ABOUT US
Developing future leaders for lasting change.
Choice defines the modern world, but for some young people, poverty decides who they will become before they are old enough to decide for themselves.
Who we exist for
Pestalozzi International exists for young people in Africa and Asia who have the talent, drive and lived experience to lead change, but who are stuck in systems that underestimate them.
Our work is inspired by Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, who believed that every child is born with potential, and that education should develop the whole person: head, heart and hands. When we nurture all three, young people are ready to contribute meaningfully to society.
Our programmes build critical thinking, strong values and practical skills, so that each young person can find their own path to a life of meaning. We do this in three ways. Our Future Leaders Programme is an eight year residential pathway for exceptional children from the poorest backgrounds, and Pestalozzi Academy is our model school in Lusaka. For young adults who are out of education or work, our SkillsHub programme provides career-ready vocational training through to real employment. Beyond what we can deliver ourselves, we grow our impact through our global alumni network and by sharing our Head, Heart and Hands approach with partner schools and organisations.
This focus means we do more than widen access to education. We develop leaders for lasting change, who go on to drive social and economic development for those around them.
The results speak for themselves. 72% of our alumni serve others through public service or by supporting their families. Alumni have founded or led 73 NGOs, and 95% of students on our vocational programmes are employed, in school or self employed within six months of finishing.
Our alumni become leaders who create lasting change, strengthening their communities and nations for generations to come.
The Challenge
We aim to work where it is hardest.
In the countries we target, most young people never reach the final year of school, almost none reach university, and millions are left without work, education or training. The talent is there. The system is not. We go to these places on purpose.
Together, these countries are home to over 350 million people, of whom roughly half live in multidimensional poverty and fewer than 1 in 4 young people complete upper secondary school. Our approach is research-led: we go where the data shows the need is greatest and design programmes around what local economies actually require.
Our expansion strategy is focused on sub-Saharan Africa, where the need is greatest and where our model can reach the most young people.
Exhibit 1
Most never finish school
Year 12 (upper secondary) completion rate in our target countries, compared with regional peers.
Highest need first
In Mozambique and Tanzania, roughly 9 in 10 young people never complete secondary school.
Exhibit 2
Almost none reach university
Gross tertiary enrolment (share of the university-age population).
Highest need first
Even those who finish school hit a wall. This is the gap our SkillsHub training is built to fill.
Exhibit 3
And poverty runs deep
Multidimensional Poverty Index: share of the population deprived across health, education and living standards.
Highest need first
Across our target countries, roughly half or more of the population live in multidimensional poverty — facing overlapping deprivations, not just low income.
What skills these economies actually need
Beyond agriculture, the highest-value trades across our target regions include construction, electrical and solar/renewable energy, mining trades, tourism and hospitality, ICT, healthcare, and transport and logistics. Our training is matched to real local demand, not generic qualifications.
Sources: UNESCO SDG4 country profiles (education); UNDP / OPHI Global Multidimensional Poverty Index. Latest available data. Figures approximate.
Our values
How we conduct ourselves
We see a world where every young person's innate talents, empathy and rich diversity of lived experience are nurtured to shape a better future for everyone.
Caring
We are heart-led, prioritising compassion, empathy, and the well-being of students, staff, alumni, and communities.
Child-centred
Inspired by Pestalozzi's philosophy of head, heart and hands, we nurture intellectual, emotional and practical growth.
Respectful
We celebrate diversity and equity, ensuring every voice is valued and heard.
Catalytic
We build the capacity of individuals and organisations with the knowledge, skills and confidence to take action for good.
Ambitious
We are committed to lasting impact through education, vocational training and innovation.
Meet the team
From the UK and Switzerland to Zambia, India and Nepal, our passionate board members, staff and volunteers work together to empower the next generation of global changemakers.
Learn moreROOTED IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF PESTALOZZI
Head, Heart and Hands - a 200-year-old idea, sharper than ever
Pestalozzi International is inspired by the educational philosophy of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, the Swiss educator whose ideas helped shape modern child-centred education and influenced thinkers including Maria Montessori, Friedrich Fröbel and John Dewey. Pestalozzi believed that every child has unique potential and that education should develop the whole person through the balanced cultivation of the "head, heart and hands" - intellectual ability, moral character and practical skills.
His philosophy laid important foundations for social pedagogy, which recognises that learning is shaped not only by academic instruction but also by relationships, wellbeing, community and lived experience.
At Pestalozzi International, these principles remain at the heart of our work. Through leadership development, education and vocational training, we nurture critical thinking, compassion and practical capability, enabling young people to become self-determined leaders who create lasting positive change in their communities and beyond.
Head
Academic knowledge, critical thinking and curiosity to understand the world and one's place in it.
Heart
Emotional wellbeing, empathy and the values that bind communities together across differences.
Hands
Practical, vocational and life skills to put learning into action and earn dignified livelihoods.
Our history
More than 65 years of transforming young lives
For more than 65 years, Pestalozzi International has been transforming the lives of young people through child-centred education inspired by the philosophy of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. Building on a legacy that began with international scholarship programmes in the UK and evolved into locally delivered programmes across Africa and Asia, we have helped thousands of young people realise their potential and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Today, as the result of the merger between Pestalozzi World and the Pestalozzi International Foundation, we combine decades of educational expertise, proven impact and a deep commitment to developing the whole person. By nurturing each child's unique strengths, character and practical skills, we continue a tradition of educational excellence that creates opportunities for young people while strengthening the communities and countries they call home.
Help us to reach more children
Your support enables marginalised children to become leaders in their communities.
Donate today