Noida teen raises funds to build library for 800 girls in her village

Having facilitated the library, built at the Maa Saraswati Balika Mahavidyalaya, Beniwal says she now aims to build more such libraries for girls in rural areas, by raising funds via donations for provision of better learning facilities to those who do not have access to required infrastructure.

Nora Beniwal, avid golfer and a class 12 student of Genesis Global school in Noida Sector 132 has raised funds and built a library — ‘Vidya’ — for nearly 800 college girls at her family’s native village Unn, in Shamli district.

Nora, along with women from the village, have also formed a student council to run the library — their roles ranging from coordinator to book keeper.

Having facilitated the library, built at the Maa Saraswati Balika Mahavidyalaya, Beniwal says she now aims to build more such libraries for girls in rural areas, by raising funds via donations for provision of better learning facilities to those who do not have access to required infrastructure.

“Today we launched the first-ever library at Maa Saraswati Balika Mahavidyalaya, Unn (Shamli) — a college of over 800 girls. This has become possible only after weeks of planning, fundraising, and setting up donation drives. The girls and I shelved the books together, but the space came alive when the girls themselves cut the ribbon, symbolising that ‘Vidya’ truly belongs to them,” said Beniwal, 16.

She shared a close bond with her grandfather Rajveer Singh, who passed away in 2025.

“My grandfather introduced me to rural life and opened up new chapters of life. After he passed away, I came up with this initiative in his memory to stay connected to my village and people, especially rural girls, who have to face hardship to access education,” she said.

Nora, along with women from the village, have also formed a student council to run the library — their roles ranging from coordinator to book keeper.

“We also organised training and orientation programmes on managing a library, planning sessions, and on building a culture of reading. We had a discussion on literacy and their excitement and active participation showed a deep eagerness to take ownership of this project. This is just the beginning of a continuous legacy for ‘Vidya’, as we will move on to other areas now, where there is need for libraries,” said Beniwal.

Vidya’s journey began through fundraisers at Noida Golf Course, where she raised ₹1,05,111.

“Many golfers donated money at our event organised on September 1 in the golf course located in sector 38A. These funds made this library possible. But this is only the beginning — our vision is to evolve ‘Vidya’ into a digital library, giving students access to e-books, online resources, and digital literacy skills that connect them to a wider world,” said Beniwal.

As the girls signed the pledge wall, borrowed their first books, and stepped into the new space, Beniwal says she realised that this initiative is more than just a library.

“It is a living, evolving space of learning, courage, and empowerment of rural women. Now, after interacting with the students at this library, I feel I have learnt a lot about rural life, and how the world is different for them as compared to students who study in urban areas. We have realised that with a library, we can empower women with knowledge and open a new world for them,” the 16-year-old says.