Muskan Ahirwar
Muskan Ahirwar | |
|---|---|
 Muskan in 2023 | |
| Born | 2006 or 2007 (age 16–17) |
| Occupation(s) | Educator and librarian |
Muskan Ahirwar (born 2006 or 2007) is an Indian educator and librarian from Bhopal, India.[1][2] In 2016, when she was 9 years old, she created a community library for children in the worker's colony where she lives, named in Hindi Kitabi Masti ("fun with books"). The library has since moved to a dedicated space and has been expanded to over 3,000 books.[3][4][5] She has been given several awards for her work including by NITI Aayog, Hyderabad Literature Festival and the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights.[6][7]
Kitabi Masti[edit]
The library, Kitabi Masti ("fun with books"), is built in the common space of Durganagar worker's colony in Arera Hills of Bhopal where Muskan lives.[8][9] She started the library on 26 January 2016 with her sister, Neha, to serve the children who live in the area.[10][11][12] The library began with 25 books hung on a string outside her house.[13][14][15] "I was nine years old when I started this library ... I had collected some books which I displayed outside my house by hanging them on a rope. The colourful images fascinated the children in the locality. They started visiting my house regularly to read the books. This is how my interest in books started to grow."[5]
In 2017 Muskan was awarded a grant by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to fund development of the library.[14] The library has since moved to a dedicated space which has been renovated using waste materials by architecture students from the National Association of Students of Architecture.[5][16] The library has been expanded to over 3,000 books through contributions of books from places in India as well as the United States, South Africa, and other countries.[5][6]
Awards[edit]
Muskan has been recognised with several awards for her work and has also been commended by Madhya Pradesh UNICEF Field Office Chief, Michael Juma.[17]
- 2016: Women Transforming Award by NITI Aayog for her work.[17][18]
- 2016: Thought Leader award by NITI Ayog in New Delhi.[19]
- 2018: Princess Diana Award, Sushiksha Awards.[16]
- 2019: Food4Thought Foundation IRO-iambond under 18 award.
- 2019: India Reading Olympiad, Hyderabad Literature Festival.[7]
- 2020: Devi Awards Indore countdown series.[16]
- 2023: Children's Champion Award by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights.[6]
- 2023: Vivekanand State Youth Award.
References[edit]
- ^ "Bhopal's little librarian gets big ovation for ingenuity". Hindustan Times. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ "This 9-Year-Old Started Her Very Own Library For Slum Children". Homegrown. 8 June 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ Swabhiman Bharat Story of Muskan Ahirwar: A 14-year Librarian & Teacher, Bal Pustakalay, News18 India, retrieved 6 December 2023 – via Youtube
- ^ Madhya Pradesh के Bhopal में 16 साल की मुस्कान बनीं मिसाल, गरीब बच्चों के लिए चलातीं है Library (in Hindi), NDTV MP Chhattisgarh, retrieved 6 December 2023 – via Youtube
- ^ a b c d "A Beacon of Hope: "Kitabi Masti" a bibliophile made out of waste that illuminates young lives". ETV Bharat News. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ a b c "Children Category | Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR)". dcpcr.delhi.gov.in. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Muskan to be honoured at Hyderabad Litfest". The Times of India. 18 January 2019. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Meet India's Little Librarian, Al Jazeera, retrieved 6 December 2023 – via Youtube
- ^ ScooNews, Team (25 March 2016). "A library for slum children thats run by a 9-year-old". ScooNews. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Muskaan Ahirwar: 9 years old, class 3, librarian of a Bhopal slum is educating generation next". The Times of India. 9 March 2016. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ "Muskaan is running a library at just nine years old". www.newsnationtv.com. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ This 10-year-old girl runs an international library | मुस्कान ने सहेजा शिक्षा का अधिकार (in Hindi), Aapki News, retrieved 6 December 2023 – via Youtube
- ^ Singh, Tanaya (10 March 2016). "9-Year-Old Muskaan from Bhopal Runs a Library to Educate Other Kids in Her Slum". The Better India. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Class V student who runs library in slum gets Chief Minister to help". www.asianage.com. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ यहां बच्ची चलाती है Library | Slum Area में आशा की किरण बनी Muskaan (in Hindi), IBC24 News, retrieved 6 December 2023 – via Youtube
- ^ a b c Banik, Mahuya (1 July 2021). "The Story of Muskan Ahirwar, a 14-year old librarian for Bhopal slum kids". Doer Life. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ a b Indian, The Logical (27 December 2016). "A Girl Who Has Set Up A Library Outside Her House For The Slum Children In Her Neighborhood". thelogicalindian.com. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ Meet the 9-Year-Old Librarian Muskan Ahirwar, The Quint, retrieved 6 December 2023 – via Youtube
- ^ "Women Transforming india aWards 2016 – NITI Aayog -A Budding Librarian- Muskan Ahirwar". www.lisportal.com. Retrieved 6 December 2023.