Joining The School of St Jude presents a significant academic transformation for students. The spacious classrooms, well-stocked libraries, and computer learning programs unlock new ways for students to engage in their academic interests. For Heavenlight, however, one of her favourite places at school is the football playground.

“I love the computer rooms and the libraries,” says Heavenlight. “But on the football field is where my heart jumps with excitement,” she admits.

Heavenlight joined St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School after completing her primary education at a government school. In the two years she has been at St Jude’s, Heavenlight has greatly developed her talent in sports to become one of the leading footballers at the girls' school. She is a regular starter on the girls’ football team and routinely represents St Jude’s in interschool competitions around Arusha.

“I credit my improved footballing abilities to St Jude’s,” reflects Heavenlight. “Although I have always loved playing football, the supportive environment and robust sports program at St Jude's have greatly complimented my talents,” she adds.

Football is predominantly regarded as a boys’ sport in Tanzania, a custom that has made it significantly harder for aspiring girls to pursue the sport. This situation is exacerbated by students in government schools, which generally have limited options for sports to accommodate both girls and boys.

“If I ever wanted to play football, then I had to train with the boys,” Heavenlight shares of her experiences before joining St Jude’s. “We didn’t have a dedicated sports teacher, we hardly ever played any interschool games, and there was only one football for the entire school. Furthermore, we didn’t have a girls' football team, so I never got the chance to play in competitive tournaments,'' she adds.

Since joining St Jude’s, however, Heavenlight feels as though she has reinvented herself once again. Her new school has a dedicated sports program, well-maintained infrastructure, and sufficient sports gear for various sports.  

“I immediately joined the girls’ football team and quickly established myself as an important part of the team,” she says happily. “In addition to regular practices, we get professional coaching and frequently participate in interschool or interclass tournaments and friendly games which help us maintain our enthusiasm and competence,” she adds.

A dedicated sports program is an essential part of St Jude’s approach to holistic education. This ensures that students not only excel academically but also develop their natural talents and skills to become well-rounded individuals. In recent years, the school has complemented its academic achievements with extraordinary performances in national and international sports competitions.

“The sports program is a massive success because of all the support we get across the board; from students to staff, external stakeholders, and the government as well,” says Jenerali, St Jude’s Sports Department Assistant Team Lead. “As a result, our comprehensive sports program is quickly garnering attention around the country and is opening the school to more opportunities within and beyond Tanzania,” he adds.

One such opportunity came in the form of a friendly match between St Jude’s and Les Hijabeuses, a women's football team from France. Having learned of St Jude’s excellent record and promotion in women's sports, the team reached out for a friendly match during their recent tour of Tanzania.

“It was good exposure for our students because it was the first time they played against a team from Europe,” says Jenerali. “In the end, everyone was happy and enjoyed themselves... and yeah, we came out on top,” he added with a smile.

The holistic approach to education at St Jude’s continues to unlock a wealth of talents and capabilities for students helping them fulfil their academic potential and develop leadership qualities to lift their communities out of poverty.

The School of St Jude recently opened a new biology laboratory at St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School. The inaugural celebration was marked with a speech from St Jude’s managers, a tour of the laboratory and a group photo in the newly finished building. 

Students now enjoy a fully furnished and spacious laboratory building thanks to your generous donations.  

With the addition of the biology lab, we are confident that boosting the love and interest in science studies at the school will help students reach their future goals of being doctors and scientists who are much needed in the community.

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.