9-year-old sets up a library at MNJ Cancer Institute

The Hyderabad Public School student has single-handedly set up a library for the young patients at the MNJ Cancer Hospital, which will be inaugurated on Saturday.

Hyderabad: You are never too young to dream big. And nine-year-old Akarshana Satish doesn’t let her age come in the way of her goals. The Hyderabad Public School student has single-handedly set up a library for the young patients at the MNJ Cancer Hospital, which will be inaugurated on Saturday.

The fourth standard student started working on the idea last year during the first wave of the pandemic.

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“People in my society would cook food for the patients at MNJ Cancer Hospital, and I accompanied my father daily as he distributed food at the institute. I befriended a few kids who were undergoing treatment there. When I asked those kids what they needed, they shared that during the treatment there is nothing to do, and sometimes it gets a little boring. So, I decided to set up a library for them,” says Akarshana.

It was then, she started contacting her friends and relatives and requesting them to donate books. Now, a delighted Akarshana is gearing up for the big inauguration of the library on Saturday, which will be done by Additional DG, Women Safety Wing, Swati Lakra.

On Friday, Akarshana met Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar, who appreciated her efforts.

The youngster has so far collected 1,100 books that include several fairy tales, moral stories, Arabian Nights, folk tales in Telugu, Hindi and English, and even colouring books.

Talking about his daughters’ achievement, Sathish Kumar J shares, “She has always been a very active child. Last year, she even received an appreciation letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for her initiatives. She had donated 24 sanitisers, 100 masks and 100 gloves to Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar last year. Not only was the library idea solely hers, she even managed to raise the money to buy the cupboard and a few toys for the kids.”

A proud father, Sathish shares that it was former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam who named the child Akarshana. “I was working for Dr Kalam under the Lead India 2020. We wanted to name her Isha, but when Dr Kalam saw her for the first time, he said we should name her Akarshana, and so we did.”

And just like the man who named her, Akarshana too wants to be a space scientist.

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