By Emma Peadon | Senior Fundraising Executive
Before sharing this update, we want to acknowledge the devastating flooding on the Nepal–Tibet border. We are relieved to confirm that all Pestalozzi students and staff are safe and accounted for, but our thoughts are with the many families and communities affected, including members of our wider alumni community. As the full scale of the tragedy continues to emerge, we are holding everyone impacted in our thoughts.
Against this difficult backdrop, our students and alumni across Zambia, India and Nepal have continued to learn, grow and embrace new opportunities. From exploring careers in STEAM and celebrating academic achievements to reconnecting with cultural heritage and learning beyond the classroom, these experiences reflect our commitment to developing young people through the “Head, Heart and Hands”, equipping them with the knowledge, confidence and compassion to create positive change in their communities.
Zambia: Inspiring the Next Generation of Girls in STEAM
On 17–18 August, our girls participated in the Tech Girl Take Over Bootcamp at the Southern Sun Ridgeway Hotel, focused on girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM), innovation and leadership.
Throughout the two-day event, the girls met inspiring female professionals, including an engineer, doctor, architect and space science advocate, who shared their experiences of building careers in STEAM. They also explored some of the barriers preventing more girls from entering these fields and discussed topics including identity, intersectionality and space science.
Working in groups, the girls then developed innovative ideas to address challenges affecting girls and young women. Their projects included a menstrual health app, a career support website and advocacy initiatives focused on identity and mental health.
The experience gave our girls an exciting opportunity to see what is possible, learn from female role models and use their own creativity to develop solutions to challenges facing their peers and communities.
India: Celebrating Success and Cultural Identity
We are delighted to celebrate five of our alumni, Koncho, Dakar, Anchal, Manisha and Sandip, who have secured places on undergraduate programmes at Azim Premji University, each with a full scholarship.
Their achievements are testament to their hard work and perseverance, and we are incredibly proud to see them taking this exciting next step in their education. Their success also provides inspiration to younger Pestalozzi students following in their footsteps.
For our current Grade 12 student, Rinchen Khando, the summer provided a different kind of learning opportunity. As a Tibetan refugee student attending an English-medium school in India, Khando wanted to strengthen her connection to her Tibetan language, history and heritage.
During her summer break, she joined a two-week Cultural Immersion Programme designed particularly for Tibetan children who do not have regular opportunities to learn about their culture at school. Participants visited the Central Tibetan Administration, Tibet TV and a museum preserving Tibetan history, traditional arts and crafts.
Reflecting on the experience, Khando said the programme made her feel closer to her culture and helped her think more deeply about her future:
“We are the fourth generation of Tibetans living in exile who have been able to maintain our heritage. I learned a lot, and I feel the need to know more. This programme not only made me feel closer to my culture but also helped me realise what I want to do in life.”
Many Pestalozzi students come from refugee and marginalised communities, and experiences like this are an important part of supporting them to become confident, empathetic leaders who remain connected to and advocate for their communities.
Nepal: Learning Inside and Outside the Classroom
Alongside the difficult news from the Nepal-Tibet border, there have also been important milestones to celebrate within our Pestalozzi community. In June, our latest group of students completed their high school education. We are incredibly proud of everything they have achieved and look forward to seeing where their next steps take them.
Meanwhile, our Grade 6 and 7 students stepped outside the classroom over the summer to visit one of the local farms that supplies vegetables to our campus.
Walking through the fields and speaking directly with growers encouraged the students to think about the people, labour and systems behind something as everyday as the food they eat.
The visit reflects Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi’s philosophy of developing the “Head, Heart and Hands”. Our approach encourages young people to learn not only academically, but through reflection, practical experience and meaningful engagement with the world around them.
At Pestalozzi, how young people learn matters just as much as what they learn.
None of these opportunities would be possible without your continued support. Thank you for helping us give young people the education, experiences and encouragement they need to build brighter futures, support their communities and become the compassionate leaders of tomorrow. We are incredibly grateful to have you alongside us on this journey.
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By Emma Peadon | Senior Fundraising Executive
By Emma Peadon | Senior Fundraising Executive
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