Mumbai-based educator Rouble Nagi received a hero’s welcome upon returning home after being awarded the prestigious $1-million Gems Education Global Teacher Prize in Dubai. The emotional airport scene featured students showering Nagi with flower garlands and roses, with one young girl kneeling to present a rose—a gesture met with an immediate warm embrace from the honored teacher.
The award was presented by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in recognition of Nagi’s groundbreaking work in making education accessible to underprivileged children. Following the ceremony, Nagi posed with her award before the Burj Khalifa, drawing parallels between the iconic structure’s stature and the resilience of educators worldwide. “The Burj stands tall and speaks for itself, just like all teachers stand tall for their belief in education and their students,” she remarked, describing the skyscraper as a “piece of art.”
Nagi’s innovative approach addresses educational disparities through her Rouble Nagi Art Foundation (RNAF), which has established over 800 learning centers across India’s slums and villages. Born from her recognition of poverty’s cyclical impact on education access, her methodology employs low-cost, art-based instruction using walls as canvases and teaching boards to impart numeracy, literacy, and life skills.
Her 24-year journey has focused on breaking the vicious cycle where financial constraints deny children quality education, thereby limiting future opportunities. Through structured learning programs, Nagi has enabled thousands of previously unschooled children to transition into mainstream education systems.
In an emotional acceptance speech, Nagi dedicated the award to her students, family, and country, stating: “It has been my dream to see every child in India in school. This award recognizes 24 years of constant, consistent effort—going into the remotest areas of India, into the slums, teaching children and learning from them.”