Aurangabad girl gets AFMI award for opening 31 'mohalla libraries'

In a span of just 2 years, she has established 31 libraries. With this, she has become a role model for other girls and is now being praised for the initiative by the American Federation of Muslims of Indian (AFMI) Origin.

Aurangabad: In recognition of her noble work of opening 'mohalla libraries', Maryam Mirza, a class 8 student, is selected for a special award from the American Federation of Muslims of Indian (AFMI) Origin. The AFMI has announced to felicitate Maryam, a student of Iqra Primary School, for her good work across the tourism capital of Maharashtra.

She will be honoured by the AFMI in a program scheduled for 31st December and 1st January in Delhi. This has come after Mirza under the aegis of the Read and Lead Foundation laid a network of libraries in her locality.

Maryam Mirza Jameela established her first library in January 2021. She got the idea of opening a library during the Covid-19 lockdown in an attempt to help others. The initiative soon became a hit with the locals with people offering their rooms, and mosques their spaces for her libraries.

Today, the total number of libraries opened by her stands at 31. She has opened a library in her school as well for students to enjoy reading. Mirza's father owns a bookshop and it is from there that she brought books and kept them in a locker outside her house. From there, it all started.

Mirza Abdul Qayyum Nadvi, president of the Read and Lead Foundation, said that the 'mohalla library' concept is to inculcate the habit of reading. He said that if students engage themselves in reading from an early age, they will be able to retain the habit. He added that the biggest achievement of Mirza's movement is that Urdu and other regional languages are getting readers.