• Pestalozzi Overseas Children’s Trust (POCT) provides full scholarships for the brightest selected poor children in its target countries for residential (boarding) secondary education.

• The Trust supports existing schools to educate the Pestalozzi scholars under the principles established by Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827).

• In 2007, 449 children were financed to gain a strong academic education, alongside contributing to the local community and acquiring vocational skills, in a Head, Heart and Hands philosophy to develop well balanced, responsible adults.

• Two girls are awarded a scholarship to every one boy, to help redress traditional cultural gender educational imbalances.

• To ensure the children’s comfort and security away from home, the Trust builds and supports local residential hostels for its scholars, wherever necessary.

• The Trust’s administrative expenses are guaranteed by the trustees and specific donors, meaning that general donations go directly to the charitable activities.

• The focus is on secondary education as being under supported, particularly for girls. Female gross secondary enrolment in Zambia and Malawi is only 25%, and the equivalent in Nepal is 42%. The Indian gross secondary enrolment ratio of girls to boys is 80%. Few Tibetans complete secondary education.