How a 12-year-old is helping children breathe easier, build sustainable future

When emergency alerts linked to the recent regional conflict began appearing in the UAE, Nakshatra Prem felt the same fear that unsettled many children around her. Her mother and mentors taught her deep breathing and affirmations to manage the anxiety. Conversations with friends revealed how widely those feelings were shared. Nakshatra responded in the way she understands best: she began coding.

The result was Al Amal – The Hope, a free app designed to share calming techniques with children aged eight to 15. The Grade 7 student at Abu Dhabi Indian School has already circulated it among classmates and other students, and it is now available on the Google Play Store.

“My classmates have shared that the app helped them feel more secure and less anxious during emergency alerts,” says Nakshatra, 12. With the immediate situation calmer, she plans to broaden its purpose and support students’ general mental wellbeing. Shifa Yusuf Ali has recognised the project’s potential and is helping Nakshatra develop its next phase.

Nakshatra measures the app’s value through the experiences of the children using it. She asks whether its exercises help them feel reassured, which tools they find useful and what changes could make it more effective. For her, this direct feedback offers the clearest evidence of meaningful impact.

Her instinct to turn an idea into action began when she was six. A talent for public speaking led to her selection for the World Children Conference on the Sustainable Development Goals and her subsequent appointment as an SDG Child Ambassador. The experience introduced her to the 17 goals and sparked a lasting interest in environmental action.

“What began as an opportunity to speak soon became something I genuinely cared about,” she says. She started explaining the SDGs to other young people and showing them how everyday decisions could support a healthier planet.

That mission shaped her book, #ForOurPlanet, which presents the Global Goals in language young readers can understand. Nakshatra connects sustainability with familiar actions, including conserving water, reducing waste, reusing possessions, protecting animals, sharing with others and encouraging families to take part.

“We are never too young to make a difference,” she says. “I don’t expect every child to change the world overnight. I simply want every reader to believe, ‘I can start with one small step.’”

Through her STARKID kindness movement, Nakshatra has seen children begin asking what they can change within their homes and communities. The initiative encourages them to approach the Global Goals through kindness and responsible citizenship. Support and proceeds associated with her projects have also contributed to education and assistance for vulnerable communities.

Her commitment to education became more personal during a visit to the Blue House Project as a ConnectAid Youth Ambassador. Meeting children whose schooling was affected by difficult circumstances stayed with her. After receiving the Sharjah Educational Excellence Award, Nakshatra placed the prize money in a bank and dedicated the interest it earns to the education and wellbeing of four children.

“I’m helping fund their educational expenses so they can continue their studies with better opportunities,” she says.

Nakshatra’s projects span climate awareness, emotional wellbeing and access to learning, with each one rooted in a problem she has witnessed or experienced. Her work offers a persuasive answer to the question of what makes a child believe she can address something others have accepted: she begins with the people in front of her, listens carefully and creates the first practical step.