Pestalozzi International is proud to announce a new partnership with the European Institute for Cooperation and Development (IECD) to launch the Future Leaders in Madagascar.
This collaboration represents an important milestone. It is both our first partnership with an international NGO and our first programme in a French-speaking country.
It also marks a first step in the expansion of our work, in line with our Ambition 2030, which aims to scale impact through partnerships, share our educational model, and strengthen our presence in new regions.
A strong and complementary partnership
Founded in 1988, IECD is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to human and economic development. It operates in 18 countries, supporting young people through programmes in education and career guidance, vocational training and entrepreneurship.
In Madagascar, IECD has been working for over 20 years with its local partner PROMES, notably through the CERES project in Fianarantsoa. This long-standing presence ensures strong local expertise, trusted relationships and the capacity to implement complex programmes effectively.
The partnership between Pestalozzi International and IECD is built on a clear complementarity: IECD leads the implementation of the programme, drawing on its operational expertise, local teams and deep understanding of the Malagasy context; Pestalozzi International provides the educational framework, bringing its experience in holistic pedagogy inspired by Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi and its focus on leadership development.
Together, the two organisations share a common ambition: to support young people not only in accessing education, but in becoming responsible, engaged and impactful leaders.
Launching Future Leaders in Madagascar
Madagascar faces significant challenges in access to quality education, particularly in rural areas, where poverty and structural inequalities continue to limit opportunities for many young people. As in Zambia, rural youth are often left behind, with limited access to sustained, high-quality educational support.
Ranking among the lowest countries on the Human Development Index, Madagascar illustrates the scale of these challenges - but also highlights where targeted, long-term educational programmes can have the greatest and most lasting impact.
The Future Leaders aims to respond to this gap by identifying high-potential students from disadvantaged backgrounds and supporting them over the long term.
The programme will be based in Fianarantsoa and will follow the proven Future Leaders model developed by Pestalozzi International, notably implemented in Zambia.
As part of the preparation phase, IECD representatives visited the Pestalozzi campus in Lusaka to observe the programme in practice, exchange with teams and gain a deeper understanding of its educational approach. This learning process has been key in adapting the model to the Malagasy context.
The programme combines a strong academic pathway, a structured residential environment, a holistic educational approach focused on 'Head, Heart and Hands', long-term leadership development, and bilingual education in French and English that opens new opportunities.
In the coming months, the first cohort of 24 children will be selected in rural areas around Fianarantsoa for an 8-year journey that could change their lives.
They will begin the programme in September 2026, marking the official launch of Future Leaders in Madagascar.
