is a will there is a way’ goes well with Toofan Manna, an engineering student of Betabelari under Mahakalpara block of Kendrapara district, who has taken up farming to finance his B Tech course.
Toofan’s dedication and hard work to pursue B Tech degree are incomparable as penury and hardships for years have never distracted him from pursuing his goal of becoming an engineer.
Toofan, being the son of a farmer who struggles to feed the family, has been fighting against all odds to fund his B Tech degree with no government help at sight. The youth has become an example for several others who sit idle and crib about jobs.
Toofan is the eldest son of Goutam Manna, who could only support his studies up to high school with much difficulty. Being a meritorious student, Toofan managed to get a seat at a private engineering college in Bhubaneswar and is a final year student now. However, it’s impossible for his father to finance his studies now.
Toofan decided to shape his own future and not to be a burden on his father.
Being the son of a farmer, he had some basic knowledge of farming. So, he took a patch of farmland just 4 km from his house at Kiabaria on lease and started farming. He used to work throughout the day in the farmland and studied at night. Even if it is a non-irrigated farmland, he has grown lady’s finger, brinjal, beans, maize, sunflower, tomato, chilli and many other vegetables.
He has been irrigating the crops by lifting water through a pump set from a nearby creek. He sells the produce at nearby markets of Ramnagar, Chhapali, Benakandha and Jagarijora every day.
“I have to pay Rs 80,000 towards fees after my college reopens. I save a lion’s share of my earnings to finance my studies and spend a small portion of it on household expenses,” Toofan said.
No such story could be more inspiring than Toofan’s for the youths who dream big in life.
