When you think about one organisation, it’s normal to consider only the impact it has internally, on its direct beneficiaries. However, not-for-profit organisations like The School of St Jude have a far-reaching ripple effect that is felt in the community and throughout the entire country.
Local Suppliers
This is primarily achieved through a network of collaborations with local suppliers. St Jude’s has a database with over 300 local suppliers throughout Tanzania. From sourcing locally-grown, fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables to acquiring building and school materials from local distributors. The annual operating budget of St Jude’s is approximately AU$10 million which is injected into the local economy through our network of suppliers, local staff and community support
To the school’s suppliers, St Jude’s provides a stable and reliable source of income that has a flow-on effect throughout their families and communities. This year, over AU$500,000 is budgeted for food sourced locally, with AU$24,000 budgeted for stationery, school uniforms and fuel for transportation each month.
With these ongoing financial agreements, suppliers have the are secure in the knowledge that they can sufficiently provide for their families, with most being able to support two to four of their children or other family members’ education. With the aid of St Jude’s economic injection, suppliers’ respective businesses flourish, creating new job opportunities for members of the communities and beyond.
Community Service Year (CSY) Volunteers
The second way that St Jude’s impacts the community is through the graduate program, Beyond St Jude’s that includes a volunteer component known as CSY. When a St Jude’s student graduates, they are offered the opportunity to volunteer as a CSY volunteer. Over 600 alumni have participated in the CSY Program since its inception in 2015.
When St Jude’s alumni participate in the CSY Program, they are predominantly teaching in government schools. This is valuable to the Tanzanian community as government schools generally have a shortage of teaching professionals, which leads to a student-to-teacher ratio averaging 65-to-1.
Since the inception of the CSY program, our volunteers have taught in around 70 government schools, saving them over AU$2 million in teacher salaries and increasing the teaching of STEM subjects by 50%. Thanks to the generosity of all alumni who choose to give back to their communities, over 112,000 government school students have experienced the far-reaching impact of St Jude’s.
St Jude’s Day
Each year on October 28th, The School of St Jude celebrates its namesake on the Roman Catholic St Jude’s Day. The school’s students, teachers, staff, families, and special guests gather to celebrate St Jude’s culture of giving back. This is a significant tradition within the school as it’s an opportunity for students to gain perspective around showing kindness and compassion.
The celebration starts with a ceremony where students, families and staff can donate small gifts to give to disadvantaged members of their community. In 2019, a group of students led by a teacher visited nine orphanages around the Arusha region. Their presence alone was a gift to the orphans who were enthusiastic about some playtime with new friends. Furthermore, the gift baskets that were donated to the orphanages included small toys like teddy bears, colouring books, and food items.
Then in 2022, students visited the elderly, bringing them packs of essential items such as staple food and cleaning supplies with the support of St Jude’s international supporters. It was not only that, but a special meal and the sharing of the students’ time with the elderly that brought a special kind of joy. St Jude’s strongly stands behind the principle that the act of giving back to the community is key in shaping the moral future leaders of tomorrow.
During COVID
When the unexpected happens, St Jude’s remains committed to positively impacting the local community. In 2019, a new pandemic erupted around the world. The effects of the coronavirus were felt globally, including in Tanzania. While St Jude’s had no choice but to close its school doors, the generosity extended beyond the school’s duties.
During the peak of the pandemic, St Jude’s sent out volunteers and staff members to the homes of students to check in with their families, give study packs and distribute essential items to ensure their welfare. Some of the essential items that were given out consisted of hand sanitiser, soap, buckets, and masks. Providing these items assisted in mitigating the transmission of the virus which protected, not only the students and their families, but their communities as well.
In the end, The School of St Jude’s is more than a school. It’s a not-for-profit organisation that contributes to Tanzania’s sustainable community development through the economic empowerment of the local supply network. Together with its strong culture of giving back, St Jude’s positively impacts not only the individual lives of our students but also the local community and our world.
