Mountain moment: Wendy and Alex said they stopped to wave at St Jude's while climbing Mt Meru.

Alex and Wendy first met school founder Gemma Sisia at a Rotary Conference in Auckland in 2005.

“We thought Gemma was wonderful. She was sitting next to us after the presentation and we got talking. We asked, ‘where are you staying tonight?’

She said she didn’t know, so we said ‘come home with us! We had a marvelous time and drove her to the airport in the morning,” Wendy said.

“After that, we started sponsoring our student, Victor, and made plans, vague plans, to one day come over and see the school for ourselves,” Alex added.

More than 10 years on, after 36 years of marriage and three grown-up kids, Alex and Wendy made it to St Jude’s and have definitely made the most of it!

For the past three months Alex has volunteered with our Maintenance department and Wendy has been mentoring teachers and working with students at our primary campus.

On the weekends, the couple have been on some terrific adventures.

Maasai mates:  Alex and Wendy on one of their visits to a Maasai boma.
 
Here is the enthusiastic visitors’ top five things to do in Arusha:
 
Staying at St Jude’s

Being woken up by students arriving at school, their room, school lunches, the volunteer kitchen community and the pub outside the gate... they loved it all.

“We didn’t expect to find such a welcoming and warm community of staff, sharing meals, movies and birthday parties, we’ve just loved staying here,” Wendy said.

“It really has been the best experience, working at the school forging friendships with Tanzanian colleagues – when we walked through the gates the first person we met was the teacher we have been sponsoring for years,” Alex said.

Campus life: The couple loved sharing in the Red kitty kitchen, playing pool at the Waterhole and strolling the grounds of our Moshono campus.

Home visits

Sponsors are welcome to visit their student’s home and meet their family. Victor is in Form 5 and has corresponded with Alex and Wendy for more than a decade. He hosted his sponsors twice so they could meet both his father and mother.

Alex’s Rotary club also sponsors young female student Mwanahawa.

“It’s just humbling, the families were so welcoming they really had so little, but took such pride in hosting us. Victor told us how grateful he was – it’s very humbling,” Alex said.

“Mwanahawa’s family were fasting for Ramadan but for us they put out tea and mandazi (a donut-like snack). Her mother had taken so much care in every detail, in decorating the house and hosting us, it is a real honor to have that opportunity,” Wendy said.

Home sweet home visit: With Mwanahawa's family on one of three home visits.
 
Safaris: Lake Manyara, Tarangire National Park and Serengeti National Park

“The highlight was actually driving out onto the plain at Lake Manyara and seeing all the zebras, wildebeests and Cape buffalo just there – you feel like you’re in touching distance. The first elephant we saw was way off in the distance and we just stood there staring, amazed. Then we drove up the road about 400 meters and one walked right across in front of the vehicle,” Alex said.

Alex’s boyhood dream of safari wasn’t quite complete without seeing a big cat!

“We didn’t see cats until we went to the Serengeti. Then we saw four leopards, ten lions, two cheetahs and lots of small cats – we even saw lions mating right beside the vehicle,” Alex said.

“Three times!” Wendy added.

Touching distance: The kiwis couldn't get enough of our local wildlife.

Climbing Mountains: Mt Meru and Mt Kilimanjaro

Living in the shadow of Mt Meru, the daring duo decided it was a must climb. They trained on the steps of the St Jude’s water tower and took every opportunity to walk after work.

“On Meru the environment was so varied there were giraffes at the base and beautiful lichen hanging from the trees like a rainforest. Then when you pass through the clouds, you come out in the hot sun and you’re in scrubland." Wendy said.

“It was a beautiful experience almost ethereal. On the second day the view of Mt Kilimanjaro, at sunrise, floating above the clouds,” Wendy said.

Ethereal experience: The view from Mt Meru of Kilimanjaro at sunrise.

Navigating Arusha/Moshi town 

The mountain climbers also mastered the main streets of Arusha and Moshi.

Wendy loved Moshi’s markets with its fresh produce, novelties and tiny alleyways rich with fabric, marvelled at the natural history museum and enjoyed attending church ‘for the singing’.

Alex enjoyed exploring both cities, especially after taking a few Swahili classes so he could spar with street hawkers. Now, almost at the end of their journey, the only thing left is the famous ‘goat street’ - a street where all the eateries serve goat!
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Their advice to anyone considering a visit:

“Come, just come! The best thing about being involved in St Jude’s is that you can come and see what your donation is doing, appreciate the kids and what’s going on. You can stay in this oasis on campus and then get out and learn so much about Tanzania.” – Alex.
If you want to follow the wise couple's advice, get in touch with our Visitors team and start planning today - We Love Visitors!

Smiles are readily shared across the St Jude’s campuses… come and get yours by visiting us on your next holiday!

Each year, hundreds of visitors are warmly welcomed to our campuses and see first-hand the impact our 100% charity-funded school is having on education in Tanzania.

More than 1800 students receive a free, high-quality education here at St Jude’s – an opportunity they would be unlikely to have without the enduring backing of our many generous international supporters. 

A visit to St Jude’s can be catered to your liking, whether it be a taste of school life via participation in drumming lessons and other extra-curricular activities with our students, enjoying school lunch with them, or taking a school tour and visiting classes. See first-hand the quality teaching that has recently seen our Standard 7 (Grade 7) placed in the top 2% of Tanzania’s national exams.

Our inaugural Form 6 graduation class finished in the top 10% in the country in 2015, with a 100% pass rate and more than 50% getting the highest mark of distinction. More than 80% of these graduates spent the year before university volunteering in their local communities through the Beyond St Jude’s Community Service Year, which addresses the severe teacher shortage in Tanzania by placing graduates in government schools.

Long-time Aussie supporter Glenys was one of 41 international visitors who flew in mere months ago to be part of our jubilant Form 6 graduation.

“My first day I was greeted by two handsome young lads...and with flowers!” she said. “I was warmly greeted, every day was an adventure and I can't wait to return!”

But it’s not just the students you’ll meet on your visit here.

The families of our students are happy to welcome visitors into their homes (with 48 hours notice) for a chat, perhaps a snack and some traditional Tanzanian hospitality. It’s an experience you’ll never likely forget, and a rare opportunity to see what life is like for those financially disadvantaged families whose promising children are offered scholarships at St Jude’s.

In Tanzania the average years of schooling for a population of almost 50 million is just over five, and 92.6% of the total population above 25 years has no secondary education. Of the 1.63 million students who entered Standard 1 in 2002, only 38,853 graduated Form 6. That’s just 2.4%.

You’ll also meet our staff members – almost 300 locals whose salaries support 1,895 people in the Arusha community. At St Jude’s we work hard to instill the concept of giving back to the community, and these amazing academic, administration and maintenance staff members lead by example by spending 19,256 hours volunteering in their local community each year.

St Jude’s is situated in Arusha, otherwise known as the “gateway to the Serengeti”. With major national parks right here on our doorstep, safari is the most popular activity our visitors combine with a visit or stay at our school. There are plenty of safari operator options available, including safaris-R-us (school founder Gemma and her husband Richard’s safari company), which donates US$50 to St Jude’s for every person who books through them.

See what others have thought about their day visit, on TripAdvisor. You can even stay overnight at our primary school campus! See what others have thought about their stay, on TripAdvisor.

Karibu (‘Welcome’ in Swahili)! Come along - have an African adventure, meet the real people of Tanzania and see the amazing impact St Jude’s is having on education and the future for yourself!

Winnie was Rebel Wilson’s first fan in Tanzania.

Before the Pitch Perfect star became a household name, she was a hero to Winnie, an 11 year-old, living in a mud house with no electricity, let alone a TV.

“I was just happy that my sponsor sent me very beautiful letters and a gift and I feel lucky because I had a sponsor,” Winnie said.

“In our letters we talked about very many things, and I always look forward to her letters. 

“When I was older I started learning about her, that she is a great actress and a very nice funny woman.

“Some of my friends were jealous, others say, you are so lucky, all I could think was, 'why me, why does she care about me, why am I so lucky?'.”

In the 10 years since Rebel started sponsoring Winnie, both of their lives have changed for the better.

Rebel has become one of Hollywood’s most recognisable faces, a star of the hit franchise Pitch Perfect and a frequent guest on US talk show, Ellen.

Winnie just became the first woman in her family to graduate high school and she will use her education to lift her family out of poverty.

Rebel was prevented by a busy work schedule from attending the graduation ceremony.

Winnie is also half sponsored by a group of wonderful women from Western Australia. 

The grateful graduate said that as she dressed for Saturday's ceremony she stopped to think, "wow, all these women supporting me in my life, my mother, my teachers, my sponsors, I am so glad I made it to here, for them." 

One of Winnie’s favourite memories from school was her first face-to-face meeting with Rebel in 2014.

“I was sitting with my mum on a bench when I saw her coming. When I saw her, I really ran to her and I hugged her and she was really happy, we were so excited to see each other. Mum hugged her too,” Winnie said.

St Jude’s has transformed Winnie’s life. Coming from a poor family, in a country where most girls don’t even make it to Year 5, Winnie would never have had a chance at a high-quality education.

Now Winnie is preparing to give back by spending her gap year volunteering in the Beyond St Jude’s program.

“From my heart, the school and my sponsor have provided me so much, much more than I expected in my life, so I want to give thanks, give back,” she said.

“If I wasn’t at St Jude’s, I don’t think I would be graduating, I would maybe be doing odd jobs and selling things in the streets.

“And I’m sure I would not be friends with a movie star.” 

Most students bend the rules to get the answers; Simon had to bend the rules just to get the questions.

Sitting in an overcrowded government school classroom, Simon could not get close enough to read the board and his teachers did not notice he had a vision problem.

The determined young scholar came up with ‘sneaky ways’ to make sure he didn’t fall behind.

“I did not ask for an answer but I had to ask ‘what’s the question?’. In class exercises I could not see on the board, but with the exams I could have the questions near,” he explained.

“When I was in public school, I was first in exams but I was last when it came to class exercises.”

Simon said the difference between his results would make teachers suspicious, and he did not want to think about what life would be like if he had not been enrolled at St Jude’s.

“If I failed (at school), I wouldn’t be here in Form 5. If I wasn’t here in Form 5, I wouldn’t be Rotaract Vice-President and I wouldn’t be the Discipline Prefect,” he said.

“Glasses have made a very big difference – it’s a very small thing that can make a very big difference. They have allowed me to participate in a lot of stuff, and work towards achieving my goals.”

Simon said the attitude at St Jude’s also improved his confidence.

“When I came to St Jude’s I felt freedom,” he said.

“It was a different system – it was more accommodating. If I couldn’t see a question, I go for it, I would go to the front (of class) to check on the board.

“My teachers realised, and here they were friendly and concerned and did something about it. They questioned why it was happening.”

Once the teachers noticed a problem with Simon’s sight he was referred to the Medical Check Team, a group of international doctors who volunteer at St Jude’s each year.

The Medical Check Team has had a long history at St Jude’s, following up concerns raised by teachers and providing the expertise needed to diagnose conditions.

In March, the 2016 team of 15 medical professionals spent two weeks at St Jude’s to ensure our students were healthy.

Simon was among a group of 12 students with vision problems who the team members took to an optometrist in town. Additional requirements for follow-up equipment or treatment for the students is usually arranged through their parents.

This year marked the first time members of the Medical Check Team provided mentorship to St Jude’s graduates who are interested in becoming doctors.

See the important work the Medical Check Team are doing at St Jude’s in this video. Find out how you can contribute here.

Queenslander Bernie Kelly is connecting students around the world, fighting poverty in Tanzania and opening the eyes of young Australians.

The energetic Global Immersion founder has just returned from his latest trip to Tanzania, where his organization is making a major difference at our school.

For more than five years, Bernie has brought groups of students to visit St Jude’s and meet students from poor families whose lives are being transformed by free education.

“Our emphasis is on the journey, as a whole,” Bernie explained.

“It’s African students, walking side-by-side our Australian kids, and they’re all sharing hut space and learning heaps. It’s really empowering and powerful.”

Bernie and his Global Immersion groups have enjoyed culturally immersive experiences in Tanzania with us over the past few years, fundraising thousands for us beforehand. This latest group of 98 students is the largest to date.

“(This trip) was probably my greatest piece of work, ever, in my career,” Bernie said.

“When you take away so many people the first priority is health and safety, but we went way beyond that – we created an atmosphere and environment in which nearly every student thrived and had an experience way beyond their expectations.”

The 98-strong group travelled through Tanzania for almost 3 weeks, in which they climbed Mt Kilimanjaro with St Jude’s students, spent a few days at our campuses in Arusha and enjoyed local experiences including visiting a Maasai boma, drumming and dance lessons and home visits with school families.

They were further immersed through community service projects at near-by Moshi and even went on safari!

This group of inspiring Global Immersion students came from all over Australia, and collectively raised more than $100,000 while also paying their own way.

Students, such as Fiona Stalker of Hunter Valley Grammar School who personally raised $8822, worked hard to fundraise through activities like chocolate drives, working with service clubs like Rotary and setting up GoFundraise pages.

No wonder Bernie is proud.

“Some kids don’t know when to stop, so you end up with the Fiona performances in which they raise an amazing amount of money,” he said.

His guidance has led participants in the right direction before, with just some of the money previously raised funding our Senior A-Level science block.

Bernie’s passion and enthusiasm in guiding high achievers was clear more than 25 years ago, when he drove his first major project, the not-for-profit Australian Youth Development Association.

It went so well he followed it up with yLead and now Global Immersion and was awarded the Pride of Australia Medal in 2009.

Bernie’s support for St Jude’s began with yLead in 2010, and it’s become a valuable partnership for everyone involved.

“I met Gemma in Brisbane, and immediately felt there was a synergy of interest in which we could both create exciting opportunities for each other,” he said.

“These students (assistant family leaders from St Jude’s) are getting an exposure to organisations like ours that is bringing them global attachments. Global Immersion is about respecting the leadership and respecting the participant, whereby we’re really comfortable to give them responsibility.

“It’s about accepting people as individuals. They went out there, not knowing most of the other kids, and felt for three weeks they could be themselves – the best possible beautiful, ugly, gutsy, vulnerable self. And they loved it.”

Know someone who might want to see the world and make a difference in the lives of Tanzania's poorest and brightest students? Visit Global Immersion to find out more.

FORM Six graduate Suleiman remembers the moment when he had to step up and become a leader in the visitors’ team.

The aspiring doctor chose to spend this year in our Visitors’ team through the Beyond St Jude’s community service program, developing his skills and helping the supporters who made his free education possible.

“When I started, I had to do mostly paperwork, then (Visitors Coordinator) Bernadetta put me in charge of a tour group and I will always treasure that responsibility,” Suleiman said.

“I did the itinerary, prepared the room, booked trips, and when they came I took them to an orphanage and I just found myself crying as I helped heating milk and changing diapers.”

An orphan himself, Suleiman was determined to showcase ‘the real Arusha’ to his charge of visitors.

The next day he took his guests to Plaster House, which offers pre and post-operative care to children undergoing corrective surgeries, and TanzHandz which provides education and employment opportunities to people with disabilities. 

“That day was intensely emotional; one of the girls in the group started to say something and then she fainted in my hands. As I was taking her to the doctor, next door, two more girls fainted.”

As group leader, Suleiman took it upon himself to comfort the young women.

“I said to the whole group, you should be thankful for what you have seen, you should be happy. There are so many out there who do not have these chances and maybe they are even more desperate,” he said.

“Then I said, when you go back to Australia, you should not take anything for granted and always live a life mindful of those who have less.”

Enock is Suleiman’s best friend. All of our 2015 graduates placed in the top 10% of Tanzania in their national exams, and Enock finished right alongside Suleiman, at the top of the top. He also interns in our Visitors center.

“We like it so much,” Enock said. “We meet all these different visitors, we sit together with them and they are smiling and that is really nice, and it’s a very regular feeling for us.

“By the end of a visit you always end up treating a visitor more like family than a friend and when they are leaving you feel it, you know.”

Enock was one of the very first students to be accepted at St Jude’s and, like Suleiman, he has had a steep learning curve this year, literally – in the course of his internship he has summited Mt Kilimanjaro!  

Enock was assistant coordinator on a Kili climb and personally took it upon himself to make sure every participant summited.

Both interns discuss ‘growing out of responsibility’ and how, in hindsight, they have learnt and matured a lot. 

Responsibilities don’t end when they leave the office, though. Both Sule and Enock taught in government schools after graduating Form 4, and they continue to tutor every night after work.

“We teach in the afternoons, evenings and weekends now, kids from different government schools in our neighborhood, so even though we are here in the Visitors' center in the day, we also get to teach,” Suleiman said.

Fifty of our inaugural graduates chose to participate in the Community Service Program, some like Suleiman and Enock are interning at St Jude’s, and the bulk are teaching approximately 10,000 students across 18 government schools. All together, our graduates log over 2000 volunteer hours a week.

“One of the things I enjoy most in my life is meeting new people, so community service, like the word itself, community, I love!” Enock said, when asked to reflect on this year and if he would change anything.

“And my time working in the visitor’s center, I loved, I still love.”

If you want to share a smile and become part of Suleiman and Enock’s family before they head off to university, start planning a visit to St Jude’s today – We Love Visitors.