emirates7 -
-She held the prize as she posed in front of the world's tallest building; 'all teachers stand tall like the Burj for their belief in education, and their students," Rouble said
Flower garlands, roses, and smiles all around — the kids whose lives she touched gathered at the airport to welcome home Rouble Nagi, the Indian educator who won the Gems Education Global Teacher Prize in Dubai.
As Rouble made her way back to Mumbai, she was enveloped by kids waiting to greet her and honour her. Amid all the children showering her with flowers, one little girl kneeled to give her a rose, and Rouble immediately drew her into a warm hug. Numerous garlands — India's traditional way to welcome or honour someone — were hung around her neck as the kids flocked around her, with contagious happiness and pride in their teacher.
With affectionate handshakes and pats on the head all round, Rouble's grand welcome was a mirror to the impact she has had on education for those often robbed of this fundamental right.
"India won, Bharat won" Rouble said in a touching first call to her husband after receiving the award. "This is the win of all my bacchas (kids), my family, my country."
'Standing tall like Burj Khalifa'
Worth $1-million, the award was presented by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. After getting her hands on the coveted prize, she took it around the emirate, holding it as she posed in front of the world's tallest structure — Burj Khalifa.
The Burj "stands tall and speaks for itself, just like all the teachers stand tall for their belief in education, and their students," Rouble said. The educator, who "likes to see everything from a creative point of view," said she looked at Burj Khalifa as a "piece of art."
Global award in Dubai: Indian teacher Rouble Nagi greeted with roses by her students
Rouble's efforts for education
Born into poverty, many children in slums are often trapped in a vicious cycle where a lack of money means a lack to good schooling. This translates into low access to job opportunities, which means financial hardships and so on, the cycle continues.
Rouble was determined to change this around. She turned the walls into her canvas and teaching board, using the space to impart life skills such as numeracy and literacy to students.
With low-cost, art-based education, she opened the doors of slums and villages to accessible schooling, making sure children do not have to forego learning due to financial constraints.
Through her organisation, Rouble Nagi Art Foundation (RNAF), she has now established over 800 learning centres across India in more than 100 slums and villages where children who have never attended school can start structured learning and then be guided back into mainstream education.
In her emotional acceptance speech, she said "it has been my dream to see every child in India in school. This award is a recognition for the constant, consistent effort for the last 24 years, getting up in the morning and going to class in the remotest possible areas of India, into the slums and teaching children and learning back from them"
-She held the prize as she posed in front of the world's tallest building; 'all teachers stand tall like the Burj for their belief in education, and their students," Rouble said
Flower garlands, roses, and smiles all around — the kids whose lives she touched gathered at the airport to welcome home Rouble Nagi, the Indian educator who won the Gems Education Global Teacher Prize in Dubai.
As Rouble made her way back to Mumbai, she was enveloped by kids waiting to greet her and honour her. Amid all the children showering her with flowers, one little girl kneeled to give her a rose, and Rouble immediately drew her into a warm hug. Numerous garlands — India's traditional way to welcome or honour someone — were hung around her neck as the kids flocked around her, with contagious happiness and pride in their teacher.
With affectionate handshakes and pats on the head all round, Rouble's grand welcome was a mirror to the impact she has had on education for those often robbed of this fundamental right.
"India won, Bharat won" Rouble said in a touching first call to her husband after receiving the award. "This is the win of all my bacchas (kids), my family, my country."
'Standing tall like Burj Khalifa'
Worth $1-million, the award was presented by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. After getting her hands on the coveted prize, she took it around the emirate, holding it as she posed in front of the world's tallest structure — Burj Khalifa.
The Burj "stands tall and speaks for itself, just like all the teachers stand tall for their belief in education, and their students," Rouble said. The educator, who "likes to see everything from a creative point of view," said she looked at Burj Khalifa as a "piece of art."
Global award in Dubai: Indian teacher Rouble Nagi greeted with roses by her students
Rouble's efforts for education
Born into poverty, many children in slums are often trapped in a vicious cycle where a lack of money means a lack to good schooling. This translates into low access to job opportunities, which means financial hardships and so on, the cycle continues.
Rouble was determined to change this around. She turned the walls into her canvas and teaching board, using the space to impart life skills such as numeracy and literacy to students.
With low-cost, art-based education, she opened the doors of slums and villages to accessible schooling, making sure children do not have to forego learning due to financial constraints.
Through her organisation, Rouble Nagi Art Foundation (RNAF), she has now established over 800 learning centres across India in more than 100 slums and villages where children who have never attended school can start structured learning and then be guided back into mainstream education.
In her emotional acceptance speech, she said "it has been my dream to see every child in India in school. This award is a recognition for the constant, consistent effort for the last 24 years, getting up in the morning and going to class in the remotest possible areas of India, into the slums and teaching children and learning back from them"
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