How a visit to Pestalozzi Zambia’s thriving ecosystem of education inspired hope in leadership for the future

In Zambia, just a few kilometres outside Lusaka, lies a remarkable Pestalozzi campus, including a school, residential facility, organic gardens, sports fields and a newly emerging  vocational centre (SkillsHub) Let's call it an ecosystem of heart-centred education. I was fortunate to be able to visit there last month in my role as Director of Impact. I was keen to see the faces behind the numbers and to understand its success and who was behind it. One thing I knew before I set off on the long journey to Lusaka, was that Pestalozzi's secret is the holistic 'Head–Heart–Hands' approach, which nurtures the mind through critical thinking, the heart through self-discovery and compassion, and the hands through practical skills and community outreach, creating resilient, self-aware, and community-minded leaders.

But leaping from the digital world into the real world was beyond my expectations!

Meeting the students, staff and alumni in person was awe-inspiring. They radiated purpose, compassion and a natural pride. Whether having their music lesson under giant trees, collecting funds from a recycling project to support a local orphanage or growing vegetables in the lush organic gardens,  the ‘head heart hands’  ethos was alive and interconnected at every turn. 

Education generally focuses on academic success- but Pestalozzi defines success which truly reflects  the potential, capability and heart of each child. I realised in Zambia that success equals: the joy of learning, the sound of singing, believing you can make a difference and having a community of people who believe in you.  

Pestalozzi’s long-term mission to find the brightest children from the most disadvantaged communities  is ushering forth a new kind of changemaker; one who has the lived experience of inequality and poverty as well as the tools and heart to bring about a positive impact in their lives and the lives of others.  

It got me thinking- imagine if all leaders had carefully crafted, heart-centred, holistic education coupled with a deep compassion based on lived experience? With this generation of compassionate changemakers, the answer is clear; it is already the case.