Allow me to introduce you to Akarshana Sathish, an impressive 11-year-old book lover who has made a difference in her community through the power of literature. A student of the Hyderabad Public School in Begumpet who is already in the seventh grade, Akarshana has more than 1,000 books in her private library. However, her passion for books doesn’t stop there. 

Building Libraries at a Young Age 

At the young age of nine, she got the distinctive idea to build a library of her own. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she started to collect old books from her neighbors, friends, and family members. As her effort received widespread appreciation, she found herself increasingly motivated to grow her collection, and she successfully managed to collect a total of 5,800 old books. These books became the foundation of not one, but six libraries that she has established in Hyderabad, Telangana, and Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu over the past three years. 

The initial idea for a library came to her during her visit to MNJ Cancer Hospital. Akarshana, along with her parents, were there to distribute food to the patients. Witnessing the hardship of the kids in the cancer ward, she thought of using books as a means to divert them from their suffering. 

“One can start reading for a few minutes to build this habit, which can be built by reading a few pages every day. My parents, who are also avid readers, have also inspired me to read, as has my school, which features a 100-year-old library.” – Akarshana Satish

1. First Library:
   • Location: MNJ Cancer Hospital
   • Number of Books: 1,036
2. Second Library:
   • Location: Sanath Nagar Police Station
   • Number of Books: 825
3. Third Library:
   • Location: Kacheguda Juvenile Home for Girls
   • Number of Books: 625
4. Fourth Library:
   • Location: Gayatri Nagar Association, Borabanda
   • Number of Books: 250
5. Fifth Library:
   • Location: Coimbatore Street Library
   • Number of Books: 200
6. Sixth Library:
   • Location: Nolambur Police Station
   • Number of Books: 1,200

What Impact Has the Initiative Made? 

Akarshana shared that her initiative has been a boon for girls her age who have had access to books that helped them with their studies. The libraries are not just encouraging children to read, but adults too are benefiting from this initiative, widening the avenue for knowledge and learning. 

More Than Just a Bookworm

Apart from her immense love for reading, Akarshana has remarkably broad interests. She is a budding coder who took to learning programming during her days at home amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, she is conversant with several programming languages, including Block coding, HTML, Python, and Machine learning, among others. She has also completed approximately 270 coding classes. When she isn’t engrossed in her books or coding, Akarshana enjoys cycling, listening to music, practicing yoga, and engaging in debates. 

“Akarshana is the best example of how books can completely change someone’s life. Thanks to her reading habits, she is now well versed in a wide range of complex subjects, and it has additionally helped her become a good orator.” – J. Sathish Kumar, Akarshana’s Father

She draws inspiration not just from the field of literature but also from the world of science. Hoping to become a space scientist in the future, one of her major inspirations is Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the ‘Missile Man of India’, whom her father, J. Sathish Kumar, used to closely work with. Indeed, it was Dr. Kalam who gave Akarshana her name which means ‘attractive’, an apt description for a young girl who is attracting attention with her inspiring efforts. 

Akarshana Future Plans

Akarshana’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. In addition to the encouragement from her school administration and teachers, she has also been acclaimed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, and IT Minister KT Rama Rao. She continues her quest to serve her community with her plans to open more libraries in the near future, thus, creating a legacy of promoting literacy and spreading knowledge.

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