Mangaluru: For Sesappa,45, a sanitation worker from Navoor in Bantwal, owning a car had been a long-standing dream. Today, after years of hard work, additional jobs and loans, he drives a second-hand Toyota Fortuner.Sesappa began working in 1996 for a daily wage of Rs 50. A class 3 dropout, he joined the Bantwal Town Municipal Council at a young age, and later became a permanent employee. Alongside his municipal duties, he took up additional work and pursued agriculture and dairy farming to support his family and fulfil his ambitions.“I do not believe there is anything called small work. I am ready to do any work and earn. I worked hard and took loans to buy my cars,” he said.Sesappa’s passion for automobiles is shared by his son. Over the years, he owned a Maruti 800, an Alto and a Scorpio, selling each vehicle before upgrading to the next. He eventually purchased the used Fortuner, gradually realising a dream he had nurtured for years through his earnings, loans and additional work.Recalling the difficulties he faced in his early years, Sesappa said there were times when his family struggled even to afford food. “Life was very different when I started working. There were days when it was difficult to arrange food at home. Today, I am happy that I have been able to bring my wife, two daughters and son to this level,” he said.Sesappa belongs to the Parava community and comes from a family associated with the worship of Daivas. His father was a Daiva sevaka, and his son has continued the tradition by performing Daiva rituals. Sesappa said his faith in the Daivas worshipped by his family gives him strength.He also emphasised that a person’s work should not be judged by the vehicle he drives. “There is dignity in every form of honest work,” he said.Bantwal municipal chief officer Theerthaprasad described Sesappa as a quiet, honest and hardworking employee who completes every task assigned to him.“He is a simple and honest person. Whatever work we assign him, he completes it. Till date, nobody has had to question him about his work,” Theerthaprasad said.He added that Sesappa reports for duty between 5.30am and 6am and cleans the main road at BC Road, as well as the govt office premises assigned to him.Sesappa’s next goal is to build a new house for his family.
