Sister Zeph from Gujranwala wins The Global Teacher Prize 2023

Sister Zeph, the founder of Zephaniah Education and Empowerment Foundation, received the Global Teacher Prize 2023 worth a million dollars, on November 8.

Sister Zeph began teaching when she was 13 years old in the courtyard of her home in Gujranwala. Her students were neighbourhood children who couldn’t afford school fees. She has empowered many students from underprivileged backgrounds in a journey spanning 27 years. Her organization is operating two schools and a skills centre primarily in Gujranwala, with students from 11 nearby villages, all of them from humble families.

🏆 Congratulations to Sister Zeph from Pakistan, a Top 10 finalist for the #GlobalTeacherPrize 2023 in partnership with @UNESCO & @DubaiCares@SisterZeph set up a school in her own home which provides free education for 215 underprivileged children.

✨ Keep inspiring, Sister! pic.twitter.com/I8dt9euW4z

— Varkey Foundation (@VarkeyFdn) November 3, 2023

She got selected from over 7,000 nominations for the Global Teacher Prize from 130 countries around the world. The ceremony was held at UNESCO’S General Conference in Paris where she accepted her award. “We are delighted to announce that Sister Zeph, an English, Urdu, culture, inter-faith harmony, climate change teacher at Gujranwala, Punjab in Pakistan, has been named the winner of the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2023,” the orgnisation announced in a statement.

✨Wow! Here’s THE MOMENT Stephen Fry announced Sister Zeph as the winner of the Global Teacher Prize 2023!

🌟Congratulations Sister Zeph!

🤝The #GlobalTeacherPrize 2023 is in partnership with @UNESCO & @DubaiCares

@stephenfryactually @SisterZeph pic.twitter.com/9g4zwZDzwb

— Global Teacher Prize (@TeacherPrize) November 9, 2023

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay congratulated the Pakistani teacher on receiving the prestigious award. “We all remember a teacher who has had an impact on our life and changed our future. It may sound like a truism but it’s true: teachers are life-changers. Congrats to Sister Zeph from Pakistan, 2023 Global Teachers Prize Winner. Thanks to her for her commitment as a life-changer,” she wrote on her Twitter handle.

We all remember a teacher who has had an impact on our life and changed our future. It may sound like a truism but it's true: teachers are life-changers. Congrats to @SisterZeph from #Pakistan, 2023 Global @TeacherPrize Winner. Thanks to her for her commitment as a life-changer! pic.twitter.com/WdJueWCFKY

— Audrey Azoulay (@AAzoulay) November 9, 2023

With this award, she plans to open another bigger school on a scale of 10 acres where children from poor families can be educated without any discrimination. She has aims of making an orphan house as well where kids will be taught about a range of subjects.

In an interview, she said that she felt the need to become a teacher because she believed “there should be more people in this profession” and because she thought that there should be more children in school.

🏆 During media interviews, Global Teacher Prize 2023 Winner, Sister Zeph shares what inspired her to become a teacher.

🤝The Global Teacher Prize is in partnership with @UNESCO & @DubaiCares @SisterZeph #GlobalTeacherPrize #TeachersMatter pic.twitter.com/CnG2MzdXmt

— Global Teacher Prize (@TeacherPrize) November 9, 2023