The Slum Queen

-:ABOUT THE AUTHOR:- Rouble Nagi is a social worker and activist. She is the Founder of Rouble Nagi Art Foundation. Born in a small village in Jammu & Kashmir to Sikh parents and growing up as an army officer's daughter in Military cantonments all over the country has influenced her work and love for the nation. Rouble Nagi has been a social worker and activist all of her adult life, and believes that learning to extend the range of our compassion is activity and work available to all. She is a staunch defender not only of women and child rights, but of the rights of all living beings. Rouble Nagi Art Foundation (RNAF) is a not-for-profit organization set up with the vision to make sure that all children get an education that helps them become caring, responsible, and productive citizens. As a concrete step towards realizing this vision, RNAF runs various programmes aimed at providing quality education for underprivileged children by introducing low cost and sustainable education models. Her initiative Misaal Mumbai/India was the first slum transformation initiative in the country where she transformed more than 1,50,000 hutments in over 163 slums and villages across India along with sanitation, waterproofing and by conducting workshops on women empowerment, connecting with people through art, bringing a positive change in the mindset, educating through art, say No to plastic, and girl child education. She also stands on the side of the teachers and leaders who seek change and positive transformation of the India while keeping the culture and heritage intact. She is an active advocate of Beti Bachao Beti Padao initiative and believes that girl child education is the catalyst to propel the growth of India. While believing that only by enhancing women's economic empowerment, can self-reliance be achieved, she started working in her home state of Jammu & Kashmir. It was an opportunity to remind the people of Kashmir and ourselves that we belong to the same world-And create a sea of positive change by giving economic stability to the women and youth through skill development. The Kashmir chapter, today known as Misaal Kashmir, has given several rural women economic empowerment, through skill centres established by Rouble Nagi, helping them make products which are truly made in India from parts of rural Kashmir. This has instilled a sense of pride among all the women and youth from Kashmir. Other than being a social worker and activist, Rouble Nagi is also an internationally celebrated artist and Founder of Rouble Nagi Design Studio. She is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed artist with over 800 murals and over 150 exhibitions worldwide. She was a member of the India Design Council (IDC), and is one of the pioneers to start Mumbai beautification with 'Art Installations' around the city. She was also the first woman artist to exhibit at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum New Delhi in 2017. Her work was also selected by the honourable President for the Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum. Using art as an idea of transformation, "sense of hope even in despair" is at the core of her vision. She is one of the world's most prolific artists, yet continues to travel the world to literally stand by the side of the poor and oppressed. The journey of her initiative is what can only be described as a joyful celebration of human spirit- exulting, uplifting and eminently universal. The author can be contacted here: Rouble Nagi Art Foundation 606/607 E Crystal Plaza Andheri Link Road Mumbai 400053 www.roublenagiartfoundation.org www.misaalmumbai.org [email protected]