A Gujranwala teacher who brought laurels for Pakistan after winning the UNESCO $1 million Global Teacher Prize was warmly welcomed on her return, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

Teacher Riffat Arif, also known as Sister Zeph, won the first position among 7,000 teachers from 130 countries across the world. She has brightened the name of her country by winning $1 million Global Teacher Prize.

After her return to her school in Gujranwala, Sister Zeph was warmly welcomed by the schoolchildren and teachers.

Sister Zeph was just 13 years old when she set up a school in the courtyard of her home for children whose parents could not afford to send them to school.

She worked eight-hour days to fund the school and then taught pupils for four hours, and then stayed up at night teaching herself.

Twenty-six years later, the school is now housed in a new building and provides free education to more than 200 underprivileged children.

Sister Zeph plans to use the $1 million she won to build a school on four hectares where children from the poorest families in the country can be educated without facing any discrimination.

She also wants to create a shelter for orphans, where food will be grown in-house and teachers from all parts of the world invited to provide classes.

 French President Emmanuel Macron congratulates Sister Zeph, winner of the Global Teacher Prize 2023 at the Elysee. Photo: Global Teacher Prize

Reporter Zahid Iqbal Rana