The School of St Jude takes pride in its vibrant and culturally diverse community, which is reflected in its student body comprising 66 of the 120 Tanzanian tribes. 

Any visitor to St Jude's witnesses the perfect blend of creativity and culture in every school event. 

Mr Kephas, an art teacher at St Jude's, believes that students' deep connection to their culture is beautifully expressed through their creative presentations. “Whether it’s a graduation ceremony or Science Day, you can always guarantee there will be some elements of culture,” observes Mr Kephas.

“I think this is because our students take great pride in their culture and use their creativity to express it,” adds Mr Kephas.

St Jude's demonstrates its love and appreciation for Tanzania’s diverse cultures by encouraging students to express themselves creatively. This holistic approach ensures that students not only excel academically, but also remain deeply connected to their roots and traditions.

“St Jude’s is probably one of the few schools in Tanzania that recognises and invests in culture to such an extent,” says Mr Kephas. “We have plenty of traditional attire, from clothing to beads, and even body paints – all representing Tanzanian culture. Over in the music rooms, we have plenty of traditional musical instruments that students can use to bring their own cultures and traditional tunes to life,” he adds.

Over the years, the initiatives taken by St Jude’s blending cultural creativity have grown exponentially attracting local and international recognition. A most recent example is the success of the school’s Art Program which has inspired the launch of the first-ever art gallery at the school, a virtual gallery on the school’s website, and St Jude's art to be exhibited

in Australia. 

Like art, other elements of creative cultural expression have also been gaining recognition, most notably, traditional dances and songs which are popular expressions of culture and traditions for most Tanzanian tribes.

Lyidia, a talented singer and student at St Jude's Secondary School, is enthused about the opportunity to showcase her talent at cultural events and learn from other emerging artists.

She believes such events are essential for aspiring artists like herself to grow and refine their talents while gaining exposure and inspiration from their peers. “As an aspiring singer, I have always wanted a platform where I could present my talent to an audience and learn from others. St Jude’s give me that opportunity through our annual cultural events and other special occasions,” she adds excitedly.

Maria, a music teacher at St Jude's Secondary School, highlights the importance of cultural music as a powerful way to express traditions and heritage. 

“Music and dancing are one of the oldest and most common ways to express culture and traditions,” says Maria.

She believes that cultural events can provide students with numerous opportunities to embrace their culture and develop their artistic talents. “The evolution of cultural music today presents the potential for artists to earn and even make a living off their creativity,” she adds.

St Jude’s commitment to preserving and promoting cultural creativity has created an inclusive and inspiring environment for students to express themselves and celebrate their roots. Through different cultural events, the school aims to encourage artistic growth and create valuable learning opportunities for emerging talents in music, art, and dance.

Each year, The School of St Jude hosts a Career Fair for its secondary students through its Alumni and Career’s team. 

St Jude’s students get the opportunity to benefit from their free, quality education by participating in ‘speed career’ sessions. Mentors offer advice about CV writing and interviewing techniques, as part of the career guidance curriculum.

In Tanzania, students make crucial choices during their second year of secondary school (Form 2) when they select elective subjects. These decisions can shape their future career paths.In Tanzania, students start to select their education path from Form 2 (O Level). That’s why the guidance offered at our Career Fairs is invaluable, helping our students make informed choices about their educational journeys.

If you visit The School of St Jude today, you will be ushered into a newly completed Art Gallery, a colourful room that features student artworks, artistic creations, and artefacts. It is a place of jaw-dropping beauty for every visitor who comes to the school and serves as a vivid introduction of the school’s thriving Student Art Program.

“I was in awe,” says Noela, a long-term supporter of St Jude’s during her recent visit to the Art Gallery. “It was difficult to take in the transformation of what was a dull classroom space into a vibrant hub full of colourful, amazing art. I was speechless – and I’m not usually known for that!” she confesses.

The thrilling experience inspired Noela to want to support the art program and started thinking of ways she could help the emerging artists. She came up with a brilliant idea. 

“Over 90% of all St Jude’s sponsorships come from Australia,” says Noela. “So, I thought, why not bring some of the student art pieces with me for display in Australia!” she adds.

Coincidentally, just two months away, the Rotary Club of Brisbane High Rise in conjunction with other Rotary clubs are going to relaunch a major art show event for the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. The art show is meant to raise valuable funds to support various Rotary community projects as well as contributing to the development of many emerging artists. “It was just the perfect timing and place to display St Jude’s art,” says Noela.

Alicia, St Jude’s Student Art Program Coordinator, helped to curate several student artworks that would be displayed at the art show in Australia. Altogether, 19 unique pieces of artwork from talented students at St Jude’s were selected and successfully transported to Australia ahead of the art show. 

“This is a big win for the St Jude’s Art Program and a testament to our students’ creative abilities,” says Alicia. “The program was chiefly started as a way to recognise the thriving artistic abilities of our students, and it has since taken off – earning local and international recognition,” she adds.

The Brisbane Art Show is slated to take place from 17 July until 22 July 2023 and will feature about 300 professionally curated artworks. Among them will be artworks from students at The School of St Jude in Tanzania. All proceeds from the artworks will go back into the program to provide even better opportunities for emerging artists whilst 10% of the funds will go back to the creator of the art. 

It’s a Wednesday afternoon at St Jude’s Secondary School. Although it is not assembly day, the dining hall is packed with students and staff. Colourful drapes and decorations adorn the stage, and celebratory music and cheering can be heard in the air. The girls today are particularly excited in their seats at the front of the dining hall, joyfully waving colourful flags and balloons. 

At the centre of the stage is a huge design with the words, ‘International Women’s Day March 2023’. 

To kick off the celebrations, Ms Edina, an Art Teacher at St Jude’s Secondary School and lead organiser of the event, takes the stage to give the opening speech. 

“On this day, we join the rest of the world in celebrating women,” starts Ms Edina. “This year’s International Women’s Day theme highlights the role of technology and innovation in advancing gender equity,” continues Ms Edina and proceeds to cite examples of girls at St Jude’s who leveraged the power of technology and innovation to solve challenges. 

Ms Edina’s speech is followed by celebratory performances from students, which includes a skit, a fashion show centred around careers, a song, speeches, and an inspirational poem by Veronica, one of the student presenters at the event. 

“I wanted to present something special and original on this year’s Women’s Day,” shares Veronica, a gifted writer and an eloquent public speaker. “In the end, I settled for a poem because I felt it was the best way in which I could express what the celebration means to me and other women around the world,” she adds. 

Veronica’s poem was addressed to a fictional character by the name of Naledi, encouraging her to rise up and face her challenges, make wise choices, and believe in herself. 

“Naledi is an African ethnic name which means ‘a beautiful woman’,” says Veronica. “My poem was themed around an African woman, and the name Naledi sounded like a perfect fit,” she explains. 

For her part in the celebration, Doreen, a secondary school student and one of the hosts of the event, prepared a speech for her fellow schoolmates.  

“The contributions made by women in our society aren’t nearly talked about as much,” starts Doreen. “In my speech, I give plenty of examples of women who had done great things throughout history in many fields such as science, mathematics, leadership, literature, music, and many others,” she continues. 

“International Women’s Day is one of the most celebrated days at St Jude’s,” says Ms Edina. “It carries a special meaning and inspiration to our girls like no other day,” she adds. 

International Women’s Day is celebrated globally every year on 8 March. At St Jude’s, students join the rest of the world in celebrating women by organising the event with the guidance of staff like Ms Edina.

At St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School, a new construction project is in the works. Everyone on campus is excited about the new project, especially Mr Elimringi, the Headmaster.

 “A new biology laboratory is under construction at the school!” declares Mr Elimringi. “These are exciting times for my students,” he adds enthusiastically. 

Although St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School was only opened in 2020, it has grown rapidly by enrolling highly motivated female students with an interest in science subjects. It soon became apparent that an expansion of infrastructure was necessary to accommodate the rising number of students. 

“We started off with two science laboratories; one for physics and the other for chemistry and biology,” explains Mr Elimringi. “However, in order to meet the academic requirements of our growing number of students, an independent biology laboratory was necessary,” he continues. 

His sentiments are echoed by Mr Lowassa, a Biology Teacher and Head of Chemistry and Biology Departments at St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School. 

“Biology is the kind of subject that requires plenty of practice to master it effectively,” he says. “With the new laboratory, students will be able to perform frequent practical sessions and develop a deeper interest in the subject,” he adds. 

In Tanzania, there are two key stages to secondary schooling, the first four years of secondary school are called Ordinary Level (O Level) studies; from Form 1 to Form 4 and the final two years of secondary school are called Advanced Level (A Level); Form 5 and 6. 

Unlike physics and chemistry which become optional for the latter half of O Level education, the Tanzanian curriculum requires biology to remain a core subject for the entire duration of O Level secondary education. This means all students at St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School must take biology. 

Although it’s a compulsory subject, it’s clear that students at St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School love biology – the 2022 Form 4 class recently received an overall grade of A in their national examination results!

“The new laboratory will not only improve our academic performance as a school,” says Mr Lowassa. “But it will also spark and renew interest in the subject, especially with new students joining us every year,” he adds. 

Salome is the school’s Head Girl and one of its top biology students. Her love for biology dates back to a practical session she had when she was in primary school.

“Our teacher introduced us to food tests, a series of experiments to determine different food types,” she recalls. “The experience captured my interest immediately, although I didn’t fully understand the theory behind it at the time,” she adds. 

Now, Salome hopes to pursue a career as a doctor and specialise in women’s and children’s health. 

The new biology laboratory will be one of a kind, bigger and better than the current shared biology and chemistry lab. It will have the capacity to host 60 students at a single session with spacious working spaces and modern equipment. Furthermore, the laboratory will be equipped with improved technology for specimen preservation and storage, a ventilation system and an extra-large projector.

The project is fully funded through generous donations from the school’s international supporters. Expected to be completed later this year, the new biology laboratory is a timely and important addition to the thriving and vibrant science culture at St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School. 

Khadija first discovered her love of art when she took note of a picture drawn by her uncle. Inspired by the drawing, she took a pencil and a piece of paper to make a drawing of her own, and that was the beginning of her journey as an artist.

“Art is everything,” says Khadija, who is a Form 3 student at St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School. “It has been a life-changer to me.”

Khadija is among the most talented art students at St Jude’s. Spending most of her free time in the art room, she enjoys bringing her imagination to reality and sharpening her skills with the different resources available. 

“Khadija is very skilful with her hands,” says Mr Kephas, St Jude’s Art Teacher of eight years. “She is also very resourceful, always coming up with new ideas and inspirations.”

Khadija completed her primary education in a government school before receiving a scholarship to commence secondary school at St Jude’s.

In the Tanzanian education system, primary education is the first seven years of school; starting in Standard 1, students graduate primary education in Standard 7. The top performing students from government primary schools are invited to apply for a secondary school academic scholarship at St Jude’s. 

Joining St Jude’s from a government school presented Khadija with an opportunity to explore and exercise her talents. 

“St Jude’s is every artist’s dreamland,” says Khadija, “here you have a dedicated art room with resources and an arts teacher to guide you through all of it.” 

Furthermore, at St Jude’s Khadija has access with plenty of resources in the library and on the internet, where she gets new ideas and inspiration for her art. 

“One day, I stumbled upon a resource that showed how waste materials can be recycled to conserve the environment,” explains Khadija, “I started thinking of how we can make creative designs out of the materials being discarded at school.”

Khadija presented her idea to Mr Kephas, and the pair researched and developed a course of action for the project.

“Eventually, we decided to make flower pots out of recycled materials,” says Mr Kephas. “It is an interesting project because it uses the creativity of art to address environmental pollution.”

In this project, Khadija devised a way of turning worn-out clothes,  paper, sand, and cement into beautiful flower pots. Working with a team of three other students, Khadija produced several flower pots of varying colours and designs.  

These flower pots were showcased at St Jude’s annual Science Fair Day event, which saw Khadija’s invention claiming second place in her category and a handful of flower pots going on sale to St Jude’s staff. 

“It was the proudest moment of my life!” says Khadija.

Another eye-catching project on the day at the fair was that of string art, made by a fellow art student, Zuhura. 

String art uses coloured threads arranged in spectacular geometric patterns or designs. It has garnered popularity among emerging artists because of its colourful presentation of familiar objects.

Like Khadija, Zuhura credits St Jude’s holistic approach to education for helping her talent flourish. 

“Art is expensive,” observes Zuhura. “Without St Jude’s facilities and resources, it would be impossible to develop my skills in art.”

Zuhura has also been able to extend her creativity beyond the studio art room by acquiring digital design skills through St Jude’s computer programme classes. for students. 

“I want to be an architect when I’m older,” says Zuhura. “Learning design software early on will give me an edge in the pursuit of my career.” 

Being at St Jude’s has exposed Khadija and Zuhura to the immense opportunities and practical applications of their talents. They not only see art as a hobby, but as a career, business, and tool that can be used to solve global problems with a touch of style.