In a world where teenagers spend every unoccupied moment on social media, fifteen year old Saesha Khosla chose a quieter, more enduring passion: books.
Inspired by a desire to share her immense love of reading, she launched the ‘Read to Rise’ initiative in the summer of 2025. What started as a small idea quickly grew, with donations flooding in from her own residential community, friends and members of book clubs.
“Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved books,” says Saesha. “They took me on adventures, taught me about the world, and made me feel less alone. I’m doing this book drive because I want every kid to have that same magic. A book isn’t just words on paper-it’s a door to a new possibility,” she remarks.
However, on one of her visits to India, while waiting in her car at a traffic light, she came across young children selling second hand books wrapped as new. Curious, she asked them if they had ever read any of the books that they were selling. Their answer – no – deeply shook her as she realized what she had always taken for granted was a luxury entirely out of reach for these children. That moment became the seed for ‘Read to Rise’.
Saesha realized there were countless books simply gathering dust on shelves which could be collected and donated to the under-privileged children who have spent their entire childhood without access to a single book to call their own. A true but harsh reality which Saesha wanted to change. Wasting no time, she started a book drive, to collect used books across all genres and age groups.
The project resulted in the collection of over 550 books, each with their own story hidden beneath the pages. And these stories were ready to start a new chapter in the lives of other children. She then tied up with ‘Sumablessing’ and the ‘Seva Group Foundation’- NGOs in India who deal directly with children in disadvantaged groups to make sure the books would be reaching the intended recipients.
Saesha was able to turn the concept of her project into reality when she went to India in her winter break in January 2026. Taking all the books collected in Dubai to 2200 km across the world, she managed to visit each of the partner institutions in India. However, instead of delivering the books in the boxes she had received them in, her focus was to create libraries at these under-privileged learning
institutions so that the children have continued access to books.
These spaces were modest, often just a room with shelves, but for children who’ve never had access to this variety of books, it felt extraordinary! Arranging the books into shelves, she watched the children gather around her, hands reaching to touch the covers, eyes aglow with curiosity. In such silent moments, the real strength of this initiative became obvious.
‘Read to Rise’ is more than just a literacy effort. It’s about leadership infused with empathy, strategy and action. She identified a need, mobilized a community, forged meaningful partnerships, and delivered a real change. In the process, she connected two different worlds, Dubai and India, with one of the most significant tool that mankind possesses – the power of storytelling.
Saesha’s initiative stands as a reminder that change does not always begin with institutions or funding. Often, it begins with a question asked by someone young enough to believe that solutions are possible. A single student. A single idea. A ripple that becomes a movement. For the children who now sit in front of shelves once unknown to them, ‘Read to Rise’ is more than a project. It’s an invitation to imagine, learn and believe that their future can be shaped by more than their current circumstances.
In a time when the world is searching for hope, Saesha shows us where it can be found – in between the pages of a book, where change, hope and possibility can emerge through simple yet intentional actions.
After all, “Reading shapes the way we understand the world. When we get lost in a book, the lines between past and present blur and the boundaries between fantasy and reality become almost indiscernible, until we leave abruptly with only the memories of the life we lived for a few hours. They make us cry, help us find comfort in isolation, inspire us when we are low and let our imaginations run wild in castles, rockets, planes and the impossible. Whether it’s myths or legends, fairytales or romance, wars or alternate galaxies, space or an ancient civilization, we hold in our hands the keys to a void secret, mysteries, facts, stories and lessons to be passed on from one generation to another, never fading away the essence of what we have learnt”, expresses Saesha on a closing note.
Reading is a lifelong skill that sharpens our minds by exercising our analytical abilities, stimulating our inventiveness, building a robust vocabulary and is the foundation of knowledge that adds a richness and depth to the meaning to life!