Mangaluru: Every morning, Sesappa reaches work in a vehicle that turns heads — a Toyota Fortuner. But the moment he arrives, there is no display of status or privilege. He gets down, picks up a broom and begins sweeping the roads.

For Sesappa, the contrast is not unusual.

The man who once earned just Rs 50 a day now owns a vehicle worth lakhs of rupees. Yet financial success has not changed his attitude towards work. Whether it is sweeping streets, driving a waste-disposal vehicle, working on a farm or tending to cattle, he believes every honest job deserves the same respect.

A resident of Navoor in Bantwal taluk on the outskirts of Mangaluru, Sesappa’s life is a story of hardship, setbacks, transformation and relentless work.

From Rs 50 a day to financial stability

Sesappa joined the civil service in 1996, earning only Rs 50 a day in the early days of his career.

His initial years were difficult, both financially and personally. Struggling to cope with circumstances, he eventually fell into alcoholism, taking his life in a direction that made an already difficult situation even harder.

A crucial turning point came in 2005.

A conversation with Belliappa, who was then a Sub-Inspector at Bantwal police station, made Sesappa reconsider the path he was taking. He decided to give up alcohol and take control of his life.

What followed was not an overnight transformation. It was built slowly through discipline, hard work and a willingness to do whatever work was available.

No work was beneath him

Sesappa began taking on multiple responsibilities to improve his circumstances.

He would start his day as early as 5 am, sweeping garbage from the streets and keeping the area clean. He also took responsibility for driving the office’s waste-disposal vehicle.

But his workday did not end there.

He turned to agriculture, dairy farming and other labour in the afternoons, taking up additional work to strengthen his financial position.

For Sesappa, there was no question of whether a particular job was too small for him. If it was honest work, he was willing to do it.

Over time, that approach helped him move towards financial stability.

The funeral that he could barely afford

One of the most painful chapters of Sesappa’s life came when his father died.

At the time, he did not have enough money to arrange his father’s funeral. With no one available to provide the assistance he needed, he was forced to carry his father’s body to the banks of the Netravati River and perform the last rites himself.

The experience left a deep impression on him.

It also taught him a lesson he would carry throughout his life: financial security matters, but it has to be built through one’s own effort and determination.

A Fortuner did not change his attitude towards work

Today, Sesappa’s circumstances are very different from those difficult days.

He has managed to build financial stability through years of hard work and owns a Fortuner. Yet the vehicle has not changed his relationship with work.

He still sweeps the streets.

He still drives the waste-disposal vehicle.

He still works in agriculture and dairy farming.

And he still believes that dignity does not come from the kind of vehicle one drives or the position one holds, but from the sincerity with which one performs one’s responsibilities.

‘Work is worship’

At the heart of Sesappa’s philosophy is a simple belief: work is worship.

His journey is a reminder that success is not necessarily about moving away from humble work. For him, success has meant being able to improve his circumstances without losing respect for the work that helped him get there.

His story is particularly striking because of the image he presents every morning — a man who could arrive in a Fortuner but chooses to pick up a broom and clean the streets himself.

From Rs 50 a day and a period of personal turmoil to financial stability built through years of relentless work, Sesappa’s journey is ultimately about resilience.

The Fortuner may reflect how far he has travelled financially.

But the broom reflects what he has never forgotten.