Leading the Way to a Healthier Community

Like most students joining St Jude’s for the first time, Irene didn’t speak much English. So, her favourite place on campus was the playground. She quickly made new friends, discovered the sports she loved most.

“I was eight years old when I joined St Jude’s back in 2016 and the playground felt like a mini amusement park in comparison to my previous school,” shares Irene. “So I tried every sport and game offered at St Jude’s until I eventually settled on football and basketball,” she adds proudly.

When Irene wasn’t busy playing with her friends, she was in the library, scanning books with captivating pictures. She was particularly intrigued by images of the human body and animals, inspiring her lifelong interest in biology and her future career path. 

“I would see pictures of children with malnutrition and they really made an impression on me,” recalls Irene. “My dream was to find a solution to this problem so that people wouldn’t have to suffer,” she adds passionately. 

Early on, Irene decided that she was going to pursue a career in medicine, so she focused on science subjects throughout her time at St Jude's. Her motivation inspired her to consistently overcome one challenge after another, from the language barrier to succeeding in a male-dominated academic path. All her hard work paid off and Irene excelled in her final examinations earning a spot in the Beyond St Jude’s Scholarship Program (BSJSP), an optional program for secondary school graduates. 

The BSJSP supports Form 6 graduates with higher education in universities and colleges across Tanzania and beyond. As part of the program, they spend a year doing community service, volunteering to teach at understaffed government schools or assisting at various placements throughout St Jude’s. Irene chose to volunteer in the Marketing department, where she helped promote the school’s mission to new supporters.

“The experience nurtured my spirit of giving back just as others had supported my education at
St Jude’s,” says Irene. “I also gained some valuable digital and communication skills that have been very useful,” she adds. 

During her Community Service Year, Irene accepted a scholarship in Beirut to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. 

“I figured if I can help people make better dietary choices and adopt positive lifestyle changes then it could be the beginning of a healthier community,” she says. 

Today, Irene is a globally recognised Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and she's back in Tanzania to put her knowledge and skills to good work, helping people live healthier and better lives. She works as a renal dietitian at one of the largest healthcare networks in East Africa, providing high-quality dialysis to patients. 

"I basically help patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis improve their  quality of life by providing an individualised nutrition care plan," explains Irene "This includes conducting consultations on what foods to eat to avoid the accumulation of uremic waste, increase protein intake to avoid malnutrition, aid the prevention of anemia," she adds. 

Irene is also pioneering a telenutrition service that helps users optimise their dietary intake according to their goals. The digital platform offers practical, budget-friendly advice and personalised counselling, along with food preparation, portion control, and mindful eating resources, making nutrition knowledge accessible to a broad audience.

“I may not solve world hunger or malnutrition today,” says Irene. “But I am proud that I am helping people adopt healthier lifestyles. And that’s a step in the right direction,” she adds passionately. 

Irene looks back at her experiences and opportunities at St Jude’s as a crucial part of her inspiration for what she does today. And she is not alone. Irene is part of a growing number of alumni currently using their skills and knowledge to impart the communities positively and lift them out of poverty.