Zohana Afrida Islam

Zohana Afrida Islam (16), from Bangladesh, draws on her own painful experiences of bullying and mental trauma to inspire change. Raised by a single mother while her father served abroad on UN missions, Zohana faced fat-shaming and sexual harassment from both peers and teachers starting in 4th grade—experiences she chronicled in her book, Harmony of Hellfire, documenting how she overcame them.

Beyond her writing, Zohana channels her energy into environmental advocacy. She partnered with activist Natania Botha on ARTIVISM: Where Art Meets Action, a project that earned national recognition, and was invited as a special guest at Zero Olympiad S2. She also teaches students creative environmental practices like sculpting and recycling, showing young people how creativity and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.

With support from her family and community, Zohana has built a wide reach—through social media collaborations, the State of Youth Movement Platform, workshops, and coverage in major Bangladeshi newspapers and TV channels like Prothom Alo, Deepto TV, and Jamuna TV. Through it all, she encourages young people to open up about mental health while taking action for the planet.