Every year, St Jude’s sends thousands of letters inviting high-achieving students across three regions of Tanzania to apply for a scholarship. To achieve such a daunting task, St Jude’s incredible network of Community Service Year (CSY) volunteers step up. This March, the volunteers hand-delivered over 2,600 letters to 300 school headmasters inviting their top-performing students to apply for a Form 5 scholarship at St Jude’s.
In Tanzania, the final two years of secondary school are called Advanced Level (A Level); Form 5 and 6.
In this month’s Q & A, Grace, a CSY currently volunteering at the Community Relations team at St Jude’s shares her recent experience in letter delivery.
My main role is to assist the team in various tasks and activities to ensure the Scholarship Application Day runs smoothly. Recently, I’ve helped my team in coordinating letter distribution in different areas.
My involvement is two-fold: I assist in planning, coordinating, and corresponding with fellow CSYs on the field to address challenges and issues that require follow-up or consultation.
On the other hand, I also participate in letter distribution with fellow CSYs and travel to many schools to personally deliver invitation letters.
It was an adventure! There are always challenges with navigation and roads particularly with the unpredictable weather – we saw it all this time around! We had to use different forms of transportation, such as the bus, motorcycles and bicycles, walking, and even hiked to get to some schools. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and a privilege to be a part of what’s happening behind the scenes in the scholarship process.
Firstly, as St Jude’s graduates, we are living proof of the school’s mission, so when people see us, they can visualise the opportunities and potential that await their children or students when they join St Jude’s.
Secondly, we know a lot about the school! So we can answer questions and clarify to people who may have questions.
I only remember there being so many of us! And I feel very lucky to have secured a place!
Like most students joining St Jude’s in Standard 1, Holylight’s favourite place was at the sports field. She loved playing football and carried that passion throughout her secondary school years.
“I immediately fell in love with the PE lessons and particularly enjoyed playing football,” says Holylight. “I used to give it my all, rain or shine!” she adds with a smile.
The resources and opportunities at St Jude’s paved the way for Holylight to try out different activities and develop various skills throughout her 13-year spell. Some of her fond memories include exploring her creativity in art lessons.
“Even though I don't remember creating the best art pieces, there was something magical about seeing your own artwork displayed on the walls of the classroom,” says Holylight.
In addition to art and sports, Holylight spent her time sharpening her computer skills, particularly typing. She still remembers playing the old penguin typing game and Ubuntu Operating Systems in her early St Jude’s days. This experience inspired Holylight to start developing a passion for computer studies and upon graduating from secondary school, she was confident in choosing a career in IT.
“The fact that I had an opportunity to engage with computers from a young age greatly shaped my choice of career,” reflects Holylight. “St Jude’s offered an environment where learning was not just a process but an experience. The strong foundation equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to navigate the challenges in STEM fields,” she adds.
St Jude’s promotes the education and empowerment of girls at the school and tertiary levels. In January 2020, St Jude’s opened a girls’ secondary school to grant even more females the opportunity for free, quality education. The new school particularly encourages female students to participate in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) subjects for it’s recognised that more Tanzanian women leaders are needed in these fields.
In 2024, the Standard 1 and 2 intake of girls was 60%. St Jude’s also boasts an equal ratio of female and male students entering tertiary education in contrast to the national figures of approximately 1-to-28.
“Throughout my journey, I've often found myself in environments where women were underrepresented,” says Holylight. “One particularly vivid memory is being the only female in my master's class, surrounded by seven male peers,” she adds.
Despite the challenges, Holylight successfully pursued tertiary studies in IT from one of Africa’s reputable universities. She went on to secure a highly sought-after internship at the World Bank, an opportunity she took concurrently with her Master’s research. While at university, Holylight helped develop an innovative prototype mobile application that aimed at helping victims of violence report incidents to legal and social stakeholders.
“At times, I would take the underrepresentation as a challenge,” reflects Holylight. “But I've come to see it more as an opportunity—an open call for more women to join the ranks of STEM professionals,” she adds.
Holylight is currently working as an IT consultant at the World Bank, where she is part of a team responsible for managing software assets. A typical day at work involves diving into huge volumes of data using a variety of tools and technologies. The scale and complexity of the datasets challenges her to think creatively and analytically.
Despite having a thriving career at one of the world’s largest corporations, Holylight is far from done.
“My ambitions are crystallised around academia. I'm particularly drawn to the realms of Generative AI and Big Data Analytics,” says Holylight. “I'm eagerly looking forward to more research and further studies in these areas,” she adds.
Holylight’s incredible story exemplifies St Jude’s mission and highlights how empowering females to receive an education and pursue their ambitions has a far-reaching impact throughout the entire country and the world.
Every year, St Jude’s conducts health checks for all 1,800 students across its three schools. Health checks help the school identify any health issues of our students and any special adjustments they may need, ultimately, enhancing their overall school experience, well-being, and academic excellence.
Guiding this process is a team of international volunteers who spend two weeks each year at St Jude’s conducting various checks on students. With diverse backgrounds and expertise, these volunteers bring fresh and valuable experience and knowledge to improve students’ health.
We recently caught up with Omega, a St Jude’s alum who volunteered for this year’s health checks. Omega currently works as a radiologist at one of Arusha’s largest hospitals.
What inspired you to join the Health Check team?
One day, I met Gemma at the hospital where I work. We talked and she asked if I was interested in volunteering as part of a health team that was coming to St Jude’s. I was excited at the opportunity and promptly applied for it.
How did it feel coming back to St Jude’s as part of the Health Check team?
It was a wonderful experience. I had the opportunity to work alongside a diverse team of medical professionals. We had plenty of meaningful conversations and I got to know a lot about what goes on behind the scenes during the health checks.
What did you enjoy most from health checks as a student?
The whole experience was great and a lot of fun. We would ask the team lots of questions and sometimes they brought us treats such as candy.
Did you always want to get into the medical field?
My childhood dream was to join the military. I began exploring other interests as I grew older and ultimately settled for a career in the medical field. It’s been a fulfilling journey ever since.
How would you describe your experience in one word?
Amazing! I’d love to do it again in the future!
From a young age, Zacharia aspired to work hard so that one day, he could support his mother and siblings. He put a lot of effort into his studies and greatly improved his academic performance until he became one of the top students in class. His hard work eventually paid off and Zacharia was invited to apply for a scholarship at St Jude’s.
“And the rest was history,” says Zacharia with a smile. “St Jude’s was like no other school I had seen before. I immediately knew this place would have a lasting impact on me,” he adds.
Zacharia completed his primary school education at a government school and joined St Jude’s for secondary school. Coming from a government school, he was initially fascinated by the resources and opportunities available at St Jude’s. Zacharia continued his hardworking spirit at St Jude’s where he spent the next six years. In his free time, he tried his hand at different sports and extracurricular activities.
“I have plenty of good memories from my time at St Jude,” says Zacharia. “Some of my best experiences were serving as the Entertainment Prefect and participating in career and science fairs,” he adds enthusiastically.
After six years at St Jude’s, Zacharia graduated Form 6 with St Jude’s inaugural class of 2015.
In Tanzania, secondary school education is divided into two levels: the first four years are called Ordinary Level (O Level) studies; from Form 1 to Form 4, and the final two years of Advanced Level (A Level) studies; Form 5 and 6. According to a 2017 UNESCO report, only 12% of students who start secondary school in Form 1 complete Form 4, with poverty being one of the main factors for the high dropouts. At St Jude’s, on the other hand, 100% of students who start secondary school in Form 1 complete Form 4, and 100% of the students that choose to continue onto A Level complete Form 6.
“Graduating Form 6 was a proud moment for me and my family,” reflects Zacharia. “In addition to my academic qualification, I have acquired valuable connections, practical skills and knowledge that are useful to this day,” he adds.
Zacharia was one of the first students to join the Beyond St Jude’s Scholarship Program (BSJSP) for Form 6 students. As part of the BSJSP, graduates participate in a year of community service, volunteering to teach at understaffed government schools or at various non-teaching placements within St Jude’s. Those who successfully complete their community service placement are then eligible to receive a Tertiary scholarship to pursue their first higher education qualification; enabling them to become the future professionals that their country needs.
“I spent the next year after my graduation volunteering at one of the public schools in Arusha,” shares Zacharia. “It was a fulfilling experience that enabled me to share the skills and experience that I acquired at St Jude’s,” he adds passionately.
Zacharia now holds a bachelor’s degree in building economics from one of Tanzania’s top universities. He is also an aspiring entrepreneur who is currently building his real estate business. Zacharia has fulfilled his lifelong dream of supporting his family: he has renovated his home, pays for his siblings’ tuition fees, and routinely supports his mother financially. He is living proof of our alumni fighting poverty through education.
St Jude’s is proud to have a network of incredible alumni who remain strongly connected to the school. They regularly give their time as volunteers within the school community, as well as support the opportunities of other students through financial giving.
In addition to supporting St Jude’s, our alumni also look out for one another. They support each other’s businesses, share opportunities, organise reunions, and assist one another in times of need. These are some of the highlights over the past year.
Paving the Way for Others:
St Jude’s achieved outstanding Form 6 results in 2023. Because of these amazing results, two of St Jude’s top-performing students were selected to join a prestigious program that connects top-performing students in Tanzania with universities around the world.
In Tanzania, the final two years of secondary school are called Advanced Level (A Level); Form 5 and 6. At the end of their A Level education, students sit for a nationwide assessment and those that pass continue with higher education in universities and colleges.
Alex, a graduate of St Jude’s inaugural class of 2015 and a recipient of the program himself, played a pivotal role in helping the two St Jude’s graduates, Godfrey and Amina, secure these highly coveted spots. To support them on this new adventure, the St Jude’s Alumni banded together to financially support their transport and accommodation costs as they moved to Dar es Salaam to prepare for the program.
Building Team Spirit and Unity
With football being a favourite sport at St Jude’s and Tanzania, our alumni took the opportunity to surprise the school’s football team. They fundraised AU$395 during last year’s Alumni Reunion to purchase much-needed football kits for St Jude’s students. Now our students sport a sharp and coordinated look as they represent St Jude’s in competitions across Arusha and Tanzania. This act just shows the alumni's commitment to enriching the school community.
Wherever they may be, our alumni maintain strong connections with the school and each other.
In a world that demands both academic excellence and holistic personal development, students at The School of St Jude excel at both thanks to pre-university training hosted and facilitated by the Beyond St Jude's (BSJ) team annually.
The training aims to prepare secondary school graduates for a journey of self-discovery and growth.
“A pre-university training program like this gives students a much-needed perspective and preparation as they venture into their next stage of academic life,” shares Francis, one of the facilitators of the training.
"I remember when I was at university, such programs were not provided. Nobody guided me on what to study, which university to go to, or how life was going to be,” says Francis.
At St Jude’s, the majority of secondary school graduates opt to join BSJ ahead of their university studies. In the program, they undertake a year of community service where they volunteer to teach at different understaffed government schools or at various non-teaching placements within the school. This further equips them with real-life experiences and skills such as public speaking, time management, patience and resilience.
"Our students have been well guided throughout their time at St Jude's," reflects Francis, adding, “We have a trained psychologist who mentors them remotely, providing invaluable support for their emotional and psychological well-being while they are at the university."
The training covered a wide array of topics, addressing the multifaceted challenges and opportunities that await these students at university and beyond. Topics ranged from understanding the structure of universities and grading systems to fostering healthy lifestyles and relationships in the university environment. Graduates also delved into issues like mental health awareness, financial literacy, and personal branding in the age of social media.
"I am grateful for the training I received, which has prepared me for a successful university experience," says Saraphina a St Jude’s graduate attending the training.
“My favourite part was the self-awareness activity that we did,” shares Saraphina. “It helped me realise the importance of personal branding and how other people can describe me outside my room,” she adds.
Also sharing his views is John, another St Jude’s graduate, soon-to-be a university scholar. John believes the training serves as a useful orientation to life at university and complements his research at different universities. “We reviewed the prospectus of different universities and studied their rules and regulations,” says John. “This has helped us to know which environment we can be in; how can we study and how can we choose friends. So, the training is very useful and I’m excited to take on the challenges of university life,” he adds.
The training also involved external mentors such as university lecturers, psychologists, St Jude's alumni currently at the university, and St Jude’s staff who offered a broader perspective on crucial topics.
Pre-university training plays into the school’s commitment to shaping well-rounded, confident, and capable leaders who are not only academically proficient but also equipped to tackle life's challenges head-on. As these graduates embark on their next academic journey, they bring a wealth of values and skills to help them make a lasting impact on their communities and beyond.
