Bhubaneswar: The first student from her Kondha tribe community in Rayagada district’s Bissamcuttack block to clear a medical entrance examination, Kabita Hikaka (19) will finally be able to fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor. Merely cracking NEET (UG) this year was not enough, as immediate concern for Kabita, the daughter of a daily wager from a remote village, was arranging the admission fees.Help, however, began pouring in for Kabita after a report in the TOI on Aug 27 highlighted her struggle. Kabita, who hails from Sahada village, cracked NEET and secured an ST rank of 137 and overall 4,027, earning an MBBS seat at SLN Medical College and Hospital, Koraput. She is scheduled to complete her admission on Sept 2, for which she needs around Rs 37,000.Following the publication of the report, “Kondha girl’s doctor dream faces Rs 7L college fee hurdle” on Aug 27, several Good Samaritans from Odisha and other states have come forward to support her medical education. Some have provided financial assistance, while others have promised to organise fundraisers or extend help towards yearly fees and other expenses during the MBBS course.Among them are Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka, and local BJD neta Sudhir Das and resident Sanjeev Padhi, who have provided them with cash for admission, said Kabita’s father, Laba Hikaka, who earns around Rs 300 a day as an unskilled worker.Thanking the TOI for highlighting their plight, he said help started arriving soon after the report was published. “It was difficult for us to arrange even the money needed for her studies, but I never wanted her education to stop because of financial problems. I am grateful to everyone who has come forward to help her,” Laba said.A student of Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya (OAV) at Bhaleri, she scored 90.8% in her Class X board examination before moving to OAV in Bhubaneswar for higher secondary education.