Two students are leading the way for career-driven females with an invitation to an exclusive camp held by the US Department of State, Intel, Microsoft, Girl Up and the Rwanda Girls Initiative.
Form 6 student Emiliana and Form 3 student Neema are attending WiSci: Girls STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) Camp, a three-week event that kicked off at the end of July in Rwanda. They joined 120 other outstanding high school students from around the world, including Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and the United States.
Before leaving for Rwanda, the duo explained how the camp would make a difference in their lives and help them achieve their dreams.
Emiliana said the camp would be a great opportunity towards improving her future as a doctor, particularly as she would like to specialise in gynecology and children’s health.
“I’m really excited (to be chosen). My grandpa was diabetic, and he had both of his arms amputated, plus his leg, so from that moment I just said I had to be a doctor,” she explained. “I decided I have to help these people, because it was in the village back in Moshi and it was really hard as I had to take care of him and nurse him and do everything. So I just say it would be better for me to become a doctor to help people in such situations.”
Emiliana said she believed there were not enough gynacologists to keep up with need, and she wanted to help more women. “Women get pregnant every day and they need someone to help them deliver safely,” she said.
“With the diverse cultural backgrounds of people from different parts of Africa and America, (STEAM Camp is) a great opportunity to share ideas and learn about other cultures and what they do in their country,” she said. “It’s a chance to try and learn some of the best methods and to bring them back here.”
Neema, meanwhile, is more involved in computer science and has been busy studying programming and software development. “It’s technology, I like computer science. One day I would like to make applications and this kind of stuff,” she said, adding that eventually she would like to get into business and be her own boss. “I think this camp also will increase my skills and knowledge with workshops.”
The oldest of five children said she was flattered to be nominated, and was looking forward to telling her parents the good news as “I think they would be very proud and excited”. “They know I’m very interested in this and would like to think it will make me more inspired to do those things,” she explained. “It’s very exciting.”
Science and ICT head Mr Mcharo was very excited for Emiliana and Neema, who were chosen from the four nominated St Jude’s students.“I was so moved when I was given the opportunity (to nominate students) and I took caution to select girls who can make impact if given an opportunity,” he said.
“Women in science are very few, perhaps because we haven't given them enough exposure to the STEAM fields or maybe they don't see good role models to inspire them into the fields that are highly dominated by men. It’s my belief that Neema and Emiliana won't be the same when they come back. It’s an opportunity to learn, engage and network, but above all it’s a moment to share how women can take on transformative leadership roles for the 21st Century.”
The camp finishes August 15. We look forward to hearing how it all went when Neema and Emiliana return.
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A year after heading to South Africa on an African Leadership Academy scholarship, former St Jude’s student Liston was back to share his education through a weekend leadership course at Smith campus.
The two-day, ALA-initiated camp is designed to help ambitious students problem-solve via a grassroots structure. Called “BUILD in a Box”, the course is a mobile entrepreneurial development kit that takes its name from the motto ‘Believe, Understand, Invest, Listen and Deliver’.
“I believe St Jude’s is the perfect place for me to come and teach (the course),” Liston explained.
“I studied here for a long time and I really know what they need, and what they need is that familiar relationship. By teaching them BUILD in a Box, I’m sure, once they finish at St Jude’s they will be able to run their own businesses and solve the problems in their community, using this knowledge. I think it would really help them personally, and their communities.”
This was the first BUILD course Liston has delivered, and he is ecstatic with how well it was received by the 32 St Jude’s students involved.
“BUILD is about looking at the root cause of problems, so let’s say the group you are with are looking at the root cause of poverty. The short-term impact is to help individuals, but the long-term impact is to help all of Africa,” he said.
Liston also enjoyed the opportunity BUILD provided to return to St Jude’s as an alumnus.
“I’m really happy to be here again and meet my classmates. I just feel happy. I love St Jude’s, and I think they have the same aim as ALA. Their goals are the same and, for me personally, I align with those goals. They are something that will transform the lives of many people – I’m one of those people who have been transformed by St Jude’s, and now I’m being transformed by ALA.”
Liston is half-way through his ALA scholarship, so his BUILD presentation was supported by recent ALA graduates Bernadette and Peace.
“The BUILD course is usually a term-long course but here we compress it into two days, so it’s much harder. We went through it at ALA and got the right understanding of it so that’s why we can teach it,” Peace, who hails from Rwanda, said.
“Because we are targeting 15 to 22-year-olds who are in the same age bracket, it’s easier for us to communicate from our understanding of it. It’s more of a fun, productive conversation rather than a lecture,” Tanzanian-born Bernadette said.
The young women said their main aim was to change the mindset of the students involved, and that meant each group had to find a solution through the root cause of a complex problem. Peace said students often chose too-broad topics such as education, and were asked to “think about what they can be more specific about within education”.
“We try to focus on very little problems, as in what really bothers you, as you walk from home to school or as you experience your normal, daily life with your peers,” Bernadette explained. “After you have solved a little problem, and you see ‘Oh, I successfully did that,’ it makes you feel like you can do something bigger and bigger, and that becomes a whole ‘change the society’ type of thing.”
Bernadette said their ultimate aim, at the end of each two-day program, is to produce “actual, practical solutions that people can feel they might be able to do for something they really, deeply care about”.
Bernadette and Peace said they had thoroughly enjoyed helping facilitate the St Jude’s students, and that Liston was shaping up to be a promising BUILD in a Box leader.
Meanwhile, Liston is enthusiastically looking forward to his second year at ALA.
“I’m really enjoying ALA after studying there for one year. At first it was really challenging, you know, you are changing everything, changing curriculum, no speaking Swahili. From my second term, I can say I started to enjoy it more than I thought, and I’ve had many chances to explore a lot of opportunities,” he said.
“I will graduate next year, in June, with a high school diploma. After that, I will go to college. I would like to study electrical engineering. Since when I was here (St Jude’s), since I was young, I’ve loved electrical engineering. I always taught other students and showed them, and also learnt from them. I love sharing.”
Click here to sponsor a future leader like Liston.
Tanzania’s next generation of doctors, aircraft engineers and artists returned to St Jude’s with renewed confidence following a week at one of Africa’s most prestigious universities.
Five St Jude’s Form 6 students attended the JuniorTukkie Empowerment Week at South Africa’s University of Pretoria and described the experience as life-changing.
“Now I can say what I want to be, and be confident in that, because of this program,” said Sifuni, who traveled alongside fellow St Jude’s students Godson, Leah, Maurine and Winrose.
“With gratitude and all my heart, I’d like to thank my school for giving me this opportunity to attend this wonderful week, with wonderful sessions. I’ve learnt a lot from it.”
The JuniorTukkie program comprised motivational sessions, e-learning workshops, a social responsibility session, career guidance and adventure workshops.
It was established to assist Form 4, 5 and 6 (Grade 10, 11 and 12) pupils from across Africa to approach their final years at high school with clarity and confidence.
It certainly seems to have worked for our students.
“I’ve loved airplanes since I was young and I love flying”, said Winrose, who is more confident than ever she can fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming an aircraft engineer.
As a future linguist and lawyer, Leah said she “wants to fight for people’s rights,” and that the program also helped her discover a clear career path.
A medical future awaits Sifuni and Godson, with Sifuni certain he is ready for the many years of preparation it takes to become a doctor, and Godson keen on becoming a cardiac surgeon.
Godson said he planned to share his experience with others who were not able to attend, to “tell them more of the experience I got here and to emphasize the importance of knowing their career path”.
Maureen, who has a busy future ahead as a film producer, animator and actress, said she believed JuniorTukkie achieved its aim of helping youths with what they want to be.
“It has meant a lot to me,” Maureen said. “I’ve never been to South Africa, so this is a great opportunity to come here, meet different people and learn about a different culture from mine.”
“I’ve learnt how to be confident in myself and how to stand up and speak in front of others. It has taught me a lot – to go head-on in what I want to be, which is to be a director of movies. I would like to act in some of them, and later establish my own company to produce movies.”
Donations to our School Excursion Fund covered the airfares for students and accompanying staff members. We are grateful to the University of Pretoria for generously covering all other costs.
To make a donation click here.
A joyous ceremony revealed the hard work and impressive personal growth of 40 former Form 4 students who have spent the past five months as dedicated volunteer employees of St Jude’s.
The celebration provided insight into the new Giving Back course, where students helped in many areas of the school, from the kitchen to boarding and teaching to business office roles.
“When we started this program, most of us just thought of the benefits of the certification. Now we thank you so much for giving us this opportunity. Some of us were working in areas which we had no idea about, but now we are almost specialists in those areas,” student participant Ezekiel Haji said.
Upper primary headmaster Peter Manjalla said the Giving Back program was proposed to Form 4 students as a “bridging” opportunity for their break between completing Form 4 and progressing to Form 5.
“We asked them three things: what would they like to do, how long are they are available and to write notes (about their experience),” Peter explained.
“This program helped the students to learn how to work. Not just as a student at St Jude’s, but as part of the team of workers at St Jude’s. They met many challenges, such as how to behave professionally and how to be a model to their young brothers and sisters.
“We are still looking at our mission of developing the future leaders of this country. If they can’t practice their leadership now, how can we be sure they can do it for their community? So we have to give them the opportunity.”
School founder Gemma Sisia expressed her pride and thanked students for their months of dedication to the school.
“You know, it’s very easy to learn maths and science and everything in the classrooms, but by volunteering, I think you’ll agree, you learn a lot of skills you don’t normally learn in the classroom,” Gemma said.
“I also want to thank you for being the pioneers (of the program). As you have been such wonderful pioneers, we will be doing the program again next year.”
Students who took up placements across the school shared their many positive experiences.
Olsen helped teach science in upper primary. “We had a good experience with the kids. I enjoyed teaching Standard 7 actually, they were very good. They wanted to learn more, so all of us gave what we had,” he explained. “There’s a very good feeling that comes from being a teacher.”
Two students, Simon and Irene, were stationed in the school Visitors Office and also had positive feedback.
“I worked with all different kinds of people, and after meeting some of these people I was really inspired with my career to be a university professor,” Irene said.
“We are so grateful to have had this chance, to experience the visitors team. We have increased our skills of having a sense of humour, of having confidence, and being able to handle lots of visitors and being responsible with time,” Simon said.
The new Form 5’s returned to school last week, and we look forward to seeing what more they will achieve.
To find out more about sponsoring one of our generous students click here.
The future of Tanzania is in good hands thanks to ambitious and talented St Jude's students like Benson.The Form 5 student recently placed fourth in a national essay competition, and said the inspiration came from a desire to lead his country towards a better future.
“I chose the topic of taxation." Benson said.
"The question was ‘If you were president for one day, what would you do for your country’. I thought it would be a challenge, and interesting to see what the winners would write.
“I used taxation because it is the only thing you can do for your country, for a single day, to improve your country’s economy.
"(Taxation) was the first thing I thought of, as one of my plans is to be president so I thought it could be a nice chance one day, when I am campaigning, to say there was once a competition like this and I was a winner.
"I want to do something for my country. If I miss that chance of being president, one day I want to make history in my country.”
Benson was competing at the Shule Direct Back to School Essay competition, where St Jude's has a history of impressive results.
Last year, Form 6 student Joseph, who graduated from St Jude's this May, came second in the competition for his essay about Tourism.
“I was inspired by him and I thought it would be a nice thing to participate in,” Benson said of Joseph.
“If I get the chance to write another essay, I’ll compete because now I have this experience but I could be better.”
Benson's fourth prize included 200,000 tsh (USD $100), two text books and a certificate. He was in Form 4 at the time he entered.
Benson, along with fifth and sixth-place O Level place-getters Zainabu and David, travelled to Dar es Salaam to be presented with awards for their work.
More St Jude’s students took out impressive placements, with library teacher Lightness Isojick facilitating their competition entries.
St Jude's other results at the Shule Direct Back to School Essay competition:
Here at St Jude’s we’re passionate about developing Tanzania’s next generation of leaders.
That is why it is so exciting that one of our talented students is already making a name for himself in the nation’s capital.
Form 4 student Hazzbon (pictured, left) travelled to Dodoma this month to receive an award from the Ministry of Education for his moving essay about climate change. In the essay, Hazzbon, who hopes to become a civil engineer, stressed the importance of students being educated about climate change.
“It is a major issue, not only in our country, but across the world,” he said.
Hazzbon’s essay was awarded first place in Tanzania after finishing fourth at the international Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Secondary Schools Essay Competition in Zimbabwe.
The competition included entries from Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Hazzbon travelled to the Ministry of Education this month to receive his certificate.
He was joined by Joseph (right), another Form 4 student who impressed St Jude’s judges with his powerful essay-writing skills.
“I am personally proud of Hazzbon for his hard work and determination,” said St Jude’s librarian Lightness, who helped the students with their essays. “I must say he deserved it.”
