Artist and educator Rouble Nagi turned walls in poor communities into learning spaces for children without schools. Her initiative has created over 800 learning centres across India and helped repair more than 1.5 lakh homes.
Sometimes, change begins quietly. It does not wait for buildings, budgets or permission. It begins with one person who refuses to ignore what they see. That is the story of Rouble Nagi, an artist who turned walls into classrooms and hope into action for thousands of children.
Born in Jammu and Kashmir, Rouble first earned recognition for her art, as quoted by The Better India. But while working in poor communities in Maharashtra, including Dharavi, she saw children growing up without schools, books or safe learning spaces. Many lived among garbage heaps and broken structures. For her, this reality demanded action.
When walls became classrooms
Rouble asked a simple but powerful question, what if walls could teach? With paint, colour and determination, she began transforming empty, grey walls into vibrant learning spaces. Alphabets appeared in bright shades. Multiplication tables spread across bricks. Science diagrams, history timelines and life skills lessons replaced graffiti.
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Children who had never entered a classroom started learning outside their homes. Streets slowly became schools. Curiosity replaced fear and hesitation. The community itself turned into a living textbook where education was visible, accessible and free.
From local effort to national mission
What started as a small art-driven effort soon grew into a nationwide movement. Today, her initiative has helped create more than 800 learning centres across India. These centres bring education closer to children who might otherwise remain outside the school system.
But Rouble realised education alone was not enough. Many families lived in unsafe homes with leaking roofs and damaged walls. She believed a child cannot learn well without dignity and security. Through her foundation, more than 1.5 lakh homes across slums and villages have been repaired and restored. For her, a safe home is the base of confidence and self-worth.
Global recognition and a humble response
Her work drew international attention. At the World Government Summit in Dubai, she received the $1 Million Global Teacher Prize awarded by the Varkey Foundation. The honour recognised her innovative approach to education and community development.
Despite the global recognition, her response remained simple and grounded. She dedicated the award to India’s children and said the honour belonged to the country, not to her alone. Her focus, she emphasised, remains on expanding opportunities for underprivileged children.
Plans for the future
Rouble now plans to open schools for underprivileged children in Jammu and Kashmir, says a report by The Better India. She also aims to establish vocational training centres to help young people learn practical, employable skills. Her vision goes beyond literacy, she wants children to build stable futures.
Her journey shows that education does not always need classrooms to begin. Sometimes, it starts with colour on a wall and belief in a child’s potential. By choosing action over waiting, Rouble Nagi transformed neglected spaces into centres of learning and hope.
Her work continues to inspire communities across India, proving that one determined teacher can change not just lessons, but lives.
