Cactus Foundation

14/11/2025

7 Years of “Don’t Be a Teddy” — And the Fight Is Still Not Over

Seven years ago, we at CACTUS FOUNDATION launched the Teddy campaign. A campaign that was not born from theory, but from a painful truth we kept witnessing during our outreach work: Adults, the very people children look up to, to speak up for them, often choose to remain silent when they get to know about a child’s sexual abuse. They remain silent, they freeze, they look away and they become a TEDDY.

Just like a TEDDY they become Still. Silent. Seeing, yet not watching. Hearing, yet not listening.

And when we adults become teddies, it leads to something even more painful; children are forced to carry a burden that was never meant for their small shoulders. Instead of simply living their childhood, they always have to stay vigilant to be alert, to be suspicious. They have to live in fear of who might be a danger.

They have to unfortunately carry the responsibility that adults refuse to take. They turn their innocence into armor. Their joy becomes guarded. Their trust becomes a risk. And we firmly believe that no child deserves to live like that.

And that is why, every Children’s Day, we at CACTUS FOUNDATION raise our voices louder, reminding all the adults:
DON’T BE A TEDDY.

If you are an adult reading this post, this is a reminder for you to be the adult who chooses courage over comfort. Be the one who supports a child when they say “No” to an uncomfortable hug, “No” to sitting on someone’s lap, “No” to anything that takes away their bodily autonomy. Instead the SUPERHERO they need and deserve, not the soft toy that does nothing to protect them.

At CACTUS FOUNDATION, we believe even the toughest truths can be taught gently. And that is why even with limited financial resources, our campaigns are always creative, child-friendly, and empowering, making difficult conversations accessible, safe, and deeply meaningful for children across the world.

Our budget has always been limited. But our commitment? Limitless. BUT Ideas are free, ex*****on often isn’t. And yet, our team never let financial constraints stop them from finding genuine, thoughtful, innovative ways to make children aware !!

26/07/2025

Let’s talk about digital inequality—and the children caught in its blind spot.

The tech elite send their kids to chalk-and-talk schools. But in low-income communities, screens are replacing teachers under the banner of “innovation.”

At Cactus Foundation, we’re asking a harder question:
Are we confusing access to tech with access to learning?

Children don’t need bots. They need safe relationships, responsive classrooms, and strong, well-trained teachers who can hold their emotions—not just track their scores.

Because when we swap human guidance for apps, we widen the emotional and educational gap. We’ve seen children top vocabulary leaderboards—yet freeze in real-world conversations. We’ve seen classrooms filled with devices but devoid of warmth.

This isn't just an education crisis. It's a relational rupture.

And here’s the thing: AI won’t heal trauma. Algorithms can’t nurture confidence.
Teachers can.

We must invest in teachers the way we invest in infrastructure—because no child should grow up believing that a screen understands them better than a person.

Let’s not automate childhood. Let’s humanise it.

12/07/2025

She’s only a teen — but her voice carries generations of hope, pain, and courage.
We are incredibly proud of Seher Pahade, a youth advocate and the youngest changemaker at Cactus Foundation Foundation, for being featured in Gulf News

In a world that often silences children, Seher chooses to speak.
About safety. About healing. About the kind of childhood every child deserves.

This is more than a moment — it’s a movement.
And our Child Warrior Seher is helping lead it. 💛

🔗 Read the full article:

https://gulfnews.com/uae/meet-dubais-14-year-old-activist-seher-pahade-fighting-for-safe-childhoods-globallyone-fearless-stride-at-a-time-1.500192060

Seher Pahade: Championing child Rights and anti-bullying globally

16/06/2025

At , we meet survivors where they are.

At Cactus Foundation, we hold space for survivors who have carried invisible pain for years, sometimes decades.

Some still can’t speak it out loud.
Some only cry when they see another survivor speak.
Some laugh as a shield. Some still don’t remember clearly.
And all of it is valid.

CSA is not just about what happened.
It’s about what was never said, never believed, never held with care.

Let’s break the silence, not just with awareness—but with compassion, curiosity, and connection.

Because time froze then.
But you can start again now.

11/06/2025

Not every child gets to play.
Some are surviving what they can’t speak.
Play is a right—not a reward.
When it disappears, something is wrong.
Protect childhood. Start the conversation today.

10/06/2025

When reputation matters more than protection, children pay the price.
This Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Month, let’s shift the focus from shame to safety.
Speak up. Believe survivors. Break the silence.

👉 Save this. Share this. Start the conversation.

08/03/2025

This Women’s Day, Let’s Talk About the Conversations We Avoid.

We celebrate women today. We post inspiring quotes, share success stories, and applaud achievements. But what about the stories we don’t tell?

🚨 The woman who left an abusive home but was told to "adjust."
🚨 The girl who was brilliant in school but was pulled out for her brother’s education.
🚨 The mother who works two jobs yet carries the entire emotional load of the family.

At CactusFoundation, we work with women and children who don’t just need a “Happy Women’s Day” post—they need a world that actually sees them, hears them, and fights for them.

🌿 We fight for safer childhoods.
🌿 We challenge gender biases that silence women.
🌿 We believe that empowering women starts with raising responsible boys.

So today, let’s do more than celebrate. Let’s commit.
✅ To raising boys who respect and uplift women.
✅ To calling out everyday sexism, even when it’s uncomfortable.
✅ To creating spaces where women don’t just survive, but thrive.

Tag a woman who inspires you.
Tag a man who supports change.

Let’s make today about action, not just appreciation.

04/03/2025

For far too long, we've told girls how to stay safe, but we haven’t taught boys how to be safe people.

At CACTUS FOUNDATION , we are setting a new trail—one that doesn’t just react to gender-based violence but prevents it by raising boys who are responsible, emotionally aware, and respectful.

We’ve all seen it:
🚸 The boy who is told, “Boys don’t cry.”
🧒 The young teen who is cheered for being aggressive but shamed for being kind.
🎭 The man who struggles with emotions because he was never taught how to express them.

These are not just personal struggles; they are societal failures.

Through our project Key to Change: Raise Responsible Boys, we are breaking this cycle. Instead of waiting for change, we are creating it—one boy at a time.

Our 12 point agenda crafted by our founder .rahat Nusrat Khan who is a Clinical Psychologist is helping boys and young men from all spheres of life -

🔹 We teach boys that strength isn’t in dominance but in responsibility.
🔹 We challenge outdated ideas of masculinity and nurture empathy.
🔹 We build safe spaces where boys can unlearn, relearn, and grow.

This isn’t about blame; it’s about better beginnings. Because raising responsible boys today means fewer harmed girls tomorrow.

We invite parents, teachers, and community leaders to join this movement.

Let’s stop asking, “What should girls do to stay safe?” and start asking, “What can we do to raise boys who don’t harm?”

🚀 It’s time. Are you in?

03/03/2025

Silence doesn’t protect children. Awareness does.

We teach kids to say "thank you" and "sorry", but do we teach them to say "NO" when something feels wrong?

At , we’ve met children who:
🔹 Thought abuse was normal because no one told them otherwise.
🔹 Felt guilty for something that was never their fault.
🔹 Stayed silent because they didn’t know the words to ask for help.

This has to change.

Every child deserves to know that their body is their own. That secrets are never okay. That they have a right to safety—always.

If we don’t teach them, someone else will take advantage of their silence.

Share this. Talk to the children in your life. And let’s make sure the next generation grows up safe, informed, and empowered.

What’s one thing you wish you had learned earlier about body safety?

Drop it in the comments. ⬇️

27/02/2025

"It doesn’t happen in good families."
"They’re too young to understand."
"If it really happened, they would have spoken up."

We've heard these statements far too often. And every time, they fuel the silence that allows Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) to thrive.

The truth?

📢 CSA doesn’t DISCRIMINATE ‼️

It happens in homes, schools, and places we least expect. And children often don’t speak up—not because they’re okay, but because they’re scared, ashamed, or simply don’t have the words.

At CACTUS FOUNDATION , we refuse to let this silence win. We teach children body safety, empower parents with real prevention strategies, and help survivors find their voice.

If we want to end CSA, we need to stop assuming, start listening, and take real action.

Do you remember learning about body safety as a child?

If not, it’s time we change that for the next generation.

21/02/2025

Like Share and Comment : " I stand for Children ! "

Have you ever wondered why some children never speak up?
Why they nod instead of saying no?
Why they smile even when they’re hurting?
Why they stay silent, even when they should scream for help?

Because silence is not a choice—it’s survival.

❌ They fear they won’t be believed.
❌ They fear the consequences of speaking up.
❌ They fear the very people who should be protecting them.

At Cactus Foundation, we refuse to mistake their silence for consent.
We create safe spaces where children can finally speak, heal, and reclaim their voices.

But we can’t do it alone. This is where YOU come in.

📢 If you believe silence should never be mistaken for consent, take action:
🔹 Comment “I stand for children” to show your support.
🔹 Share this post—because awareness can save a life.
🔹 Follow Cactus Foundation to help break the silence.

Children don’t just need protection—they need a world that listens. Let’s be that world.