When you become a sponsor at St Jude’s, you become a key part of a student’s amazing educational journey.
Your sponsorship covers the essentials like textbooks, accommodation and meals but so much more. You become an extended part of your sponsor child’s family as they are so welcoming and appreciative that you have chosen to give their child the greatest gift: an education.
Want to hear directly from one of our sponsors? Read this great blog (below) written by one of our sponsors Deborah Hewes, whose daughter Rachael volunteers at St Jude’s.
In September 2012, our eldest daughter Rachael took up a volunteer position with The School of St Jude working as a photographer. Sending her off to Africa was an exercise in faith and trust for us, and we hoped that she would be safe and happy working so far from home in a country so different from where she had grown up. Rachael loved The School of St Jude as soon as she stepped through the front gate, and immediately felt a strong bond with the children she was photographing. We heard so many interesting stories about her experiences at the school and through her beautiful photography we experienced the amazing time she was having.
Rachael was able to explain to us exactly how the school was managed and how it stayed viable through sponsorship and donations. We were delighted that she was having this experience and we wanted to be part of it. Rachael wrote to us about a young student who she felt that we would be interested in sponsoring. She had been involved in his journey to be accepted into the school, through testing and house checks and taking his photo in his new school uniform. There was a connection with this boy that she wanted to continue and through sponsorship this would be possible. We decided to sponsor Lebahati after Rachael’s recommendation. Lebahati is indeed a delightful boy and we were so happy to have met him and visit his family when had the opportunity to visit the school in May 2013.
Our visit to Tanzania in May 2013 was a life changing experience for us. We were able to experience first-hand what our daughter had been telling us about the country. Having a chance to stay at the School of St Jude and meet the children, teachers and staff was truly inspiring. We had the opportunity to meet Lebahati and visit his home and family. Lebahati is an only child and lives with his mother and Aunty. As soon as we met Lebahati we understood why our daughter had gravitated to him. While we were at the school we had the chance to have lunch with Lebahati and his school mates and we watched them play in the playground. Lebahati is an avid soccer player and along with the other boys a very animated and exciting soccer match is held every lunch time – we watched many games while were where at the school.
One lunch time we sat next to Salome, a friend from Lebahati’s class. Salome had a magical smile and laughed at all of my antics. She is a delightful and confident child and on enquiry we found out that she did not have a sponsor. We decided immediately that we would like to sponsor Salome too! So while we were there we had a chance to visit Salome’s family as well. Salome is from a large family of seven children and her father is a proud tall Maasai who works as a security guard.
While at the school we also met a lovely teacher Juliet Mbuya. Juliet came with us as an interpreter on the home visit for Salome. Home visits can be challenging due to the language barrier, Juliet made this experience an enjoyable one for us all. Juliet is a Grade 5 Social Science teacher and we had the chance while we were at school to visit her classroom.We decided that we would like to be one of Juliet’s sponsors too!
We have had many letters from both Salome and Lebahati, which are a delight to read, as well as feedback from the sponsorship department about their progress in school including their school reports. We are proud to see the awards they receive at their weekly assemblies. Recently both received DUX awards. Lebahati received a DUX award for being the best in music and Salome received a DUX award for being second in Grade 2 overall. Salome is a high achiever; we regularly get emails about her awards and successes.
We revisited Tanzania in January 2014. We wanted our other children, Rachael’s younger sister and brother, Katrina and Sean, to share in the experience that we had at the School of St Jude. While there we had the chance to visit Lebahati and Salome’s families again. We were delighted that Lebahati’s mother, through her hard work and through collaboration with friends and relatives, were able to move from a mud brick one room home in the slum area of Arusha to bigger and better rooms. We also had the chance to give some gifts to the family as well as books to Lebahati. Lebahati loves books – especially books on birds, so the next time we return to Tanzania we hope to have some books that match his interests.
Visiting Salome we found out that her father was now a security guard at the School of St Jude so the school is helping this family in more ways than just education. Salome has a twin sister, Deborah, (my name sake) and unfortunately Deborah was unable to get into the school of St Jude, she is educated at the local government school (St Jude’s has a policy where it only takes one child per family so it can reach out to a wider number of families). However, through her learning at The School of St Jude Salome is able to come home and help her sister with her school work as well as teach her English.
We truly believe that education can make a difference to alleviate poverty and we hope that our sponsorship can make a difference to Lebahati and Salome’s life and that of their families and eventually the community of Arusha. We have witnessed first-hand the poverty of Tanzania and the children attending the school of St Jude are indeed from the poorest families. We are very pleased to be able to make a difference in their lives and hope to bring a brighter future for them. We have now committed to these two young children and their families and hope that they succeed in their educational journey just as my children have had the chance to have had a good education.
We are blessed to be part of The School of St Jude family and we will continue to be part of this family to see both Lebahati and Salome through their education. We now feel that they are part of our family too. We are also very proud that our daughter, Rachael, who took the opportunity to devote over two years of her working life to such a good cause. Without her introducing Tanzania and The School of St Jude to us I don’t believe we would have ever visited Africa. Rachael is still working at the school and has moved to the sponsorship department as her photography role is now undertaken by a Tanzanian photographer. Her role is to keep in contact with sponsors and to let them know of their child’s progress as well as encourage others to sponsor a child to help them out of poverty.
I hope that in some way my story and that of my daughter will inspire you to support the School of St Jude, either by donation, sponsorship or even devoting some of your time to volunteer for an amazing school who are trying to make a difference by providing an education to those living in poverty. The school of St Jude loves visitors, why don’t you take an adventure and visit them I can guarantee it will change your life.
Sponsor a Student Today and Open a World Full of Possibilities
St Jude’s is excited to be an official partner in this year’s #GivingTuesday, a global day of charitable giving that will take place on December 2, 2014.
What is #GivingTuesday?
#GivingTuesday is a global movement dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, charities, families, businesses, communities and individuals around the world will come together for one common purpose, to celebrate generosity and to give.
The idea is simple, just find a way for your family, your community, or your organisation to come together to give something more. Then tell everyone you can about how you are giving. Join St Jude’s and be a part of a global celebration of a new tradition of generosity.
How can I participate in #GivingTuesday with The School of St Jude?
Become a Sponsor!
By sponsoring one of our students or teachers, you are providing them with a world full of possibilities. Giving the gift of a high-quality education ensures success for not only the student, but their entire family. To learn more about sponsorship packages, click here
Make a General Donation!
By making a general donation to The School of St Jude, you are helping us fight poverty through education. Contributions of any size go a long way here are St Jude’s, for example:$2 buys 1 basket of fruit and vegetables!
$10 buys exercise books for an entire class!
$40 buys 1 student's welfare support for an entire year!
$200 buys teacher resources for one teacher for a school year!
$1000 buys bedding and mosquito nets for 6 boarding rooms!
To make a general donation, click here
Spread the Word with an #Unselfie!
Use your social media pages as a platform to inspire others to give and to educate your friends and family about why you have chosen to be part of the St Jude’s family. Share an #Unselfie with the reason why you support The School of St Jude. It’s easy! Check out our #GivingTuesday Toolkit for instructions!
#GivingTuesday Toolkit
Download The School of St Jude #GivingTuesday #Unselfie Toolkit
Download The School of St Jude #GivingTuesday #Unselfie sign
Meet Juliana, an incredibly bright and ambitious 6-year-old who is one of 150 new students starting at St Jude’s in January.
These students have been selected because they are from the poorest families in the Arusha Region, and have shown that they have the ability and attitude to make the most of this opportunity.
Watch this video and see the determination in Juliana’s eyes. She has really inspired us and we are sure she will inspire you as well.
About Juliana
Juliana lives with her family in a two-room, cement-block home, which has no electricity, or running water. The family has no reliable source of income. With Juliana’s injured father struggling to earn enough money for rent and food, their future has always been uncertain.
Despite this hardship, Juliana has proved herself to be a highly motivated student, finishing first in her government school class of 47 and receiving perfect marks in four of her subjects.
Now, with a free, high-quality education at St Jude’s she will be able to learn in an environment that is designed to nurture her academic ability, and help her to make the most of her skills.
A world full of possibilities has been opened to Juliana, and she will now have the chance to escape the poverty cycle and make choices about her future.
We are currently searching for 150 new sponsors as part of our 2014 A World Full of Possibilities appeal. If you would like to share in a journey with a student like Juliana and join us in fighting poverty through education, we’d love to hear from you.
Create a world full of possibilities today!
Sponsor a Student like Juliana
Behind the happy, smiling faces of our students is often a hardworking Mama, father or guardian who is doing all that they can to provide for their families. Frank is in Standard 5 and is currently boarding at our school, with access to everything he needs; accommodation, room to study and daily meals. St Jude’s is ensuring Frank has access to the best resources to help his succeed in his studies and so is his Mum, Petrolina.
Petrolina is an inspiration as she raises her two children on her own in a very modest home but has a determination to improve her life through studying and gaining qualifications. Initially, Frank failed his St Jude’s entrance tests twice and so his Mum patiently spent time with him to help him improve his English and other subjects. It worked; the third time he went for our school’s entrance test; he got in.
However, when Frank and his older sister were younger, life was extremely tough as his Mama struggled to put food on the table and send her children to school. She’d often forgo food so that at least her two children could eat. On top of that she went through a traumatic period, had significant health problems and later her husband died.
Through it all, she took life as it came and proceeded on with her computing and other classes which were offered through an international NGO. She saw getting herself educated as the road to take to improve the life of her family.
She never gave up and now their outlook is brighter. Thanks to a nonprofit helping Petrolina, she has got her certificate in computing and is in teachers’ college, set to graduate in December.
A sponsor is also looking after her daughter’s education and she is currently in Form 5 at a school in Dodoma.
“In the past, I had nothing, everything I was getting at that time was to help Frank and his sister,” she said. “Now, I’m a little bit better and I feel I don’t have to concentrate as much on Frank or his sister, as they’re healthy and everything.”
She looks and feels healthier too. “I had a dream, before Frank started at St Jude’s, that I would become a teacher and I thought the dream was dead and I couldn’t make it but now I see the light and that I am going to fulfil my dream,” she said.
Petrolina may not have much but she is not letting poverty stand in the way of her aspirations or those of her children. “My advice to Frank is to study hard so he can pass F5 and F6 and so he can keep on and go to university because I believe he will change the lives of our family,” she said.
Frank is unsponsored and needs your help to continue getting the best possible education at our school. Your sponsorship would go a long way, covering the cost of providing an education as well as providing him with a safe place to study and perform well academically.
“I’m happy because when I enter The School of St Jude there are good teachers, many books in the library for reading and choosing and when you are in boarding, there’s time for study, play and time for reading, as well as beds for sleeping and food,” said Frank.
Prep student Josh has already gone through a rite of passage for a young child, in only a few short months. Josh earned his boyhood stripes when he broke his arm while falling off play equipment at St Jude’s. He has gained the status as the only kid in the playground with a sling and he’s enjoying the attention while he can.
Recovery has been quick for Josh, thanks to the caring support of the St Jude’s Health and Welfare team. The day a teacher carried him in with his painful, broken arm, the Lower Primary Medical Officer, Brenda was on hand to provide assistance. She carefully placed Josh’s arm in a bandage, then notified his parents before taking him to the hospital in one of our school buses.
The doctor examined him before numerous x-rays were taken on his arm. Brenda was by his side the entire time, before Josh’s mother, Sia arrived at the hospital. The doctor determined that Josh would have to undergo an operation, to insert metal pins into his arm to realign the bone to its original place.
The costs were slowly adding up for the files, x rays, operation and overnight stay at the hospital. As Josh’s mother, made her way there, it greatly worried her about how she could afford to pay for it all on her small income, which she earned selling mandazi (a form of East African fried bread) and tea, on the side of the road.
She works hard to take care of her husband, daughter, Josh and also her niece, with all of them living in a small mud home with no electricity. She could barely afford to buy food and essentials for her family, and could not imagine how she would pay for the hospital bills.
Access to quality health care, like education for many Tanzanians, is a privilege that most can’t afford. Additionally, neither area is adequately funded by the Tanzanian government, as they are in many developed countries.
The St Jude’s Health and Welfare fund covers all medical emergencies for our students for injuries that happen whilst the student is at school. When an accident occurs, the school’s Health and Welfare team acts instantly by assessing the child and taking them to the hospital or they decide on the next best course of action.
If St Jude’s hadn’t have helped Josh and his family, they would have had to go to the hospital by themselves and put on a long waiting list. There is a severe shortage of doctors and specialists in Tanzania so there is a high chance that Josh may not have received proper treatment as local hospitals have a huge backlog of patients to deal with on a daily basis. He would likely have had to miss school because of the ongoing pain in his arm and the long wait at the hospital.
However, by St Jude’s looking after Josh and his medical bills, it meant he got immediate treatment and our Health and Welfare staff were on hand to check that he was being well looked after.
Josh’s family is very grateful that St Jude’s paid for all of his medical expenses as it would have been out of the reach for the family to afford. “It makes me happy and a big thanks to St Jude’s, which paid for everything,” said his mother, Sia.
“I believe Josh will be the one to change the life of our family because of his education at St Jude’s and help us out of poverty. I’m so happy that he is getting a good education at the school.”
Back at home, Josh is like any other little boy who loves his Mum’s cooking, playing with his friends in the neighbourhood and catching up with his mates at St Jude’s.
Since his accident, he has taught himself how to write with his other hand so he wouldn’t miss out on any of his lessons. Josh likes reading and learning English and has hopes of someday becoming an engineer so that he can help his Mama.
“I like reading and being careful to listen to my teachers when they’re teaching,” said Josh. Recently, he has headed back to the hospital so a doctor can remove his sling and metal pins in his arm. Little Josh couldn’t wait and hopes it’s the last visit to the doctor and hospital for a while.
If you’d like to consider becoming a sponsor or making a general donation to St Jude’s to help us fight poverty through education, you can find more details on our website http://www.schoolofstjude.org/support-us/sponsor.html.
As a developing African nation, Tanzania faces many ongoing social issues. These come in a variety of areas, including education, health, and gender equality, and can cause incredible hardship for those affected. These issues place a particular strain on Tanzania’s poor, who lack the resources, knowledge and opportunities to break free from the cycle of poverty.
The facts below illustrate some of the issues that many Tanzanian’s face, and show why it is important for organisations such as The School of St Jude to try and create social change within the country:
1. Primary school education has been free in Tanzania since 2002, but families still have the responsibility to pay for uniforms, exam fees and school supplies, (http://www.hopefortanzania.org/tanzania/) something many families cannot afford. St Jude’s makes a concerted effort to ensure that families are not financially burdened by their children’s education.
2. Secondary schools in Tanzania are fee paying. (http://www.hopefortanzania.org/tanzania/). Students are also only able to progress on to secondary school if they pass their Standard 7 (end of Primary) exam. For these two reasons, many children are unable to continue on to secondary education, with the level for secondary school enrollment (% gross) in Tanzania only 35.09% (http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/tanzania/school-enrollment). This is a long way behind most African nations, including Zambia (55.94%), Uganda (58.34%), and Malawi (75.57%) (http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/)
3. The leading cause of death in children who survive the neonatal period is malaria. (http://www.hopefortanzania.org/tanzania/). Boarding students at St Jude’s are provided with mosquito nets in their rooms to prevent malaria. If a student becomes sick and malaria is suspected, they are taken to the hospital where they are tested and given an anti-malarial if necessary.
4. The leading cause of death for adults in Tanzania is HIV/AIDS (http://www.hopefortanzania.org/tanzania/). In 2009, the prevalence rate among the adult population was 5.6%; approximately 1.4 million people (http://www.indexmundi.com/tanzania/demographics_profile.html). Only 35% of 15-19 year old female adolescents have a comprehensive knowledge of HIV (http://www.shika.org.uk/our-work/where-we-work/tanzania-facts/), which leads to many females contracting HIV in their adult life.
5. The infant mortality rate in Tanzania is 45.1 per 1,000 live births (http://www.indexmundi.com/tanzania/infant_mortality_rate.html). Over time, it is St Jude’s hope that through the power of education and proper care the overall health of Tanzanians will improve, leading to a higher life-expectancy and better quality of life
6. On the Human Development Index of the United Nations Development Programme, the United Republic of Tanzania ranked 163rd of 170 countries in 2000, and 152nd of 187 countries in 2013 (http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/tanzania). This shows that Tanzania is improving in a number of areas, but still lags a long way behind most nations in terms of its social development.
7. The average school life expectancy of students (primary through to tertiary education) is nine years (http://www.indexmundi.com/tanzania/demographics_profile.html). It is St Jude’s goal that its students continue their education all the way through primary and secondary school, and then seek out tertiary education if they desire.
8. The literacy rates of 15-24 year olds in Tanzania are: Male 83% Female 76.9%. This is a clear indication that females are still not receiving the access to education that males are. St Jude’s makes a concerted effort to give girls equal access to an education, with 58% of our current students being female.
9. There were 0.70 hospital beds per 1,000 people in Tanzania of 2010. (http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/tanzania/hospital-beds). The number of physicians per 1,000 people in Tanzania was 0.01 as of 2010 (http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/tanzania/physicians). Access to medical services is still very limited, especially to the poor. St Jude’s employs a Health and Welfare team to make sure that our students are healthy and ready to learn. 29.5% of our senior students now have plans to study medicine upon completion of their St Jude’s education.
10. The pupil to teacher ratio in Tanzanian government primary schools is 49:1, with an average of 66 students per class (http://www.unicef.org/tanzania/6911_10874.html). We often witness class sizes of up to 200 students in nearby schools. Large class sizes mean that students lack the necessary attention for a good education. St Jude’s class sizes average less than 28 students, ensuring that all pupils have access to the assistance of their teacher.
