A Young Activist’s Journey of Courage and Change
At first, 14-year-old Seher Pahade from Dubai seems quiet and reserved. But that changes when she starts talking about what truly matters to her: saving people. Her eyes sparkle with enthusiasm as she shares her journey, which began at the age of five and continues to this day. She has dedicated herself to helping children and speaking out against cyberbullying. Even if it feels like a drop in the ocean, she remains determined not to give up.
Pahade introduces herself as a child warrior with the Cactus Foundation in India—an organisation she has been part of since she was five. Looking back is never an option for her. “I was raised in an environment where I was taught not to be a bystander but an upstander. I was always encouraged to raise my voice and break the silence,” she explains. Her focus has always been on issues such as child abuse and gender inequality. Over the years, she has visited rural communities, engaging with teachers, parents, and policymakers to advocate for change.
A Childhood Shaped by Courage
This powerful and purpose-driven environment shaped Pahade’s early understanding of the world’s injustices. At just five, she pledged her birthday to the cause—designing and selling 100 bookmarks to raise ₹10,000 for the foundation during a financial crisis. “That’s when I fell in love with the cause,” she says. “And since then, I haven’t stopped.”
The stories of suffering deeply affected her, leading her to write unsent letters to victims as a way of processing her emotions. As she grew, so did her activism. She participated in walkathons and awareness campaigns, created posters, visited police stations, and even helped clean the foundation’s office. “I was just doing my small part,” she says. By the age of six, she had become the face of campaigns like Don’t Be a Teddy, Speak Up.
When Activism Became Personal
Pahade moved to Dubai, and her activism took on a new dimension after she became a survivor of bullying. The experience was overwhelming, as she recalls. “I used to cry every day. I would cry myself to sleep, and I realized this is not how I wanted to see myself. I knew this wasn’t how it could go ahead. But I never lost my values, not the ones my parents gave me, and even today, I hold on to them. I use them as armor and shield, and not let grief overwhelm me.”
She felt weighed down by feelings of hopelessness and exhaustion. “I went through a stage of depression. And one of the best things at the time was therapy, which became a safe space to express what I felt. And that really helped,” she says, recalling a key moment in her therapy when she had to confront painful memories of bullying. Her therapist taught her how to reclaim her power and stop referring to them as ‘my bully’.
Her mother, Nusrat Khan, a clinical psychologist, adds a personal anecdote about how a teacher in school would quietly check in on Pahade at the end of the day. These small acts of kindness reminded her that the world still held a lot of beauty, pushing her forward.
A New Chapter in Dubai
Pahade’s life in Dubai took on a new meaning and form. The city offered her a reach she hadn’t experienced before; she could connect with people from different nationalities. “Lebanese, Americans, Portuguese—being able to reach a larger audience makes me feel satisfied that I’m reaching so many people globally. Even if it’s on a small scale, it matters. I get to interact with so many people and hear their stories from their countries,” she says.
Pahade trained to become a ‘child warrior’ and was certified to take on webinars with parents and teachers. “Ever since I was bullied, I learned that you cannot put the onus on a child. It is the responsibility of parents and teachers to take accountability for their child’s protection.” In this spirit, at the age of 11, she started a podcast called Capeless Superheroes, where she interviewed several experts and conducted her first one-hour workshop for over 100 adult attendees.
She also took sign language courses to communicate with those who were most vulnerable. “They were the most prone to get affected and bullied. I wanted the message to reach them. Till today, I go to India and meet the same set of students, teachers, and parents and take sessions for them. That gives me comfort to see some positive change there.”
Recognition and the Road Ahead
Her work has not gone unnoticed. Pahade is a four-time winner at the Emirates Literature Festival and was recognized at the ISPICAN Sweden Congress as one of its youngest presenters. She recently conducted a webinar with a global audience, another milestone in her ever-growing journey.
Despite her young age, her message is clear: No act is too small, and no voice is too young. As long as children are suffering in silence, she will be there—speaking up, showing up, and reminding the world that change begins with one brave step.
