The School of St
Jude recently celebrated its 10th Anniversary by continuing to fight
poverty through education. St Jude’s provides a free, high quality primary and
secondary education to over 1,600 of the poorest, brightest students from
Arusha, Tanzania. Its success and growth is not only a testament to the
hardworking people on the ground, but to the unyielding support provided by
individual
Rotarians as well as Rotary clubs from around the
world. Within ten years, St Jude’s has expanded to three beautifully manicured
campuses, two boarding houses for over 1,000 students and a fleet of over 20
buses. The students are thriving beyond anybody’s wildest expectations. They
continue to score tremendous results on national exams, garner top place
finishes at sporting events, and impress teachers and community members with
their maturity, ambition and intellect.
Rotarians and
partners from Australia and New Zealand visit St Jude’s every year. Not only do
they meet the students, some of which they sponsor, they also immerse themselves
in Tanzanian culture by dancing with Maasai tribe choirs, dining on East African
food and sharpening their bargaining skills at the second-hand markets. Some
even travel on safari to admire the extensive wildlife, while others soak up sun
on the beaches of Zanzibar.
Two of St Jude’s
volunteer couples met and worked in Fiji in the early 90’s. Shean Gannon (now
Acting School Director) worked as the manager of Minson Construction in Fiji for
five years with his wife Carmel. There they met Australian couple Mick and Barb
Muller (when Mick was working in the IT Department for an AusAid program). They
all reunited as volunteers at St Jude’s. In 2012 they also had a visitor, Grace,
from Christchurch who lived in Fiji around this same time. It was a memorable
moment sitting at the small pub ‘The Water Hole’ outside St Jude’s when they all
connected the dots and reminisced about their time in Fiji.
Since St Jude’s
opened its gates in 2002, Rotary has been there every step of the way, from
building the initial classroom blocks to hosting fundraisers and spreading the
word. The work isn’t done yet. By 2015 the school will have a complete primary
and secondary school, educating around 2,000 of the most disadvantaged students.
In order to maintain the high quality of education that St Jude’s has come to
represent, support is as crucial as ever.
To learn about St
Jude’s sponsorship program, make a donation or plan a visit to the school,
please visit www.schoolofstjude.org or send an email to info@schoolofstjude.co.tz.
The low
down summary:
Dare to dream …
· Gemma Sisia from a
sheep farm in Australia opened a small school in Northern Tanzania in 2002 with
the help of her family, friends and the local Rotary club.
· Each year 150 new prep students are invited to
attend The School of St Jude, and the goal is for every student to finish primary
and secondary school.
· The ripple effect
of this outstanding education reaches children, families, staff and suppliers in
the Arusha community and across
Tanzania.
