19-Nov-2014 As many of you will have heard, the Ebola virus has claimed more than 4,000 lives during the current epidemic in West Africa.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 9,000 people have been infected during the outbreak.
Even though the outbreak has only affected three countries out of 54, Arusha and the whole of Africa has seen a major decline in visitors due to the media coverage and because there isn’t a widespread understanding of the size and diversity of Africa.
Some people have contacted us wanting to know if it is safe to travel to Tanzania and The School of St Jude. We want to explain why it is still safe and why visiting us helps us continue fighting poverty through education.
Some important facts about Ebola
We understand that many people are worried about Ebola however we want to assure you that Tanzania, and East Africa, continues to be a safe destination to travel to. Your support during this time is greatly appreciated since without visitors, volunteers and word of mouth it is harder for us to find funds to keep fighting poverty through education.
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CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/qa.html
10 Essential Facts About Ebola www.everydayhealth.com/news/ebola-10-essential-facts-about/
Fear, Misinformation, and Social Media Complicate Ebola Fight
http://time.com/3479254/ebola-social-media/
Map: The Africa without Ebola www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/11/03/map-the-africa-without-ebola/
'Epidemic of ignorance': Tourists avoid Africa, all of it www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/10/31/safari-ebola-africa-geography/17784729/
One of our wonderful supporters Raymond McLaren played a huge part in helping St Jude’s get off the ground. Raymond headed out to the school in 2003 and helped the fundis (tradespeople) to install some water tanks to collect drinking water as well as assisting with the guttering at the back of what is now the visitor block.
He’s an active Rotarian from Tamworth and has shared some of his best moments from Tanzania in his piece below.
Samwell
My first memory is of meeting Samwell, the Maasai night watchman. Despite meeting in less than perfect circumstances (ie: I yelled at his guard dogs for keeping me awake!), Samwell and I were to become good friends during my stay at St Jude’s. I remember helping him to spit roast a goat for a special occasion, and I always admired his ability to stay up all night, with his dogs and his guitar for company, singing tunes through the darkest hours.
Anybody visiting this area will be rewarded by spending some time with the Maasai, and I am very happy to have had someone like Samwell help me learn about this indigenous culture.
Paddy
Gemma’s brother Paddy was a tradesman builder, and he had the most amazing “gunbelt” of tools. They were so heavy in his tradesman’s belt that he had to lower them straight down to the ground once he undid the belt buckle. To arm himself for the day’s work, he had to step into the belt while it was on the ground, and then raise it up to his waist (sometimes needing some help to lift it) and fasten the buckle. He was a great organiser of the work.
I especially remember the building project for the girl’s dormitory. The foundation holes seemed to be enormous, and Paddy explained that because the building was to be three stories and the volcanic ground was very soft, it needed concrete pads about 1.5 metre square and 2 metres deep. I can still see the local labourers singing away as they shoveled the dirt out of these deep holes with square nosed shovels.
Daniel Sisia
Another fond memory is of meeting Daniel Sisia, father of Richard Sisia and Gemma’s father-in-law. I remember him always being well dressed, usually in a jacket, and he always struck me as being a real gentleman, and so very interested in the project. He enabled Gemma to start the school with his gift of the first land. His meeting with the Town Council about the water rights for the school was a classic piece of negotiation, and helped us to guarantee a quality water supply for St Jude’s.
Water Tanks
I was not involved with the initial earthworks at St Jude’s, but in July 2003, I travelled to Arusha with the purpose of installing some water tanks suitable to collect drinking water, which Gemma saw as a very great need. With the help of the Gemma’s band of fundis from nearby Moshono, I was able to install three 5,000 litre tanks, as well as some other tanks with storage of around 30,000 litres. Of course, it was not enough, but it would certainly help Gemma to run the school more easily, and so we had all made a contribution to this great project.
The Rotary Club of Mount Meru was very supportive of my efforts here, welcomed me warmly, and provided some material assistance, as well as encouragement. The Club President, Deepa Hans, and his Secretary Gurmit Bachu, treated me especially well and helped organise a number of functions.
Safari
My safari to Ngorongoro Crater was quite an adventure. Seeing so much wildlife in one place is really something, and the notable thing is the grass growing here is still knee high, despite hundreds of wildebeest, zebras, warthogs and hippos all grazing on it. There were also thousands of pink flamingos on the lakes, and amongst all this lions and other mean predators, like jackals and cheetahs, as well as elephants, crested cranes, giant herons and the awkward looking giraffes. The Crater has to be a must see for any visitors to Arusha.
Khan’s
For intending visitors, the Kilimanjaro beer is a great experience, and the place to be seen is Khan’s BBQ. By day it is a dirty dusty mechanics workshop, which at night is transformed into an outdoor BBQ.
Flying to Arusha
We were flying though the most beautiful, enchanting bank of clouds - one of the most beautiful displays of natural grandeur that I have ever seen in my long life. More time passed, and before long large rock with some ice sticking to it appeared, just poking out of the clouds about 20 kms to the north off the starboard wing.
“Mount Kilimanjaro,” confided one of the regular passengers, “great to see, isn’t it?”
Just as the light started to fade into dusk, the plane started to descend, and as darkness approached we landed at Arusha airport.
Gemma
I first met Gemma when she addressed the Rotary Club Tamworth about 1998 or 99. She managed to convince quite a few of the Rotarians to subscribe to her school project, with us each paying $15 a month to her special Commonwealth Bank account. This Rotary Club still supports this project via an annual donation.
Seeing Gemma shopping for the school needs in the local open, dusty industrial markets, haggling over the price of everything from nails to cement to timber planks in her fluent Kiswahili, it was obvious that she commanded a lot of respect. She always got top value for the money that she spent, carefully using the money that people had subscribed to the project. Although many people obviously contributed to creating St Jude’s, Gemma is the reason why I got to see the children come rushing in through the gates at 8am, so enthusiastic to be going to school.
Schools like St Jude’s are providing a quality education for children who otherwise would not get it. I want to keep on supporting the School of St Jude whenever I can.
Gemma’s mission says it all: “Fighting poverty Through Education”.
As the country celebrates National Volunteer Week, Australian volunteers are making a big difference in Tanzania by working at one of Africa’s largest non-profits’, The School of St Jude, which is fighting poverty through education.
In 2010, Melbourne resident Paula Selway decided to leave the comforts of home behind to begin a long-term volunteering stint at St Jude’s in Arusha. She initially thought she’d only stay a year or two but her passion for being part of a cause which is helping underprivileged children in Tanzania, led her to stay for the next four years.
During that time, Paula has worked in a variety of roles from arranging tours for visitors to coordinating and implementing a new business database at the school.
She has lived with and bade farewell to countless volunteers at St Jude’s, cherishing the lifelong friendships she has made with them.
“After a few years at St Jude’s not only do I have a new family of amazing people, but I have gained so much professionally and personally,” said Paula. “I have been able to pass on the skills I have gained in my work life, but more importantly I have learnt so much from the people I have been fortunate enough to work with. I will take these lessons with me when I leave, and will be forever grateful.”
St Jude’s was founded by an Australian woman, Gemma Sisia, who was inspired to start a school after volunteering in Africa. Gemma realised that a high-quality education, especially for children from the poorest of communities, was the key to breaking the poverty cycle.
It started off with three students in 2002 and it now provides a free quality education to more than 1,800 students. The school provides employment to 36 international volunteers and over 400 Tanzanians, creating a widespread ripple effect that is extending far beyond the school gates.
“I am so grateful for volunteers from Australia and across the globe that have put in a massive effort to develop the school, from building the first classrooms to mentoring Tanzanian teachers on how to creatively use resources,” says Gemma.
Volunteering life has made a big impression on Paula. "If you open yourself up to a whole new culture, new country, new work environment, you will be amazed at how much it can change you," she says.
National volunteer week runs from May 12th to the 18th.
When my daughter Rachel, and her husband, David, came to visit her parents here at St Jude’s, they were excited to meet many members of staff and students.
Suleiman in Form 6 is one who she will certainly remember. After watching him lead a Form 6 assembly, over at the Smith campus, Rachel had a brief opportunity to meet him so that they could exchange their stories. She uses sign language back in the UK, while Suleiman described how he taught himself to sign to help children here in Tanzania.
Suleiman shared some of his insights into how in his younger days, at a local government school, he saw some of his peers struggling to be accepted because of the communication difficulties they experienced through hearing impairment. He was pleased when a progressive head teacher integrated the children into mainstream classes, out of the unit that was attached to the school. Initially, the uniform was different to show the children were from the unit but he eventually changed it, so their uniforms were the same as the wider school community and to help them feel more included.
Suleiman learned to sign and spent time helping some of the children overcome difficulties in learning and socialising. Today, he retains that commitment to help people out in the community, who struggle because they have additional needs. Rachel was pleased to be able to pass on some beautifully illustrated books which a primary teacher friend in the UK sent over to provide visual stimulus for children with hearing impairment. It was a great encounter!
As well as having a good heart, Suleiman is also passionate about his studies and won a prize for his soil project at last month’s Science Day at St Jude’s.
Here are the top 10 reasons to join The School of St Jude's Ultimate Kilimanjaro Challenge.
1. To have a strong excuse to get off the couch, get moving, and get in shape.
2. To stop putting off your dream of going to Africa.
3. To stand atop Africa's highest mountain, take in heart-stopping views and lose yourself in the spiritual experience.
4. To visit a paradisiac corner of Tanzania, home not only to the Kilimanjaro, but also to the best known safari parks on the planet.
5. To visit the semi-nomadic Maasai communities of Northern Tanzania.
6. To have a chance to run a 5K or a marathon in The School of St Jude's Ultimate Kilimanjaro Challenge, kicking off in February 2014.
7. To help St Jude's fight poverty through a free, top-notch education to 1600+ Tanzanian girls and boys.
8. To embrace the opportunity of six days of moderate hikes, as the Kilimanjaro is not a steep climb. It is formed by relatively flat layers and other materials.
9 To have life-long bragging rights.
Help us complete the tenth reason: 10....
Today, nine people will drive from St Jude’s Sisia (Moshono) Campus and head east towards Africa’s tallest mountain and the world’s tallest free-standing mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro. Over seven days they will attempt to reach Uhuru Peak – 5,895 meters / 19,341 feet – the “rooftop” of Africa.
St Jude's kanga at Uhuru Peak in 2011
Nervous, scared, anxious, thrilled – just some of the adjectives to describe how everyone’s feeling at the moment. Over the last few months they’ve been acquiring the proper gear to deal with below freezing temperatures for summit night, when they’ll wake up around midnight and trek through the darkness with just headlamps and guides to lead them up the steep mountain ridge. Training regimens have, hopefully, been kept to as this isn’t exactly a stroll in the park! They’ll walk for 5-7 hour days for seven days straight, gaining elevation with each day.
For many of them, this will be the most difficult, challenging event of their entire lives. So why are they climbing exactly?
As part of St Jude’s Kili Challenge 2012, they are climbing with a purpose, to raise funds for the students of The School of St Jude. For the last two years, through a partnership with Summits Africa, St Jude’s has had visitors fly into Tanzania from all over the globe to take part in this challenge. It’s been a tremendous success, and offers an avenue for people to challenge themselves like never before, a mantra that we preach to our students everyday.
Good luck to all of our climbers, everyone at St Jude’s will be cheering you on!
