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The inspiring story behind one of the world’s most innovative financing programs.

The School in the Market shows how thousands of underserved African communities were able to shape their own futures by building localized, sustainable, low-fee private schools.

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The School In the Market 3D Book Cover
The School In the Market Book Cover

About The School In the Market

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—with between 100-150 students—in a desperate state of physical disrepair, with dirt floors, poor lighting, and dangerous exposed wiring.

Determined to give schools like this one a fighting chance, Irene co-founded the IDP Foundation and launched the Rising Schools Program, an innovative model that treats low-fee private schools as businesses, giving owners access to sustainable microloans from financial institutions. This financial access empowered schools to grow and deliver life-changing opportunities for their students.

By 2025, the program had improved more than 2,300 schools and reached more than 500,000 children, sparking a movement across Africa for localized, market-driven education.

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.

Available through all major retailers January 2026. Pre-orders available now!

Praise for The School in the Market

Meet Irene Pritzker,
Chair & Co-Founder of IDP Foundation

Irene Pritzker is an education advocate and an innovative philanthropist championing replicable, local market-based solutions.

As the innovative mind behind the IDP Foundation’s (IDPF) market-based solutions, Irene is regularly invited to international forums to share her expertise in sustainable solutions, microfinance, smart philanthropy, and impact investing with global decision-makers. In addition to the numerous awards, the IDPF was granted special consultative status to the United Nations.

Irene Pritzker
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