It is 28 October 2022 at mini传媒, Sisia Campus. Despite the cloudy weather, the school is particularly vibrant and lively on this Friday morning. Colourful hangings, banners and balloons decorate the dining hall and music can be heard in the air.
Today is a celebration.
鈥淪t Jude鈥檚 Day is one of the events on the school calendar that I always look forward to,鈥 says Jasmine, a Form 6 (the final year of secondary school) student. 鈥淚t is the day that brings everyone together as one big family,鈥 she adds.
St Jude鈥檚 Day is a special day to honour Saint Jude, the patron saint of desperate and lost causes for whom the school is named. It has been a tradition over the years to celebrate this day as a community. So, students and staff from all three schools converge onto the one campus for this day.
The first activity of the day is a whole school photo. In a huge logistical effort, everybody assembles on one of the sports fields to pose for a photo, lining up from youngest to oldest.
鈥淲hen I first started at St Jude鈥檚 I was one of the students in the front row,鈥 recalls Jasmine. 鈥淭his time, I was one of the students in the back row. That鈥檚 how far I have come!鈥 she reflects.
After the photograph comes a thanksgiving mass, during which students and staff alike make offerings of donated goods.
鈥淥n this day we exemplify the school鈥檚 culture by extending the gift of generosity to other people in need,鈥 explains Goodluck, Head Boy at St Jude鈥檚 Secondary School.
This year鈥檚 St Jude鈥檚 Day, Goodluck and his fellow student government leaders led the initiative to help elderly community members cope with the rising cost of living. Together with donations from generous international supporters, the student government created St Jude鈥檚 Day Essentials Packs, a special package consisting of a variety of staple food items for the elderly in need. In the weeks leading up to St Jude鈥檚 Day, Goodluck and fellow student leaders spearheaded the campaign and raised enough to cover 400 packs of St Jude鈥檚 Day Essentials Packs for the elderly in need!
The St Jude's Day Essentials Packs will be distributed to the elderly on 12 November 2022. It will be a full day of social interaction where students from St Jude鈥檚 will share conversations, stories and laughter whilst having lunch with the elderly.
鈥淚 would like to offer my sincere gratitude to everyone who joined our efforts by donating a St Jude鈥檚 Day Essentials Pack,鈥 says Goodluck. 鈥淏ecause of your generosity, hundreds of elderly people in need will experience joy and relief in rather challenging times.鈥
After a celebration lunch, the afternoon of St Jude鈥檚 Day is dedicated to students鈥 presentations and awards. Students from all year groups took to the stage to compete in various performances from traditional dances to drama. Demonstrating their love for St Jude鈥檚 and its values, each performance evoked laughter and cheer from the audience.
The 2022 St Jude's Day was capped off with a thrilling football match between staff from Sisia Campus and Smith Campus. On this occasion, staff from Smith Campus emerged with an emphatic victory over their Sisia counterparts.
mini传媒 has come a long way over the last 20 years. As a community, St Jude鈥檚 Day is an occasion of thanksgiving and togetherness and exemplifies the spirit of giving to those in need.
Sarah first landed in Tanzania almost a year ago to spend six months volunteering on an entrepreneurship program in rural villages.聽
Inspired by the power of working with and not on behalf of Tanzanian communities, she jumped at the chance to use her marketing experience at St Jude鈥檚 in October last year.聽聽
鈥淚 fell in love with Tanzania. Being from the UK, I hadn鈥檛 heard of the St Jude鈥檚 story in as much depth as the Australian population.鈥
鈥淏eing at the School has opened my eyes to what an incredible organisation this is.鈥澛
鈥淚 want to impact how we communicate the achievements of St Jude鈥檚 and our students in new and exciting ways. I want a global audience to hear about the outcomes we have in raising communities out of poverty.鈥澛
Equipped with eight years鈥 experience in the charity sector, Sarah believes working at St Jude鈥檚 provides a unique opportunity to live and work on the site of an international project which, every day, changes lives.
鈥淵ou can see the progress of the people we support, from the youngest students, to those completing secondary school. And, with the development of Beyond St Jude鈥檚, graduates giving back through a Community Service Year and going on to university.鈥
In the four months since Sarah started working at St Jude鈥檚, she says her life has already been changed.聽
鈥淭here have been some incredible experiences so far. Uniform Day was very special, but St Jude鈥檚 Day was my first experience of the whole school and local community coming together. The feeling of unity and celebration was indescribable.鈥
鈥淚n the Marketing team, we want to communicate how wonderful St Jude鈥檚 is with as many people as possible around the world. To convey the same feelings I have when stood among our community 鈥 hearing the songs, watching the dancing, eating school lunches and the buzz of weekly assemblies. I want everyone to share those experiences.鈥澛
Life in Arusha may be vastly different from Cambridge, Sarah鈥檚 hometown, but the bustling, mountainside city lends opportunity for international staff and St Jude鈥檚 visitors to explore some of Tanzania鈥檚 breathtaking sites.聽
鈥淎rusha is very green, and I love that it鈥檚 in the foothills of Mount Meru, which you can always see. It鈥檚 majestic.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 also a convenient place to live. The shops are good, transport is efficient, the climate is great. There鈥檚 a wide range of local and international cuisine to try.鈥澛
鈥淭he truth is, I can鈥檛 think of many challenges I鈥檝e faced [living in Arusha]. St Jude鈥檚 immediately felt familiar to me. I love that the commute between my house and the office takes about 40 seconds.鈥
鈥淚t is a privilege to be in a situation where I can walk outside the office doors and speak to students, teachers, fellow workers, and to Gemma, the organisation鈥檚 Founder, about what we do.鈥澛
A word of advice for anyone considering applying for a position at St Jude鈥檚?
鈥淲orking at St Jude鈥檚 ticks so many boxes. You can be part of a large not-for-profit with more than 300 staff, and it鈥檚 one of the few chances you鈥檒l get to work in an international development organisation onsite at the cause.鈥澛
鈥淚f you are someone who values new experiences, adventure and philanthropy, then this is a great opportunity for you. Hurry up and get here! You won鈥檛 regret it.鈥
Tides are shifting at St Jude鈥檚 and there has never been a more exciting time to join the fight against poverty through education. What are you waiting for?聽Check out our current vacancies and apply for the role of a lifetime today!
Intelligent, determined and articulate, Jenifa represented St Jude鈥檚 at Nelson Mandela University鈥檚 鈥榃omen and Girls in Science鈥 workshop.聽
The Form 4 advocate hopes to empower African girls by defying gender stereotypes and advocating for education rights.
鈥淚 was in physics class when my teacher, Mr Mcharo, told me I was nominated to attend the workshop. The motto was 鈥楽ay No to the Kitchen鈥, which I loved.鈥
鈥淲e met young women working in many industries. They were very inspiring, encouraging us to pursue our career paths in the future,鈥 Jenifa enthused.聽
鈥淢y favourite subjects are physics, chemistry and mathematics. Many girls in Africa are kept inside the house instead of attending school. It was really wonderful to meet girls at the seminar who are being educated.鈥澛
According to New African Woman Magazine, it will take 80 years for workplace gender equality in Africa to be achieved.
Jenifa, the only daughter among three children, is adamant she won鈥檛 conform to gender stereotypes.聽
鈥淚 want to be an aeronautical engineer when I finish school. I want to be a leader.鈥澛
鈥淢y favourite memory of all time was scoring the highest mock exam results out of all the girls in Arusha. I was not expecting that!鈥澛
In addition to her academic gifts, Jenifa enjoys public speaking and knows she can use her voice to make a difference.聽
鈥淚 am still so young, but I am passionate and excited. I would like to be a strong woman, like Mama Gemma or Oprah Winfrey. They have both started schools in Africa. They definitely said no to the kitchen!鈥
鈥淚 have admired Oprah since first learning about her in Standard 7. She makes people feel like they can be successful and study anything, despite their background,鈥 she said.
Jenifa dreams of meeting the philanthropic media mogul in the future, and thanking her for inspiring young African women.聽
"Just imagine if I saw Oprah walking towards me right now鈥 I would be so excited! I would like to tell her to keep on with the same spirit; to keep empowering young girls to create a better world.鈥澛
Indeed, with a St Jude鈥檚 education behind her, Jenifa is in the position to craft the future she desires for herself and her community. Already, she鈥檚 flying high.
Do you want to help empower young leaders like Jenifa?聽Donate today.
Gift is one of Beyond St Jude鈥檚 newest Community Service Year interns, serving his community as an assistant physics teacher at a local government school.
The Beyond St Jude鈥檚 program is an optional stepping stone for St Jude鈥檚 graduates. Those who choose to participate demonstrate leadership and generosity as interns in our school鈥檚 business office, library, boarding houses, Visitor team, entrepreneurial program, or by teaching in under-resourced government schools.
St Jude鈥檚 students don鈥檛 take their gift of a free, quality education for granted. Gift is one such graduate, whose sense of service is innate.
聽鈥淚 studied at this government school previously, that鈥檚 why I enjoy giving back!鈥 the aspiring electrical engineer said.聽
鈥淚 joined St Jude鈥檚 when I was in Form 5. When I was a student at this government school, I taught Form 4s mathematics in my spare time,鈥 he explained.
鈥淰olunteering at my old school was what I wanted from the beginning. I decided to use this one year before university.鈥
It takes Gift 45 minutes to walk from his home to work. In total, he's responsible for 182 students; Gift鈥檚 largest class has 68 pupils in it.
鈥淭here are big differences between this school and St Jude鈥檚,鈥 Gift remarked.
鈥淲e only have 43 teachers here, but at St Jude鈥檚, we have many more, and more resources as well. I loved the learning materials. St Jude鈥檚 really expanded my knowledge.鈥
Gift hopes to nurture as many young scientists as possible during his Community Service Year.
鈥淪ciences are key subjects because, in our country, these are important skills for employment.鈥
鈥淚n government schools, we have a lack of science teachers. So, I will use this year to help the students achieve their goals. I know I can鈥檛 do it 100%, but I know they'll appreciate my efforts,鈥 Gift said.
Being a teacher himself has also increased Gift鈥檚 appreciation for St Jude鈥檚 staff.
鈥淲hen I came from a government school to St Jude鈥檚, I didn鈥檛 know much English, which was a problem. During the activities at St Jude鈥檚, we learnt how to speak; we had to persevere. We learnt by speaking to our friends and teachers.鈥
鈥淢r Meshack, a physics, ICT and mathematics teacher, was my favourite. I try to be like him. He encouraged me to face and solve any problem with maths. Because he did well in Form 6, he was counselling us to study. He was trying to help us learn to find resources in books, and how to work hard,鈥 Gift gleamed.聽
Through his giving, Gift鈥檚 family has received abundantly. In fact, one of Gift鈥檚 current students is his own brother, Ioishock!
鈥淚t is very nice having my brother as my teacher. I dream of becoming a teacher one day,鈥 Ioishock said.
Gift is proud to guide his brother through his schooling.聽
鈥淚n the future, I expect I will help my family to achieve a lot!鈥 He insisted.聽
The 鈥楪ift鈥 of an education is one which keeps giving. If you鈥檇 like to sponsor a聽Beyond St Jude's聽participant, please email sponsorbeyond@schoolofstjude.co.tz
Meet Valentina. If you are a sponsor, you may already know her cheery tone and revel in her exciting emails announcing student awards. 聽聽
Commonly known as 鈥榁ale鈥,聽the superstar Sponsor Relations Assistant has worked at St Jude鈥檚 for over 12 years!
The amazing mum-of-three young boys started working at St Jude鈥檚 in 2004 as a cleaner. She spoke little English, but harboured big dreams and has now secured her place as a business office hero!聽
鈥淚 worked for one year as a cleaner and after that, my supervisor chose me to become the Head of Cleaners,鈥 Valentina said.聽
鈥淎fter five years as the Head of Cleaners, I started going to secretarial classes at night. Around this time, a position in the Sponsorship Team was advertised and I decided to apply,鈥 she said.聽
鈥淎n international staff member, Joanne, said to me, 鈥榁ale! Wow, you applied for the Sponsorship position. That is wonderful!鈥"
"I said to her, 鈥業 will try my best.鈥欌澛
The rest, as they say, is history.聽
鈥淚 was so excited when I started in the office. It was hard to communicate at first, but the international staff were so funny! At lunch and tea break, they would ask me for advice. They trusted me,鈥 she reflected.聽
Eight years later, Vale continues to thrive.
鈥淪ometimes now, people joke that I have been here forever. But, I have no need to go away. This place has taken me from nothing, to something,鈥 she said.聽
And it鈥檚 not just our school that Vale loves. It was here that she met former St Jude鈥檚 bus driver, Herman, her now husband and father of her sons.聽
鈥淚 was still a cleaner when I met Herman,鈥 Valentina said.聽
鈥淗e was very shy. He took my phone number from another driver and when he called me, at first, he refused to speak. One day, he had the courage to call again and invited me to meet his family. He said he loved me,鈥 she giggled.聽
鈥淲e have been together for more than ten years.鈥澛
mini传媒鈥檚 ripple effect flows far and wide; working at St Jude鈥檚 has helped Vale provide for her family.聽
鈥淏ecause of this school, my kids can also get a nice meal and education, as I can pay school fees. We are getting a good salary. I love Mama Gemma and the sponsors. They are helping this community, my country, and me too.鈥
Vale鈥檚 come so far, but she鈥檚 still dreaming, daring and doing.聽
鈥淭his month, I will start a certificate in Procurement and Supply at university. Then, I want to do the diploma and later, the degree. St Jude鈥檚 is helping me so much. I am confident.鈥
It鈥檚 been 12 long years, but Valentina hopes this is still the beginning of the journey.
鈥淭his school was my very first workplace. It is the best place to work and I鈥檒l stay a long time 鈥 I wish to stay even 20 years!鈥
Check out our聽current vacancies聽if you鈥檇 like to join Valentina and the St Jude鈥檚 staff!
Thrill-seekers and animal lovers traverse the globe to catch a glimpse of Tanzania鈥檚 tembo (elephants). Sadly, these majestic creatures face extinction as targets of ivory poachers.
A group of St Jude鈥檚 secondary students is committed to stamping out tembo terrorisers by raising awareness about poaching in the community.
Tembo Club was started in February by impassioned student activists, who boldly approached their teachers with the desire to save one of Tanzania鈥檚 national treasures.
鈥淧oaching means we destroy natural resources that are beneficial to us. And of course, elephants have rights, so why shouldn鈥檛 they just live?鈥
鈥淧eople think that conducting the black market of ivory is a good thing because they can get furniture. It鈥檚 a disappointment,鈥 said Tembo Club President and Form 6 student, Christina.聽
The students are right to be disappointed and concerned. Tanzania is one of Africa鈥檚 poaching hotspots. Between 2009 and 2014, the illegal activity reduced Tanzania鈥檚 elephant numbers by 60%.
鈥淭his is a big problem. If there are no more elephants, it will lower the status of our nation,鈥 said Tembo Club Chairman and Geography teacher, Mr Fauz.
鈥淲e are the ambassadors for Tanzania. Protecting the natural resources of any country is an important thing to do. So I am proud to be one of them,鈥 Christina said.
The club meets twice monthly. So far, 36 students and four teachers are a part of group, but this number is set to increase.
鈥淢ost students wish to join our club, although we limit the number and I鈥檓 sure even though they are not members, they are motivated to do something like what we are doing already,鈥 Christina said.
Nickson, Emmanuel and Nasra are three enthusiastic members of Tembo Club.
鈥淚 have a passion for art and this is one of the ways I can express my opinions to society. It can trigger someone to care about poaching,鈥 Nickson expressed.
鈥淲e have good resources, good teachers, good mentors and good members among us. I can鈥檛 even express how glad I am for this group,鈥 Emmanuel beamed.
鈥淭he best part is conserving the environment, telling people more about wildlife and how precious wildlife is to our society,鈥 Nasra said.聽
Deputy Chariman of Tembo Club, Mr Elias, believes the students鈥 efforts will have a widespread impact, thanks to their opportunities at mini传媒.
鈥淲ith the support of the international community, we can all make a difference by saying no to poaching and saying no to buying products made from elephants.鈥
鈥淲e want the ivory market to be blacklisted and to disappear. If the market flourishes, the killing will continue. This is done by the very richest people in big business, so it requires a collective voice to say no to poaching,鈥 Mr Elias said.
Pay us a visit聽and learn more about Tembo Club. You might even get the chance to see some tembo in Arusha鈥檚 beautiful national parks!
