The Beyond St Jude’s Community Service Year (CSY) is coming to an end for our class of 2019 graduates, and now it’s time for them to spread their wings and embark on the next stage of their educational journeys… higher education!
Beyond St Jude’s (BSJ) is an optional, yet popular, program for our Form 6 graduates made up of two parts. The program enables our graduates to give back to their communities in an educational context as volunteers through a Community Service Year and then provides them with the funding they need to go on to access higher education within East Africa through our Tertiary Fund.
In the first year out of high school, our graduates can apply to take part in the Community Service Year as one way to give back in recognition of the free education they received at St Jude’s. As Community Service Year volunteers, they personify the school’s vision, sharing their gifts of knowledge and values they learned at St Jude’s by teaching in local government schools or in placements throughout St Jude’s campuses.
After successful completion of their Community Service Year, St Jude’s set up a Tertiary Fund to help support graduates in their first higher education qualification within East Africa.
Razak and Sarafina are two Form 6 graduates who have successfully completed their Community Service Year at Elerai secondary school and Enyoitoa secondary school in Arusha respectively. They are now in the process of enrolling in university through the BSJ program.
“I’m applying to University of Dar es Salaam, Ardhi University and Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology. My priority course is Civil Engineering, but I would also like to take Electrical Engineering,” says Razak.
Razak voluntarily taught mathematics to 484 Form 1 students at a local government school as a way to give back to his community through the CSY program.
“I studied PCM, which means physics, chemistry and mathematics in Form 6. I love science studies, that’s why I’m applying for the course.”
“Tanzania is lagging behind other countries in construction and infrastructure. I want to make an impact by being part of the infrastructure development in the country,” Razak stated confidently.
Sarafina, who loves drawing, wants to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry or Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture. “I’m applying to the University of Dar es Salaam, Ardhi University and the University of Dodoma. My courses will be involving physics, chemistry and mathematics.”
Sarafina’s dream is to become a teacher, “I chose Landscape Architecture because I love drawing so much so I feel I could be good at it. But for the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, I plan to teach or be part of the industry.”
The Beyond St Jude’s Tertiary program is in place to help graduates achieve their dreams of completing higher education. In Tanzania, only 4% of post-school-aged students enroll in higher education.
“St Jude’s is playing a big role in stacking the odds in our favour. The program is helping us with guidance on specific courses and recommend what’s best for us by looking at our qualifications and abilities and guiding us along the right path,” says Razak.
Agreeing with Razak, Sarafina says, “Without St Jude’s I couldn’t have done this. The school is guiding us through each process, making the application easy and supporting us financially too.”
Assisting the graduates in their application process is Rickson. He’s also a Form 6 graduate who has been volunteering in the Beyond St Jude’s department for the remainder of his Community Service Year.
“This time of the year is when students apply for university. The team here have been assisting graduates in applying and making online payments. We’ve also been helping them update their information.”
“Once we enrol and begin our studies, the BSJ team come and visit us to track our progress and make sure we are getting the best education,” he added.
Rickson is aiming to pursue Chemical Engineering at the University of Dar es Salaam.
“I’m in my last month of the Community Service Year, and I’m looking forward to starting university.”
“My passion is to work in industries. In filling the application, my second option was Industrial Engineering. Academically, my strength is chemistry and mathematics. So I feel like Chemical Engineering will be a good field for me since I’ve been enjoying the subjects,” said Rickson.
St Jude’s mission is to fight poverty through education and develop the future leaders of Tanzania. Through the Beyond St Jude’s Program, graduates not only get an opportunity to give back to their own communities in recognition of their free education but also share the benefits of the quality education they received with many less fortunate, but equally talented, young Tanzanians; helping to inspire them to strive for a brighter future.
To date, The School of St Jude has produced 675 high school graduates. As the next group of graduates submit their university applications, it takes them one step closer to becoming the next generation of leaders that will deliver a sustainable and self-determining future for the people of Tanzania.
Sponsor a St Jude's graduate taking part in the Beyond St Jude’s Community Service Year.
Lovely to see it all happening. I am inspired by the passion and love every time I go to St.Jude's.
Great to see Rickson again and to witness him finishing his BSJ year. I wish him well with his University course.
I hope COVID will let us back again sometime next year.