Vijayawada-Born Dhanya Vasanta Earns Australia’s Dame Marie Bashir Peace Prize

Vijayawada-born Telugu-origin student Dhanya Vasanta has won the prestigious Dame Marie Bashir Peace Prize 2026 in Australia, earning recognition for her work in literacy, community service, youth leadership and promotion of social harmony.

A Class 12 student, Dhanya received the award on September 28 at the New South Wales State Parliament in Sydney. The award recognises young women who demonstrate leadership in social justice, inclusion, community cohesion and initiatives that promote peace and understanding. The 2026 awards were organised by the National Council of Women of New South Wales (NCWNSW).

Dhanya’s most prominent initiative is “A Little Library,” which she founded when she was only 12 years old. What began with a donation of 200 books to Westmead Children’s Hospital has since grown into a grassroots literacy movement. The initiative has collected more than 10,000 books, which have been distributed among children and communities in regional and remote parts of Australia as well as communities in African countries.

Her work extends beyond collecting and distributing books. Dhanya has built partnerships with several organisations, raised funds and mobilised volunteers to sustain the initiative. She has also spent four years volunteering weekly at a music therapy clinic, supporting children with physical disabilities and neurodivergence. She has written about music therapy for student publications and remained actively involved in youth-focused community programmes.

Dhanya has been associated with the Northern Beaches Youth Advisory Group and “Have Your Say Day”. She also established an international pen-pal initiative connecting students in Australia and Japan, founded a Japanese club at her school, mentored younger students and participated in peer tutoring and fundraising activities.

The Dame Marie Bashir Peace Awards, inaugurated in 2010 by NCWNSW, recognise female students who make significant contributions to social justice, harmony and community service. The awards are named after Dame Marie Bashir, who served as Governor of New South Wales from 2001 to 2014 and was the first woman to hold the post.

Dhanya has previously received recognition through the NSW Government’s Premier’s Student Volunteering Awards, including a Diamond Student Volunteering Award in 2024 for completing more than 115 volunteering hours. She also secured second place in the Western Sydney Japanese Speech Contest that year.