Abdallah first discovered his love for art when he had to draw a picture as part of a school assignment. The teacher had asked the class to select a reference picture of their choice from an English textbook, and one picture, in particular, caught his attention.
鈥淚t was a picture of a woman with a headwrap sitting on a wooden stool cooking a meal on a charcoal stove,鈥� recalls Abdallah. 鈥淢y exercise book was full, so I drew the picture on the very last page and it remained there many days,鈥� he adds.
Fast forward to 10 years later, Abdallah is a student at St Jude鈥檚 Secondary School and an aspiring artist. The rich resources at St Jude鈥檚 have inspired him to develop his passion for art even further, exploring his creativity in new and exciting ways. He no longer uses a single reference book for inspiration and nor does he have to use the back of his exercise book for his creations.
鈥淪t Jude鈥檚 support for my talent has been incredible,鈥� says Abdallah. 鈥淚n addition to resources, I also get mentorship and support from my teachers and fellow students,鈥� he adds.
Despite art not being a core subject in Tanzania鈥檚 national curriculum, St Jude鈥檚 focus on holistic education has made art a part of the school鈥檚 curriculum from the start. This gives opportunities to students like Abdallah who would love to express their creativity on a blank white canvas.
鈥淚 first volunteered at St Jude鈥檚 as an art teacher back in 2006,鈥� says Alicia, St Jude鈥檚 Art Initiative Coordinator and one of the early volunteers at the school. 鈥淎lthough the school was only four years old back then, it was obvious that art was a priority,鈥� she recalls.
Alicia is currently back at St Jude鈥檚 to kick start the new Student Art Program, an initiative designed to support, encourage and develop the skills of budding artists at the school, while giving supporters the opportunity to have a little piece of St Jude鈥檚 in their own home.
鈥淭he Student Art Program came about as a recognition of our students鈥� talents, both from us and visitors coming to St Jude鈥檚,鈥� explains Alicia. 鈥淪o, we worked to launch a virtual gallery on our website to showcase students鈥� artworks and also allow for visitors to order artworks in support of the program and as gifts,鈥� she continues.
St Jude鈥檚 Student Art Program complements the already thriving extracurricular Art Clubs and classes at the school. All proceeds from artwork orders go straight back into developing the Art Program with quality resources and materials, building a gallery, and much more.
There are three ways to support the Student Art Program directly from St Jude鈥檚 website.
鈥淲e have set it up so that it works like an online shop which is familiar to most people,鈥� says Alicia. 鈥淵ou can order an original artwork and have it mailed to you in Australia, or you can buy the original and donate it back to St Jude鈥檚 where it will be displayed in the school for everyone to enjoy, and the third option is ordering a digital print of the artwork,鈥� explains Alicia.
Currently, original artwork can only be mailed to Australia, but the school hopes to expand delivery countries in 2023.
There is a lot to look forward to with this new project at St Jude鈥檚, especially for Abdallah who sees it as a bigger stage to express his creativity.
鈥淭his new Art Program is great because it will raise awareness about art to the St Jude鈥檚 community and beyond,鈥� he says.
His sentiments are echoed by a fellow budding artist at St Jude鈥檚 Secondary School, Emanuel. Like Abdallah, Emanuel discovered his talent at a young age and has ambitions of setting up his own art gallery in future.
鈥淏esides supporting students already doing art,鈥� explains Emanuel. 鈥淭his new program will motivate others who have talents but never got a chance to show it,鈥� he adds.
This program is a new way for supporters to connect with St Jude鈥檚 through a shared love for art. Soon, artworks will be proudly displayed in homes around Australia, a reminder of Tanzania鈥檚 rich culture and St Jude鈥檚 work fighting poverty through education.
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