$1 million teacher prize goes to Sister Zeph. Her philosophy: 'Love is the language'

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/11/17/ [login to see] /varkey-foundation-teacher-prize-pakistan-sister-zeph
As a student growing up in Pakistan, Riffat Arif, now known to all as Sister Zeph, faced insults and bad treatment from her teachers at school. She dreamed of "a teacher who gives equal respect and love to children with no difference. I could not find that teacher, so I will be that teacher."

So, in 1997, at the age of just 13, she founded a school in the courtyard of her home, free to all. Children were to be treated with love and respect; beatings were not allowed.

And now, selected from over 7,000 nominations from 130 countries, Sister Zeph has been awarded the largest annual global prize for teachers, the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2023, $1 million. "Her dedication to education and empowerment has touched countless lives and earned her numerous awards, recognizing her as a true change-maker and advocate for women's rights and children's education around the world," said the official citation.