Salesboy struggles to realize his engg dreams in Mangaluru

MANGALURU: Beating poverty and all other odds, Mahammed Naushad not only scored high marks in PUC but also succeeded in cracking the CET to get a seat for civil engineering in a Mangaluru college. However, Naushad, who earns a small income by working as a salesman in Puttur, is worried now. For, paucity of funds could shatter his dream of becoming an engineer. The 18-year-old has to pay the first year's course fee of Rs 66,000 up front.
Naushad, eldest of three children of Abdul Khader of Mithur village in Bantwal taluk, has to look after his family. The academically brilliant boy bagged 75% in PUC and succeeded in getting a seat for civil engineering at PA College of Engineering. While Khader works as a farmer in fields owned by his neighbours, his son Naushad used to lend him a helping hand by working as a salesman in a mobile and accessory shop in Puttur.
Naushad worked in the shop during weekends to earn Rs 250 per day even as he pursued studies at the Government PU College in Kabaka.
Though Naushad has been allotted a seat, the big question before him and his parents is how to pool money to pay the fees. Of Naushad's three siblings, one brother is doing ITI course, another is doing PU and a sister is in class V. Naushad was even considering whether to drop the opportunity this year and appear in CET in 2016, when a friend dissuaded him and offered him some money.
Social worker Rasheed Vitla said Naushad's dreams will materialize if society offers help. "Naushad is in dilemma as he is the eldest among his siblings. While his father has health problems, mother is a homemaker. Hence, Naushad can purse engineering degree if donors support him," Rasheed said.