Judith stands confidently before two of her trusted peers in the Visitor Centre at The School of St Jude. It’s rehearsal day for St Jude’s 2020 Australian promotional tour and Judith’s been handpicked by ‘Mama Gemma’ Sisia, St Jude’s School Founder, to accompany her on her upcoming trip Down Under.

In front of some of her peers, Judith practices telling her tale of triumph. It’s a tale that’s well-known to those in the room and will soon be shared with people across Australia. It’s the tale of how St Jude’s transforms lives. 

Judith is preparing for the journey of a lifetime. This month, she is boarding her very first flight, bound for Australia. There she will meet incredible Australian supporters, who have built the school she loves – the place she calls her home – from scratch.

“When Gemma invited me to join her and help to spread the word about our school, I was so excited! I just couldn’t believe it was me going there!” Judith enthuses. 

“The culture in Tanzania is very different from Australian culture. I will try to learn the differences between here and there, and I will love learning about a new part of the world.” 

“Of course, I know that we share a great love for St Jude’s, so I know I will love everyone I meet!” she says.

Judith started in Standard 1 at St Jude’s and is now getting ready for university. She has benefitted from 13 years of 100% free, quality education and she believes it’s made the world of difference to her. 

“Joining St Jude’s changed my life so much. I’m happy and grateful to meet our supporters. I came from a humble family and the sponsors and donors are the ones who enabled me to go to one of the best schools in Tanzania!” she shares. 

“It was this golden chance that opened the door and helped me to realise that poverty could not hinder my success forever.”

While it’s been a challenging year for so many members of our international family, Judith hopes she will bring a story of joy to the people who gifted her with an education. 

“I know that so many people in Australia are suffering right now, and it pains my heart. I hope Gemma and I can bring some smiles to their faces, because they really deserve to be happy.” 

Would you like to hear more about Judith’s remarkable journey? Be sure to attend a public tour event in a town near you!

St Jude’s Sisia primary campus is always a bustling hub of activity and cheer on Friday afternoons. 

Weekly assemblies excite the whole school community, providing students with a platform to showcase exceptional academic and creative talents. 

An added air of intrigue infused the auditorium when 18-year-old Russell, a Birpai man from New South Wales, took to the stage in front of a crowd of more than 700 at a recent school assembly. 

The deep drone of Russell’s didgeridoo cued the tap of clapsticks, played by Fatima in 5C, as she and 27 classmates approached the stage from the back of the auditorium.

It was an apt primer to a performance that won’t be soon forgotten.

The captivating demonstration gave the audience an insight into important Indigenous traditions. Pamoja, meaning 'togetherness' in Swahili, inspired the experience of two cultures joining in celebration.

Russell is becoming a seasoned expert at performing for the St Jude’s community; he first had the opportunity in April last year, during a visit with his school, St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill. 

“I was lucky enough to be selected for the school trip. I remember being told about it by a friend, whose younger brother had visited St Jude’s as a Joey’s student in 2016.”

According to St Joseph's College educator and school trip co-supervisor, Linda Roden, there was no doubt that Russell would prove to be the perfect fit for a visit to St Jude's.

“Russell often guides younger students to strive for better things. He is a special young man who has a positive attitude and makes the most of opportunities presented to him.” 

Working in a school, Linda understands that education is vital to ensuring the cycle of poverty is broken, and that young advocates like Russell play a crucial role in supporting St Jude’s. 

“Schools can fundraise towards sponsoring a student, a teacher or even a bus.  Most importantly, students can spread the word. Let people know about the amazing work being done at St Jude’s. Every dollar raised for the School is important.”

Russell is dedicated to fighting poverty through education and knows a high quality schooling experience can change an individual’s life trajectory. 
“I wouldn't have had doors opened for me if it weren't for the education I received. The kids at St Jude's enjoy the greatest gift."

“As a representative of a minority group in Australia, I can really identify with the students. Being here has opened my mind to possibilities for the future. I’d love to explore work in the performing arts, but I’m also considering being a primary school teacher.” 

Of all the experiences that touched Russell’s life during his first trip to St Jude’s, it was a visit to the home of Goodluck in Form 1 which affected him most. 

 “Seeing where St Jude’s students’ come from and the conditions some Tanzanians are living in is challenging. It gave me perspective. It helped me to appreciate what I’ve got.”

“Gemma Sisia is a shining soul. If she can do what she’s done, then we can do so much to help. I take my hat off to her. Telling the story about St Jude’s and its beginnings is so important.” 

“We saw Mount Kilimanjaro as soon as we arrived at the airport in Tanzania, reminding us how far from Australia we’d travelled, but a group of students from Smith secondary campus were there to greet us with a dance. They made us feel welcome. You can’t compare this experience to any other.” 

Are you ready for the experience of a lifetime? Do you have a special talent to show our students at school assembly? Email our friendly Visitor team at Visitor@schoolofstjude.co.tz and book your trip to The School of St Jude! Click here for more information.  

The greatest gift our new buddy, Chris, brought to St Jude’s was his magnetic presence. 

Chris’s passion for fighting poverty through education shone through smiling eyes and a radiant grin. 

The family-man from Indiana had never been to Africa, but Chris was right at home from the moment he landed on St Jude’s doorstep. It was a two week trip that changed his life. 

“I read a quote about Africa once that said something like, ‘the simplicity and the complexity of the culture, the interactions you have, will draw you in and get inside you, and not let you go. You’ll always want to go back.’

That is absolutely true,” Chris said.

“I looked at the website before getting here and thought, ‘this is a unique school, it’s something I’d like to see, understand and experience.’ It grows on you,” he shared. 

“It’s just amazing. This was one person’s dream for kids in Tanzania, funded by people in another country, and now by people around the world — including the Unites States! Unbelievable.”

“You see students here that are extremely happy: drumming in music class, dancing, smiling… being 100% present and confident in themselves.  Being able to touch a part of their life is fantastic,” he enthused.

A visit to a student’s home opened Chris’s eyes to reality beyond St Jude's blue-and-gold gates. 

“To really understand it, you have to experience it. You only get a snapshot, but what it’s really about is an exchange of ideas and finding common ground,” he said. 

“I asked the student’s grandmother how she made the tea she was serving. She showed me some grass the family grows outside. It looked just like prairie grass! It was a really great thing!”

“I kept thinking about going home and growing the same stuff. Then, the whole family started laughing at my friend who didn’t want sugar in his tea! It was awesome,” Chris laughed.   

As a teacher, Chris appreciates the role of education in guiding young people towards a future of joy and prosperity. 

“St Jude’s has had three graduating classes. I’d say the next 10 years will be really interesting. We’ll be able to see how the graduates progress through college and in their lives. So many will flourish as Tanzania’s leaders!” Chris predicted. 

Chris plans to keep his flame of inspiration burning brightly, and share it with students in the States.

“I can’t wait to show them pictures and say, ‘we’ve got a lot to learn from St Jude’s. Don’t look at these students as if they don’t have much. In some ways, they have more than you – they understand so much about life.’”

“St Jude’s students are growing their own food! They wash their own clothes. They are inventive. They take responsibility. To think of where they’ve come from is mind-blowing.”

Although his visit is over, this is the beginning of a long-time friendship between Chris and St Jude’s. 

“It’s just like that quote I read; yes, my shoes are dirty. My hair has dust in it.

Tanzania is stuck under my skin. I’d come back here in the snap of a finger. It doesn’t get any better than this.”

Our students and staff love welcoming visitors. What are you waiting for? Come and see St Jude’s in action!

It was a misty morning, yet nothing could dampen the mood of our youngest students as they set out for a great adventure — their very first safari. 

“We were so excited; we could not sleep the night before!” squealed eight-year-old Jenifa. 

Dozens of excited Standard 1s and 2s boarded our iconic animal-themed school buses to Tarangire National Park, a 158km drive away from The School of St Jude. 

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, the chirpy youngsters hoped to catch a glimpse of wildlife royalty. 

Hearts leapt at the speed of frantic wildebeests, as the students saw ‘The Lion King’ try to catch one for lunch! 

“It was so surprising! We were afraid of the lion, and everyone was screaming, which was funny,” chuckled Daniel. 

“After two minutes, the lion stopped chasing the wildebeest. Then, the wildebeest just continued eating the grass, like nothing had happened!” shared Joshua. 

The eagle-eyed youngsters were impressed with everything Tarangire had to offer, from the extraordinary to the mundane. Even observing the creatures’ afternoon nap was enough to keep them entertained.

“The best moment for me was seeing a giraffe sleeping,” said Jenifa.

“It surprised me to see the giraffe sleeping on the ground, and how big it was in real life. The school safari was my first time seeing animals like this.

I did not think I would ever have this chance,” she giggled.

“I also loved the giraffe. It was very beautiful,” Joshua chimed in.

“I enjoyed learning about the elephants. Elephants have very good instincts, but sometimes they get killed. I want elephants to be looked after,” he said. 

It was a day of love, laughter and learning. 

“It was great to learn how important the animals are for our environment.

They are so smart,” Daniel recounted. 

“To see these animals in real life was so good,” Jenifa added. 

“Thank you to our teachers and supporters for making the safari possible,” she said.  

Arusha is the gateway to some of Africa’s most breathtaking natural wonders. Come and visit us before or after your own safari adventure! 

Most teenagers treasure their sleep-ins, but 22 St Jude’s students prefer to start the weekend soaking up sunshine among a bounty of fruits and vegetables at our Smith Campus shamba (farm). 

Between 8.30am-12.00pm most Saturdays, farming tools slice through crisp morning air and the buzz of our chirpy Shamba Club rings across seven acres of lush harvest. 

The club was formed in January this year and is overseen by Mr Ernest, the Head of Service at Smith. Students in the Shamba Club help to nourish their peers across our three school campuses. 

“The shamba has really helped because we cultivate the vegetables and we are assured of the quality,” Mr Ernest explained.

“When we buy the vegetables from outside, we are spending money. So if we are able to produce fruits and vegetables by ourselves, it is a great thing.

We can use what we have.”“We grow eggplant, sukuma wiki (collared greens), cabbages, bananas, sweet potatoes, mangoes and tomatoes and other seasonal fruits and vegetables,” Mr Ernest enthused. 

As well as feeding our hardworking school community, students involved with maintaining the shamba attain valuable life skills and learn appreciation for their environment. 

Denis in Form 4 helped with weeding on his village shamba, and being part of the St Jude’s Shamba Club has piqued his interest in agriculture. 

“I feel very happy because we can take what we have planted and nurtured. You have heart to give more and more, so you can get more and more,” Denis said. 

“After we have planted and harvested, we give the food to the kitchen and all of us eat it. They distribute produce to Moshono and Moivaro, so we feel proud because we can give to the younger ones. When they grow up, they can see where their veggies were from.” 

And it isn’t all hard work for the eager environmentalists; the Shamba Club enjoys their bonding time, too!

“We sing songs to motivate us to do more and more and we don’t get tired or bored quickly. We talk and have fun. You can’t always just be in the class studying. This gives us different activities and we get to know things. Even when we go back to the village, we can have something to work on,” Denis shared. 

Working on the shamba gives students a chance to serve both their school and local communities. Indeed, the agricultural industry is the backbone of Tanzania’s economy, employing 67% of Tanzanian workers. 

“Most of us studying here have shamba back at home, so with these skills we can improve our family farm. Also, we can help different people learn about the techniques of farming,” Denis said. 

Importantly, Denis also feels that working on the shamba has heightened his sense of responsibility.

“We live in this environment. If we make it dirty, diseases may rise, so we should be caring and careful of our environment; we are living in it and it’s living with us. We give to it, and it gives to us. You can see our school is beautiful and we want it to stay beautiful.”

Would you like to sample some vegetables from our shamba? Come and visit us! 

Renatus spends a lot of time in the St Jude’s infirmary, but it’s not because he’s ill.  In fact, the Form 4 student uses the space to prepare a medicine which combats cold and flu symptoms. 

According to the World Health Organization, respiratory diseases are a leading cause of death in Tanzania.

Renatus makes his medicine using organic produce.  So far, he’s helped 10 people – seven of his friends at The School of St Jude, and three people in his local community. 

“I started the project earlier this year because my brother was sick for two months with a throat and chest problem and the medication he used wasn’t working. I wanted to come up with a different way to help him and help society in general,” Renatus said. 

Renatus conducted a lot of research before starting his project and in doing so, he learnt about Tanzania’s healthcare system. As a result, he’s determined to make a positive difference to his fellow Tanzanians. 

“Many medical services aren’t available in our country, so some people have to go far away to find assistance. Tanzania needs good doctors. I believe I will be one of them someday. I want to be a Neurosurgeon, and I want to produce medical products,” he explained. 

The compassionate, young, science enthusiast is determined not to let any challenges overcome his willingness to help others. 

“I am trying to determine how to preserve the medicine, so the people using it can do so for three days at morning, afternoon and evening. I would like to speak to a doctor at one of the big hospitals in Arusha to see if I can find out how to overcome this difficulty.” 

Renatus’s eyes sparkled as he spoke about the kinds of people he admires.

“I am inspired by those who work and struggle hard for what they want, such as American Neurosurgeon, Ben Carson. People like this inspire me because even though at certain times in life I have faced difficulties, it is possible to overcome them,” he assured.  

Renatus says he owes a lot of his dream-making to The School of St Jude. 

“The school is providing me with the supplies I need and it has become easy for me to work on the project here at school.”

So far, everyone who’s tried Renatus’s home-made remedy has praised him for his efforts. 

“Renatus has already reported a very good progress with fellows who have tested [the medicine]. While this is impressive he may need an expert’s advice to know what he needs to focus on as he progresses, and how to do documentation. I am looking forward to hearing what he says next,” said Academic Coordinator, Mr Mcharo. 

“I want people to know that Tanzanians can make our own medical products and when one tries to do such a thing, we must encourage and support that person,” Renatus said. 

Have you come down with a cold or flu this season? Consider a visit to St Jude's so you can try Renatus's organic medicine for yourself!