A NRI student hailing from Vijayawada, Dhanya Vasanta, has won the ‘Dame Marie Bashir Peace Prize 2026’ in Australia.

The award was presented on September 28 at the New South Wales (NSW) State Parliament, Sydney, recognising her contributions to community service, youth leadership, and promotion of peace, a release said on Wednesday.

“Telugu NRI 12th class student Dhanya Vasanta won the prestigious Dame Marie Bashir Peace Prize 2026 in Australia,” it said.

Vasanta founded “A Little Library” at just 12 years old, beginning with a donation of 200 books to Westmead Children’s Hospital.

Under her leadership, the initiative has grown into a grassroots literacy movement — collecting over 10,000 books, distributing books to regional, remote Australian communities and communities overseas in African countries.

She has also built partnerships with multiple organisations, raised funds to sustain the initiative, and mobilised volunteers, among other activities, the release added.

(Inputs from PTI)

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