Ishmam Jahan Khan

Ishmam Jahan Khan (17), is from Bangladesh. Growing up in Chittagong, Ishmam saw firsthand how environmental degradation and unmanaged plastic waste hit vulnerable children in low-income communities the hardest, affecting their health and living conditions. Rather than accept that as normal, she decided to take civic action into her own hands.

Ishmam organized a large-scale waste collection campaign for World Cleanup Day, mobilizing volunteers across Chittagong to clean up the city while raising awareness about children’s right to a safe, healthy environment. She also conducted interactive civic education sessions with primary school students, teaching cleanliness, respect for public spaces, and social responsibility. Her leadership inspired her own classmates to start free classes for underprivileged children in disadvantaged communities, extending her impact beyond her own actions.

By combining school programs, digital mobilization, and city-wide collaboration, Ishmam reached nearly 2,000 people in person and close to 10,000 viewers through media and social platforms. With strong support from her parents, Ishmam is showing that protecting the environment and protecting children’s rights often go hand in hand, and that one determined teenager can bring both causes to an entire city.