The School in the Market

The inspiring story of the creation of what is proving to be one of the world’s most innovative education philanthropies, which has helped thousands of underserved African communities take control of their own futures through sustainable and localized low-fee private schools.

When Irene Pritzker walked into the Agbogbloshie Market in Ghana’s capital city of Accra in 2008, her heart ached.

Inside the market was a small but growing school -- Paulina’s Queensland School, run by entrepreneur Paulina Nlando -- with between 100 and 150 students. It was in a desperate state of physical disrepair, with dirt floors, poor lighting, and dangerous exposed wiring. But Paulina and thousands of school owners like her were unable to obtain business loans to improve their schools.

Upon returning to the U.S., Irene made herself a promise that she would do everything in her power to give schools like Paulina’s a fighting chance.

Through the creation of the IDP Foundation and its Rising Schools Program, she set out to challenge the top-down model and foreign aid that had been in place for decades and left millions of children underserved and schools financially dependent.

Instead, the program focused on treating low-fee private schools as businesses, giving the owners what they needed -- access to sustainable microloans from local financial institutions -- and empowering them to grow and deliver life-changing opportunities for their students.

The results were amazing. By 2025, the Rising Schools Program had improved more than 2,300 schools like Queensland and affected the lives of more than 500,000 children while spearheading a movement of sustainable localization that has spread to Kenya and is gaining global traction.

The School in the Market is both a compelling journey of determination for anyone passionate about making a difference and a handbook for the future of global philanthropy.

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