Students from severely under-resourced government schools now have much-needed desks and chairs thanks to St Jude’s.
Our Secondary Second and Academic Master Revocatus Pharao recently committed to donate 30 second-hand desks and chairs from St Jude’s for a government school in need.
“There are students (in government schools) who sit on the floor right now, so the President has said to do whatever you can by June, to make sure every student is seated,” Mr Pharao said.
Tanzania’s recently-elected president, John Magufuli, has pushed to see all Tanzanian children in primary and secondary schools attend for free.
Even though free primary education in Tanzania has been in place for over a decade, parents have been expected to pay school contributions that they cannot afford.
The influx of students in already under-resourced government schools has caused a number of issues, such as a lack of furniture for classes.
St Jude’s committed to provide almost 10% of the total need for class furniture in the district.
Mr Pharao said our original plan was to refurbish the 30 sets, but due to a shortened timeframe only a third could be completed before the deadline.
He said St Jude’s will definitely continue donating used desks and chairs, as more students will continue to attend government schools.
St Jude’s Facility Manager Ombeni Zelote also extended his expertise to the government school, by advising on customising and maintaining the desks and chairs to accommodate more students.
Our Beyond St Jude’s team also works with our committed graduates to help alleviate the 47,000 teacher shortage in Tanzania’s overcrowded government schools.
The majority of last year’s Form 6 inaugural graduates volunteered to give back to their communities in thanks for their free education by taking part in the Community Service Year before pursuing university. They taught in 21 government schools, often serving as the sole teacher in their subject of choice, and have used their high-quality education to help more than 10,000 students.
Make your donation dollars go further by supporting St Jude’s. As education is the best way to fight poverty, we support the local community through various projects.
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