“When I grow up I would like to be a soldier,” says Victa, a Standard 2 student.
Victa is six years old and has hope for a bright future with St Jude’s education. “I love playing on swings during breaks and at home, I love reading during my free time,” he says shyly.
For 20 years, St Jude’s has been educating bright students who come from considerably poor backgrounds, providing them with learning resources, school uniforms, daily nutritious meals, safe and reliable bus transportation, highly qualified and well-resourced teachers and everything required for a successful education and to prepare them to be future leaders of Tanzania.
Although Victa is only in his second year of school, he already has his sights set on a leadership position.
“One day, I want to be Head Boy and make sure that all the students pick up rubbish in the playground,” he explains.
Ms Juliet is one of the school’s dedicated teachers. She teaches Standard 2 and sees the impact the school makes on these future leaders. “St Jude’s is creating an impact in these students’ lives. Knowing this feels good because I know that the education they get at St Jude's will help their family and themselves in the future,” says Ms Juliet.
“As a teacher, I encourage them to make their own decisions such as choosing the storybooks they want to read instead of choosing for them. I also encourage communication and teamwork, as I believe that for a person to be a good leader one has to be a good communicator and a good team player,” she adds.
Ms Juliet, who has been working at the school for a decade, has welcomed many students into her class who are offered scholarships following St Jude’s Scholarship Application Process.
“It feels great and exceptional to receive pupils from different backgrounds and help them settle into our school,” explains Ms Juliet.
One of the newest students to join the St Jude’s community is Brayden. He’s in Standard 1 and loves reading and writing.
“I love the St Jude’s school environment,” he says. “At my old school there was no library and the playground was full of stones.”
Brayden is one of the 48 students who joined in Standard 1 and 2 in 2022. He is eager to fulfil his academic potential and reach his goals.
“When I am older, I want to be a Sports Prefect,” Brayden shares. “Then, when I grow up, I would like to be a doctor, so I can treat sick people.”
St Jude's has grown from three students to 1,800 in just 20 years. In that time, the school has touched thousands of lives, so that today, the school’s first students are now entering the work force, supporting their families and driving change in the community. But for students like Victa and Brayden, the change is just beginning. Though they are among St Jude’s youngest students, they have everything they need to become Tanzania’s future leaders.
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