Sadat Rahman won the International Children’s Peace Prize in 2020, for his initiative to develop an anti-cyberbullying app with his youth-led organization Cyberteens, in his homeland Bangladesh.
How you are doing Sadat?
My family and I are doing well, thank you. Since I received the International Children’s Peace Prize, our organization has grown tremendously. Cyberteens is now active with committees in all 364 regional districts of Bangladesh. So we can reach out to thousands of youth to protect or help them with cyberbullying issues.
What will be your next step?
We just launched a national toll-free helpline number for young people, so that they have
easy access to us to share their cyberbullying issues. We have a trained staff that can help them on the phone. The International Children’s Peace Prize Project-fund made this possible.
The number is 13219, which is very symbolic because we work for young people aged 13 to 19 years. We were very honored that our Prime Minister, Madam Hasina Wajed, launched the number nationally.
Did your life change since you received the International Children’s Peace Prize?
Besides the enormous growth of the Cyberteens’ activities, we moved to our capital Dhaka, because the government facilitated an office for us, which is wonderful. We have our own space with computers and bunkbeds, where we can work and hang out, which is great.
Sometimes it’s difficult for me because people recognise me and they expect a lot from me. On the other hand I am very grateful and I can hardly explain what it means to me to have received the International Children’s Peace Prize. It was life-changing.
I am happy that I can study at the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) in Dhaka. I am doing Public Administration, which I really enjoy. Later I will do a master’s in Development Studies. It is very important to me and is an investment in my future.
My motivation is still the same as in the beginning of this journey, every time me or one of my team members can help a youngster in need, we are very happy. That feeling hasn’t changed!