Pakistani teacher Sister Zef (real name Riffat Arif), who at the age of 13 founded her own school for children from low-income families in the courtyard of her house, was named the winner of the Global Teacher Award of the Varki Foundation 2023, established in cooperation with UNESCO and in strategic partnership with Dubai Cares, a charity organization headquartered in the UAE.

The $1 million prize, which has been awarded for the eighth year in a row, is the largest prize of its kind.

Sister Zef, a teacher of English, Urdu, culture, interfaith harmony and climate change in Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan, was selected from more than 7,000 nominations and applications for the Global Teacher Award from 130 countries, Gulf Today reports.

Actor, comedian and writer Stephen Fry announced Sister Zeph as the winner of the 2023 World Teacher Award at a ceremony at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

The winner of several Grammy Awards, songwriter and producer Niall Rogers spoke at the ceremony, emphasizing the influence of teachers on his life and career. He said, “Learning is the greatest experience in life. Learning never ends, and teachers never disappear.”

The event also featured highlights of a Global report by UNESCO and a Special Group of Teachers, which highlights that a staggering 44 million additional teachers need to be hired worldwide to achieve universal primary and secondary education in 2030.

The World Teacher Award was established to recognize one outstanding teacher who has made a great contribution to the profession, as well as to shed light on the important role of the teacher in society.

From a young age, she herself faced adversity and became a beacon of hope for children from low-income families in her wider community. Sister Zef founded her own school in the courtyard of her house when she was only 13 years old, for children whose parents cannot pay for tuition. She worked eight hours a day to fund the school, then taught students for four hours and stayed up at night to study herself (she has a master’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in history).

26 years later, her school, now located in a brand new building, provides free education to more than 200 children from low-income families.

She not only administers the school, but also conducts self-defense lessons for girls, provides financial assistance to families choosing between educating their children and paying bills, and runs a professional center that has helped more than 6,000 women gain skills in ICT, textiles and English.

With the funds of the World Teachers’ Award, Sister Zef plans to build a new school on an area of four hectares for children from the poorest families. She would also like to create a shelter for orphans, on the territory of which food will be grown, and teachers from all over the world will be invited to study in various subjects.

Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation, said: “Congratulations to Sister Zef on winning the Global Teacher Award 2023. Your incredible story shows what a vital role education plays in solving the great problems of today and tomorrow.”

The World Teacher Award is open to working teachers who teach children in compulsory schooling or between the ages of 5 and 18. Teachers who teach children aged 4+ in an early development program recognized by the government are also eligible, as well as part-time teachers and online course teachers. Teachers should devote at least 10 hours a week to teaching and plan to stay in the profession for the next 5 years.

You can apply for the Global Teacher Award on the website. When teachers are nominated, the person nominating them writes a brief description on the Internet explaining why. The nominated teacher is then sent an email informing them that they have been nominated and invited to apply for the prize. Applicants can apply in English, Chinese, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian.

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