Carla Herrero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carla Herrero
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Herrero in 2014
|
|
| Born | December 1994 (age 30) |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Other names | Silay Alkma |
| Known for | Anti-bullying activism |
|
Notable work
|
"El dolor silencioso" |
Carla Herrero Torellas (born in December 1994), also known as Silay Alkma, is a Spanish writer, speaker, and activist. She is well-known for her work against school bullying. As of 2019, she works for a company called WALK, which helps people become better leaders.
When Carla was younger, she was bullied for eight years because of her weight. This made her feel sad, useless, and unsure of who she was. She realized she had been bullied when she started a new school where the environment was much more positive. There, she did a school project about young people's identity and bullying. This project won an award from the University of Girona. She also made a video called "El dolor silencioso" (The Silent Pain). In the video, young people, including Carla, shared their bullying stories and encouraged others to speak up. In 2013, she started her own group called Rompe el Silencio (Break the Silence). This group helped young people who had been bullied, both online and in person.
Contents
Carla's Early Life and School
Carla Herrero's classmates started bullying her when she was eight years old. She was in third grade at a primary school in Tordera, Barcelona. Carla was a bit heavier than her friends and also a bit shy. Other kids would call her names and make fun of her because of her weight.
While the bullying was happening, she didn't fully understand it. She became even more quiet and avoided looking people in the eye. She remembered feeling alone when she saw other children playing during recess. Eating made her feel better for a short time, but as she gained more weight, the insults increased. Her home and loving family were a safe place away from the teasing.
When she was 11, Carla joined a social group. One student in this group led the others in judging and bullying her. Carla later thought that these girls made her feel less important, which made it easier for them to control her. They also hurt her physically sometimes. Once, they pushed her down stairs. Another time, they pulled a chair out from under her.
Carla said she didn't know who she was during this time. This is a period when children are supposed to figure out their identity. She said that looking in a mirror, touching her skin, or hearing her voice made her feel bad. She later realized that speaking up and telling someone would have been the best thing to do. Slowly, she found that she enjoyed talking to people outside her difficult social group.
The bullying stopped after eight years when she started high school (called bachillerato in Spain). Carla said she began to have a healthier way of thinking. She liked this new school environment. She got good grades and understood that her old social group was not true friendship.
Speaking Out and Helping Others
Online, Carla started writing about her bullying experiences using the name Silay Alkma. She met other young people from around the world who had also been bullied. Her personal diary was later turned into a book called Alma de Cristal (Soul of Glass).
Her experiences also inspired a high school research project. This project was about how bullying affects a young person's identity. She did this work at IES Lluís Companys in Tordera. Her project explained that bullied people often hide their true selves. They do this because they are afraid of being completely left out. The project also said that young people need a supportive environment to help them recover from bullying and express themselves.
To go with her research, Carla made a video called "El dolor silencioso" (The Silent Pain). In the video, some of the young people she met online, along with Carla herself, talked about their bullying. They encouraged other young people who were suffering to speak up. This video became very popular online. Carla's family only learned about her bullying when her research and video were shared.
In 2012, Carla's work won an award from the University of Girona. The award was for research on youth issues. This award also paid for one year of her studying psychology at the University of Girona, starting in September 2012. Later that year, she gave a TEDxYouth talk at the university. She spoke about her experience with bullying and how she found support online.
Carla's Work and Activism
In 2013, Carla started an organization called Rompe el Silencio (Break the Silence). She had help from a program called Think Big Jóvenes. This group was created to support young people who had suffered from bullying, abuse, or other mental health challenges. Its goal was to help these young people get the help they needed and find their true selves again.
Through Rompe el Silencio, Carla gave talks and workshops in schools. She wanted to make more people aware of bullying among young people. The organization's website also gave young people a safe place to talk to each other. The Think Big program helped Carla's organization grow and reach more people. It even ran programs in countries like Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, and Mexico.
In 2015, Rompe el Silencio was one of ten winners in a contest in Spain called Making More Health. This contest was supported by a group called Ashoka and a company called Boehringer Ingelheim. Carla's organization received €400 and professional training in Barcelona. The next year, Carla was one of two finalists from Spain who went to an international Making More Health meeting in Germany.
Carla Herrero now works as an office and program manager at a company called WALK. This company helps leaders. She has a psychology degree from the National University of Distance Education. She also volunteered for the United Nations as a research data analyst. She has worked with Youth Europa and the European Youth Parliament.
Published Works
- "A la recerca de la pròpia identitat" (2012; in Catalan, meaning In search of one's own identity)
- Alma de Cristal (2012; in Spanish, meaning Soul of Glass)
See also
In Spanish: Carla Herrero para niños
