One Plate of Rice – A True Inspiring Success Story"
In a small remote village of Dolakha, Nepal, lived a boy named Bikram. Born into a poor farming family, his childhood was filled with hardship. His parents toiled in the fields all day, barely making enough to eat. During winter, they grew wheat; in monsoon, they cultivated rice. There was no luxury — just survival.
While other students came to school wearing warm jackets and shoes, Bikram showed up in a torn shirt, bare feet, and a hopeful smile. Despite his appearance, he carried a light in his eyes — a dream.
The Dream That Made Others Laugh
One day, their school teacher asked the class, “What do you all want to be when you grow up?”
Some said doctor, some pilot, some police officer.
Bikram stood up and boldly said, “I want to be an engineer.”
The class burst into laughter. Even the teacher smirked and said,
“You don’t even have slippers on your feet. How will you ever become an engineer?”
Bikram stayed silent, but deep in his heart, he made a promise:
“One day, I will show them.”
The First Step of the Climb
When Bikram was in Grade 8, his father's health began to fail. Without his father’s help, the crops suffered. The family faced starvation. Bikram had no choice but to drop out of school and start working at a local shop. His salary was just Rs. 25 per day.
He would wake up at 4 AM, clean the shop, lift sacks of rice and lentils, serve tea, and return home exhausted at night. Still, he would read whatever books he had under the dim light of a kerosene lamp.
One day, a teacher saw him working and asked, “Do you still want to study?”
“Yes, more than anything,” he replied.
The teacher arranged for him to return to school and even helped pay for his books.
Now, Bikram juggled three lives — early morning work, school during the day, and homework at night.
The SLC Turning Point
As the SLC (School Leaving Certificate) exams approached, many of his classmates dropped out. Some left for foreign jobs, some got married. A few even mocked Bikram, saying,
“You’ll end up in the Gulf like us. What’s the use of studying?”
But Bikram calmly replied, “I’m not going to the Gulf. I’m going to Pulchowk Engineering Campus in Kathmandu.”
Everyone laughed again.
When the results were announced, Bikram stood first in his school — passing with distinction.
To the City of Dreams
To fund his further education, Bikram’s father sold their last two buffaloes. With a bag full of clothes and a heart full of dreams, Bikram set off for Kathmandu.
He couldn’t afford rent or food, so he started working as a cook and cleaner in a student hostel. His day began with washing dishes and preparing rice for others. At times, he couldn’t even eat a proper meal himself.
His nights were for studies — reading books borrowed from seniors, solving problems under candlelight, and preparing for his next big goal: the entrance exam of Pulchowk Campus.
And finally, he cleared the exam.
The Real Struggle Begins
Life at engineering college wasn’t easy. Load shedding (power cuts), lack of money, and no access to modern technology were his daily hurdles.
He couldn’t afford a laptop. Instead, he’d stay late in the library or borrow a friend’s device just to finish assignments. He often wore the same pair of clothes for days, and ate simple dal-bhat twice a day — sometimes less.
But he never complained.
He had come too far to give up.
When Luck Meets Hard Work
In the final year of college, a Japanese company came for internship recruitment. Bikram gave it a shot — and got selected.
After the internship, the company offered him a job in Japan.
The boy who had never even seen an airplane was now boarding one — to work as a software engineer in a foreign land.
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he remembered the shop, the lamp, the cold nights, and the laughter of those who once doubted him.
The Return of the Real Hero
Five years later, Bikram returned to his village. This time, he wore shoes, a clean shirt, and confidence in his walk. He visited the same school where he once stood barefoot.
The teacher who once laughed at him said, “You made us proud, son.”
Bikram replied with a smile, “Your words made me stronger, sir.”
He donated books, built a science lab, and established a scholarship in his village — called the
“One Plate of Rice Scholarship”, named after the days he survived on just one me
Moral of the Story
Your situation does not define your future.
People may laugh at your dreams — let them.
When you have determination, no obstacle is too big.
Even with a single plate of rice, success is possible — if you sta
y hungry for growth.
> "One plate of rice once fed my body. But my dreams — they fed my soul."
– Bikram
Nisha
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