mini传媒

mini传媒 is coming to you! Meet Gemma and some of our amazing graduates at your school, church, Rotary Club鈥� or even in your very own living room.

St Jude鈥檚 is bringing Tanzania to you this year with The St Jude鈥檚 Special. On Thursday, 29 April at 9 am AEST, you鈥檒l be able to view an exciting and inspirational show, which will be live for just 96 hours.

Usually, at this time of year, Founder, Gemma Sisia, along with a St Jude鈥檚 graduate ambassador, would be making their way around Australia to connect with supporters and share the news about St Jude鈥檚. This year, Gemma, two extraordinary graduates, Ester and Victor, and some of our previous ambassadors will be making their way to your screens, wherever in the world, you are.

Ester and Victor will be telling their stories in their own words, and while they tell them best, we鈥檇 like to introduce them to you today!

Both Ester and Victor are St Jude鈥檚 Form 6 graduates from the Class of 2020, and commenced at St Jude鈥檚 in primary school. They鈥檙e excited to connect with the supporters who have made their education possible and continue to support them as they embark on their lives after school.

Victor and Ester are now midway through their Community Service Year (CSY) during which they are volunteering as teachers in local government schools. The CSY is part of the Beyond St Jude鈥檚 (BSJ) Program, where participants spend one year giving back to the community before commencing further studies. Victor explains, 鈥淚 am in a government school voluntarily teaching physics to Form 2 and Form 3. There are about 40 to 60 students in a class鈥� two to three times as many as at St Jude鈥檚.鈥�

Ester is also teaching in a government school, where she teaches Civics to Form 1 students, about 300 in total. She鈥檚 been looking forward to her CSY for a long time and loves that she can make a difference in her community.

鈥淢y brother and sister graduated from this school. There are good students here, but they lack resources鈥� I wish sometimes I could have another year here!鈥�

While the show doesn鈥檛 require air travel or changing time zones like the usual tour, it will still put the graduates鈥� public speaking skills to the test as they share their stories with you, our international supporters.

鈥淎t first, I was very nervous about it,鈥� says Victor, 鈥淏ut then I remembered that I am a teacher and I am always speaking to students. So I imagine that everyone watching is a student and then I can do it.鈥�

Ester too is ready to speak to St Jude鈥檚 supporters from around the world. But she wasn鈥檛 always so confident. 鈥淢y family were surprised when I told them about this. My mum was like, 鈥楢re you going to be able to do this? You鈥檙e very shy,鈥欌�� she laughs, before continuing.

鈥淚 want to say to people; St Jude鈥檚 taught me how to live, how to be confident. I want to say to supporters; don鈥檛 stop what you鈥檙e doing, even though you鈥檙e far away. You are changing the lives of thousands of people here in Tanzania.鈥�

You鈥檒l love meeting Ester and Victor and hearing their stories.

There鈥檒l be some familiar faces at The St Jude鈥檚 Special too. When you join the event, you鈥檒l get to reconnect with 2020 Ambassador, Judith, 2019 Ambassador, Godwin, 2017 Ambassador, Winrose and 2016 Ambassador, Dorice. For those of you who met these ambassadors on previous tours, there鈥檚 a lot of exciting news to catch up on!

Victor and Ester will lead an engaging conversation with each of the past graduates so you can get to know them even better 鈥� and they already have their questions prepared!

鈥淚鈥檓 really excited to see them,鈥� exclaims Victor. 鈥淚 have lots of questions, like what are their experiences of moving to another country to study?鈥�

Of course, the show is your chance to hear from Gemma about how St Jude鈥檚 began and the school鈥檚 progress over the last 12 months. A passionate presenter with an inspiring story to tell, Gemma loves to speak about St Jude鈥檚, and new and returning supporters will be captivated.

If you can have gatherings where you live, why not make an event of it? If events aren鈥檛 possible (or a cosy night on the couch sounds more appealing) you can easily watch at home. However you choose to view The St Jude鈥檚 Special, one thing is certain; you don鈥檛 want to miss it!

If you鈥檇 like to catch up with Gemma, Ester, Victor and St Jude鈥檚 ambassadors from past years, be sure to sign up at the link below. The link will be available for 96 hours, from Thursday 29 April at 9 am AEST to Monday 3 May at 9 am AEST. Or, if you鈥檙e in the US the link will be available from Wednesday 28 April at 3 pm PDT to Sunday 2 May at 10 pm PDT.