The School of St Jude has a noble mission: to educate disadvantaged, bright students from the Arusha District to become moral and intellectual leaders in their country and for St Jude's to thereby demonstrate educational leadership in Tanzania. To make it happen, the nonprofit provides a quality education to 150 new students every year - […]
The School of St Jude in northern Tanzania fights poverty through education. You won’t find it highlighted in glossy travel brochures but it’s a memorable destination and a worthwhile experience. While not the journey, it can be a fulfilling detour. The story of St Jude’s has been told through its inspiring and indefatigable founder, Gemma […]
Gemma Sisia grew up with six brothers on an Australian farm, riding horses and motorbikes, trout fishing, and swimming in waterfalls. Her parents passed on to her a strong sense of justice and the desire to help others. After college, Gemma worked as a teacher in a rural school in Uganda. There, she experienced an […]
More than 100 parents, teachers and students from 11 neighboring schools visited our Moshono campus for the biggest ever extra-curricular activities fair, which offered interactive stalls, interschool sports and a theatre showcase.
Two students are leading the way for career-driven females with an invitation to an exclusive camp held by the US Department of State, Intel, Microsoft, Girl Up and the Rwanda Girls Initiative. Form 6 student Emiliana and Form 3 student Neema are attending WiSci: Girls STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) Camp, a three-week […]
In what is becoming a popular way of saying ‘thanks’ to St Jude’s, a group of 23 student parents recently volunteered their time to help keep the Moshono campus beautiful. Christopher, whose daughter Neema is currently in Form 6 at Smith campus, was one of those parents who helped out with school maintenance. He said […]
A year after heading to South Africa on an African Leadership Academy scholarship, former St Jude’s student Liston was back to share his education through a weekend leadership course at Smith campus. The two-day, ALA-initiated camp is designed to help ambitious students problem-solve via a grassroots structure. Called “BUILD in a Box”, the course is […]
This fall, Kim Saville, our Director of International Relations, returns to the States to share remarkable stories of our students and the school with as many supporters as possible.
The results from our first ever Form 6 national exams have been released and the achievements are inspiring. Years of dedication has paid off for our incredible students, who all passed, with more than half of them achieving the highest possible mark of 'Distinction'. The class also ranked in the top 10% in Tanzania for […]
Five St Jude’s Form 6 students attended the JuniorTukkie Empowerment Week at South Africa’s University of Pretoria and described the experience as life-changing.
It was 13 years in the making, and it lived up to the hype. Supporters from around the world flew to Arusha on Saturday to celebrate The School of St Jude’s first ever Form 6 graduation.The milestone event saw the 61 students, proudly draped in gowns of navy blue and canary yellow and wearing matching […]
For the past six years the students of one Rockhampton school have had a very special connection to a school in Tanzania. Rockhampton Grammar School Teacher Wendy Goldston has encouraged her students to fundraise for the School of St Jude in Tanzania which was started in 2002 by Australian Gemma Sisia.
A FEW years ago, Kim Saville was working in a high-profile job in film and television casting, finding future stars for shows including Water Rats and Murder Call. These days you will find her in the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro, surrounded by smiling, bright-eyed Tanzanian children from The School of St Jude. It’s a dramatic […]
Thirteen years after opening with just three students, St Jude's has produced its first ever Form 6 graduation class. These students, who come from impoverished backgrounds, will become the future doctors, teachers, scientists and leaders of Tanzania. Get to know the Class of 2015 by looking through our inaugural Year Book.
Students shared their high school memories with visitors and sponsors as part of an "Achievement Exhibition", which was one of the highlights of Thursday's graduation celebrations.
There is an air of trepidation when speaking to a soon-to-be graduate of St Jude’s. Like most final year students, there is a mix of nervousness around finishing up school and excitement about taking their first tentative steps into the “real world” as adults. However, the Form 6 class of 2015 of The School of […]
There had to be something special happening at St Jude’s to lure our very first teacher back. Australian volunteer Angela Bailey fondly remembers her first time living in the Arusha and volunteering at the school, so the chance to offer further support to some of the very same students she taught back in those early […]
Raspberry Pi may have taken out top prize, but this was certainly no cooking competition. The School of St Jude’s 5th annual Science Day, which featured more than 100 entries in another successful year, was topped by Venance in 4C and Martin in 3H for their “Smart House with Raspberry Pi”. Venance and Martin spent […]
Seven savvy and enthusiastic lower primary teachers have been chosen as English “champions” for St Jude’s lower and upper primary school. The teachers all achieved a “good” mark for their use of English in the classroom, when evaluated by ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher Mel Lamus at the beginning of the year. […]
One of the biggest events in the history of St Jude’s is getting closer and closer. Our first ever Form 6 class will graduate on May 30 in a ceremony that has been 13 years in the making. Last Wednesday, the excited students took another major step towardsfinishing their schooling when they completed their final […]
“Commitment is the moment in life when you seize opportunities and use them to alter your life and destiny”. Alex Elifas is a contemplative soul and his impending graduation in May is providing him cause to be even more reflective than usual. “St Jude’s has built a big part of my personality”, he says, “Who […]
2014 was a big year for our Form 4 students. They spent it applying themselves to studies that ranged from history to chemistry to biology. Our students began the New Year with feelings of anticipation as they eagerly awaited their exam results to see if all of their hard work paid off. Finally, the results […]
For 13 years we have been working towards this day - the day we commemorate our first Form 6 graduates leaving behind their school teachers, school books and school uniforms and heading into the world beyond the school gates. These proud young men and women will celebrate their graduation on Saturday, May 30, 2015, with […]
Mary always had the talent and determination to become a future leader of Tanzania. Thanks to St Jude's, she now has the opportunity. The phenomenal 14-year-old was the top student out of 359 Standard 7s in her severely under-resourced primary school but would not have been able to finish high school without St Jude's. Her […]
Our Sponsor Relations team is the biggest team in the business office at St Jude‘s. We have are made up of people from all over the globe; Australia, America, Ireland, the UK, working alongside eight fantastic Tanzanians. St Jude‘s Sponsors provide some of the much-needed support to ensure that each of our students has the […]
We have just witnessed the excitement of the happiest people in Arusha at the moment! Our new students, starting at St Jude’s in January, received their first set of brand new St Jude’s uniforms! This is always the most joyful day in the school calendar as the gift of these uniforms signifies the start to […]
Form 5 student Elias’s remote Maasai village has already started hailing him as the doctor. They hold faith in this promising young man and his determination to work in the medical field to help his own people. “My aim of becoming a doctor is to help myself, to help with my society, to help Tanzania […]
We are so grateful for 25 new sponsors who have stepped forward to provide our students with a free, high - quality education. It is exciting to think of the possibilities that now lie before these students who will start at St Jude‟s in January. Imagine how their lives will change! With an education these […]
We are extremely proud of three secondary students who have achieved exceptional results in a national essay competition. Form 4 students Julieth, Pius and Ebenezer wrote wonderful and insightful essays on ‘The Role of Standards in Promoting Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security and Trade in Africa.’ All three were in the top 10 national winners with […]
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 […]
Hundreds of students have decked out in colourful costumes to celebrate St Jude’s Day recently, showing their appreciation for the free, high-quality education they receive at the school. Primary and secondary students did traditional African dances, including Maasai and other performances, which expressed their happiness at being able to study at St Jude’s and their […]
Almost a quarter of young women aged 15-24 today (116 million) in developing countries have never completed primary school and, consequently, lack the skills necessary for gaining meaningful employment (source: UNESCO). Those who miss out on going to school soon lose hope, and are forced to give up their career aspirations. Yet, when you ‘educate a woman, […]
A CASINO librarian has collected enough books to fill a shipping container and is now hoping to raise $10,000 to build a library to house them in a remote Tanzanian village. Taryn Kelly worked at a school in Tanzania in 2005 and since her return to Australia in 2007 she has been collecting books to send […]
The School of St Jude proudly celebrated the graduation of its third intake of Form 4 students who are excitedly preparing to embark on their senior studies. 600 people attended the event recently to see the graduation of 126 Form 4 students at St Jude's Smith Campus. Parents happily watched on as the students received […]
You spot an awesome job at an NGO and think you tick all the boxes, so you apply and are confident that you will get the job. But you miss out and don’t understand why. What’s missing from your application? Why is it being overlooked? In my eight years of working in human resources and […]
While taking a ‘gap year’ is a concept more common amongst school leavers and ‘twenty-somethings’ experiencing an existential crisis, taking 12 months off to travel the globe isn’t just a Gen Y rite of passage. As Peter and Denise Barnett discovered, the world is your oyster no matter how old you are. The journey After […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Australian actress Rebel Wilson, known for her roles in Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids, has visited Tanzania to meet her sponsored student Winnie for the first time. The two have been sharing letters, gifts and photos for over eight years as Rebel has tried to help Winnie and her family escape the cycle of poverty by sponsoring her high-quality […]
She's famous for making people laugh, but Rebel Wilson has also proved she also has a big heart. The 28-year-old actress is in South Africa filming her new movie Grimsby with Sacha Baron Cohen. But the Pitch Perfect star took some time out from her hectic shooting schedule to visit her sponsor child Winnie in Tanzania.
It’s not all work and no play for Rebel Wilson, who took a break from filming to go on safari in Africa. The 28-year-old Aussie actress is currently filming the comedy Grimsby in Cape Town, South Africa, but managed to sneak a peak at the wildlife. Wilson shared the experience, posing from her tour vehicle […]
She's busy filming new comedy flick Grimsby in Cape Town. But on Monday Rebel Wilson took a break from the set to go on a 'Super Fun' African adventure. The 28-year-old took to Twitter to document a safari trip in Tanzania - one that saw her up close and personal with lions and elephants.
If you’re a teacher looking for an exciting new job, experience living abroad, and the chance to give back, then you could be one of the next Teacher Mentors at The School of St. Jude. In this interview, Gaye Tiplady, a St Jude’s Leadership Mentor with over 25 years of education experience, explains what it’s like to […]
In under a year, our first set of students will do something they once thought would never be possible - graduate from secondary school. Many of them have been with our school since its early days, studying hard so they can pass their national exams and achieve high marks to get into their chosen university […]
Our Form 3 student, Wenseslaus, has had an amazing opportunity. He had an exciting time away at the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, learning about leadership building and teamwork. This trip is part of a prize that he won for coming third in the International Youth Day Essay Competition last year. He was […]
Professional development of our teachers is very important to us and we are always looking for ways for them to learn new teaching methodologies or resources in their classes. This month, a group of United States teachers volunteered their time to come to our school to share their knowledge and expertise with our Tanzanian teachers. […]
Students at The School of St Jude have scooped up awards at the recent Science Fair at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology in Arusha. The institute invited some of the best students from a range of local schools including St Jude’s and Ilboru Secondary School to showcase their innovative scientific and […]
In this pictorial edition of Corroborree we will be featuring all of the highlights from the Sydney Convention 2014. The Convention provided attendees with various different events and activities that kept them entertained for hours and have left them with memories to last a lifetime.
‘Jambo’! ‘Poa’, sang a choir of delightful Tanzanian children, cheeky smiles from ear to ear, bustling shyly for the attention o f this unknowing 'mzungu'. In December 2013, I travelled to Tanzania with Global Immersion, a company dedicated to uniting the youth of the world. Founder Bernie Kelly resonates enthusiasm, dedication and passion through his […]
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 […]
“The Book Child” In the name of my birthright, please do me this justice… I want to read and write my alphabet of dreams. The yearning of the Book Child echoes deep in every era. For every generation’s truth, is the education of its youth. To stand tall in library queues and read all about […]
She has transformed thousands of lives by providing education in a society where education is a privilege for most, and along the way, created jobs for over 400 local Tanzanians. In recognition of her selfless contribution to improving the lives of others, the Australian government awarded her the awarded her a Member of the Order […]
Photographer Simon Scott is preparing for a trip to Tanzania with his 10-year-old son. The Armidale snapper will will travel to the School of St Jude, founded by Guyra woman Gemma Sisia, with his son Fletcher. Scott will lend his photography skills to the St Jude cause. It will be his fourth such trip. “Once […]
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 […]
Five years ago, St Joseph’s Primary School teacher Marta Cummings launched a fundraising effort with an eager group of grade 1 children, aiming to make a difference to the lives of children in Tanzania. Since then, the Prahran resident has expanded the program to include the whole school. The school community – including staff, students […]
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 […]
St Jude’s Parents’ Committee acts as a voice for parents of our students. It has been running since 2004 and headed by a strong, Tanzanian woman, Bibi Anna. Our Media Relations Officer Steph Fitzpatrick caught up with Bibi Anna to find out more about what the Parents’ Committee does at St Jude’s. Firstly, can you […]
Our secondary students have started arguably, their most critical years at school, Form 5, which is the first installment of their A levels (senior studies). Form 5 students Amani and Jacklyn are excited about the year ahead as they have a firmer idea about where their senior studies could lead to. Amani has his heart […]
When Gemma Sisia witnessed the overwhelming number of Tanzanian children living in poverty and missing out on a good education back in 2002, she set out to build The School of St Jude. The Australian-born educator started the school with three students and one teacher, and now provides a free, high quality education to more […]
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 […]
