Like most students joining St Jude’s for the first time, Irene didn’t speak much English. So, her favourite place on campus was the playground. She quickly made new friends, discovered the sports she loved most.
“I was eight years old when I joined St Jude’s back in 2006 and the playground felt like a mini amusement park in comparison to my previous school,” shares Irene. “So I tried every sport and game offered at St Jude’s until I eventually settled on football and basketball,” she adds proudly.
When Irene wasn’t busy playing with her friends, she was in the library, scanning books with captivating pictures. She was particularly intrigued by images of the human body and animals, inspiring her lifelong interest in biology and her future career path.
“I would see pictures of children with malnutrition and they really made an impression on me,” recalls Irene. “My dream was to find a solution to this problem so that people wouldn’t have to suffer,” she adds passionately.
Early on, Irene decided that she was going to pursue a career in medicine, so she focused on science subjects throughout her time at St Jude's. Her motivation inspired her to consistently overcome one challenge after another, from the language barrier to succeeding in a male-dominated academic path. All her hard work paid off and Irene excelled in her final examinations earning a spot in the Beyond St Jude’s Scholarship Program (BSJSP), an optional program for secondary school graduates.
The BSJSP supports Form 6 graduates with higher education in universities and colleges across Tanzania and beyond. As part of the program, they spend a year doing community service, volunteering to teach at understaffed government schools or assisting at various placements throughout St Jude’s. Irene chose to volunteer in the Marketing department, where she helped promote the school’s mission to new supporters.
“The experience nurtured my spirit of giving back just as others had supported my education at
St Jude’s,” says Irene. “I also gained some valuable digital and communication skills that have been very useful,” she adds.
During her Community Service Year, Irene accepted a scholarship in Beirut to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics.
“I figured if I can help people make better dietary choices and adopt positive lifestyle changes then it could be the beginning of a healthier community,” she says.
Today, Irene is a globally recognised Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and she's back in Tanzania to put her knowledge and skills to good work, helping people live healthier and better lives. She works as a renal dietitian at one of the largest healthcare networks in East Africa, providing high-quality dialysis to patients.
"I basically help patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis improve their quality of life by providing an individualised nutrition care plan," explains Irene "This includes conducting consultations on what foods to eat to avoid the accumulation of uremic waste, increase protein intake to avoid malnutrition, aid the prevention of anemia," she adds.
Irene is also pioneering a telenutrition service that helps users optimise their dietary intake according to their goals. The digital platform offers practical, budget-friendly advice and personalised counselling, along with food preparation, portion control, and mindful eating resources, making nutrition knowledge accessible to a broad audience.
“I may not solve world hunger or malnutrition today,” says Irene. “But I am proud that I am helping people adopt healthier lifestyles. And that’s a step in the right direction,” she adds passionately.
Irene looks back at her experiences and opportunities at St Jude’s as a crucial part of her inspiration for what she does today. And she is not alone. Irene is part of a growing number of alumni currently using their skills and knowledge to impart the communities positively and lift them out of poverty.
The Beyond St Jude’s Scholarship Program (BSJSP) first started in 2015 to help graduates begin the next stage of their lives, while continuing to develop their leadership potential and community spirit.
It is composed of two parts: a year or semester of community service, then the tertiary or college scholarship program. During community service graduates personify the school’s values by volunteering to teach at understaffed government schools and at various placements throughout St Jude’s. Those who successfully complete their Community Service placement may then be eligible to receive a BSJSP scholarship to pursue higher education.
After completing their higher education, graduates return for the joint Beyond St Jude’s Recognition Ceremony, where they celebrate their achievements alongside fellow alumni, families, and sponsors.
Three months ago, our 2024 Form 6 graduates set the best-ever record in the history of national exam performance at St Jude's. All but one of our 200 graduates got Division 1s and 2s—enabling us to achieve a 100% pass rate with 99.5% of our students scoring within the two highest band scores in the Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (ACSEE). And the top performer of the lot? A female student, Victoria, got straight A's in all her core subjects!
The final two years of secondary school education in Tanzania are known as Advanced Level (A Level) Forms 5 and 6. At the end of the final year of secondary school, students sit for a series of standardised examinations organised by the government through the National Examination Council of Tanzania (NECTA).
Today, Victoria is a Community Service Year volunteer teaching geography at a local government school through the Beyond St Jude's Scholarship Program (BSJSP). She shares about her life at school, rising to the top of her class, and her experience as a Community Service volunteer so far.
How long have you been at St Jude's?
I have been at St Jude's for 14 years! That's all the way from primary to secondary school. So, many of my friends and core life memories are from St Jude's.
What did you like most while at school?
I loved Mathematics! I pursued it all the way to my A Level studies. When I wasn't busy studying, I spent time with friends and played netball in the evenings. I was also part of the Interact Club and regularly volunteered to teach government school students in remedial classes.
How did you rise to the top of your class?
I wasn't always the top performer. It wasn't until three years ago that I started getting A's in my exams, and it wasn't something I achieved overnight. It was built upon years of support from teachers, fellow students, other extracurricular programs at the school, and, of course, hard work.
What are some handy tips that helped you improve your scores?
It was not a tip but a piece of advice from my sponsor that I took to heart. My sponsor sent me a letter encouraging me to dream big and believe I could achieve anything I set my mind on. This advice inspired me to dream big, believe in myself, and work hard.
How do you find your Community Service Year (CSY) experience so far?
This is the best decision I have ever made! I love teaching others, so the experience of giving back is truly fulfilling. I teach about 93 students, and the best part of my day is interacting with them. They often ask me to extend lessons and even help bring my materials from the office before class.
After more than 12 years at St Jude's, Tabitha was ready to embark on her next adventure – pursuing her dreams at university. So, in 2020, 22-year-old Tabitha travelled to Tabora, a town in central Tanzania, for her tertiary studies. But as she soon found, the transition wasn't easy.
"I have always been a big city girl," says Tabitha, who, until this time, had spent her entire life in Arusha, one of Tanzania's biggest cities and a vibrant tourist hub. "Tabora felt small and didn't resemble Arusha at all. My first impression of the place was a little underwhelming," she adds.
Nevertheless, Tabitha embraced the change. Later, she realised that the town's rural, remote setting was the perfect place to put her skills and knowledge to good use.
"In retrospect, Tabora was exactly where I needed to be to make the change I wanted to see," reflects Tabitha. "I've always been passionate about helping special groups within the community; specifically those denied access because of their disabilities."
In just three years, Tabitha went from a novice university student in a new town to an inspiration in the community. She established a reputable nursery and daycare centre that caters to children under the age of seven, including those with disabilities and learning challenges.
"It all started from a deep desire to help children in need, especially those with disabilities," reflects Tabitha. "I noticed that these children were not being taken to school because their parents felt as though they were wasting money. So, I figured there needs to be a daycare in the community where these parents could see their children thriving as much as the other children that go to school," she adds passionately.
Her business started in 2022 with just five students. Tabitha's resolve to make the centre a vibrant and special place for children made it stand out. Her innovative approach to childcare and education, including the use of interactive games, movies, and songs, began making waves in the community. By the end of 2023, the number of children had risen to 20, 10 of whom had already progressed to primary school.
"My best highlight is seeing my students grow in character and academically," says Tabitha proudly. "Students from the centre not only continue to thrive in their primary schools, but they are also setting the bar for academic performance and good behaviour," she adds.
In Tanzania, there persists a negative attitude towards individuals with disabilities, resulting in parents often hiding their children from public view. This deprives them of education and opportunities to socialise with their peers. Tabitha's mission is to bridge this gap and extend educational opportunities to more children with disabilities.
"It's not always easy to convince parents to take their children with disabilities to school," says Tabitha. "But when they see children with similar circumstances at the centre happy and flourishing academically, it becomes easier to break down some of those negative notions associated with them," she adds.
Tabitha is currently in her final year of university, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Education in Special Needs. She is one of the many alumni from St Jude's putting her skills to good use and impacting the community. Tabitha hopes to use her education to continue breaking down barriers and make education accessible to all children.
Balancing academics and athletics isn't easy, but Judith, a St Jude’s alum and university scholar, is excelling at both. She is currently one of the top-performing students in her university, with an impressive GPA of 3.8 out of 4, and an ace basketball player who has won national and international awards on multiple occasions. Despite her rising stardom and flourishing career opportunities, Judith still remembers where it all began.
“It was at St Jude’s that I was first exposed to a lot of sports and opportunities that laid a foundation for my academic and basketball journey,” reflects Judith.
A novice player when she joined St Jude’s, Judith became an instant sensation on the basketball court and quickly rose through the ranks, participating in national and international competitions. Her dedication to sports and impressive academic track record earned her an international scholarship at the United States International University - Africa (USIU) in neighbouring Kenya.
“While at university, I wasted no time and joined the basketball team which was already making waves in the highly competitive Kenya Division One league,” says Judith.
She quickly became a regular starter and key player on the team. Within two years, Judith helped her team win the Division One championship, secure a promotion to the Kenyan Premier League, and qualify for the world university championships.
“Qualifying for the world university championships was huge as it’s one of the highest university sports competitions in the world,” explains Judith. “Playing basketball on the world stage was a dream come true for me and it wasn’t long before scouts began taking notice of my talent,” she adds.
Judith was recruited by Equity Bank basketball club, a Kenyan Premier League powerhouse making her the team’s youngest player. In her first season, Judith played at the Africa Women's Basketball League (AWBL), one of the highest club competitions for African teams.
“One of my great moments during the competition was when I scored a three-pointer at the buzzer, earning my team a crucial win in a game that was tied at 73 with only five seconds to go!” says Judith. “I was also the top scorer of the game with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists,” she adds proudly.
As of 2024, Judith is currently the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) competitions, solidifying her promising basketball career. Despite her success on the basketball court, Judith continues to excel at her academics. She maintains an impressive academic record and has been on the Dean’s List (students with outstanding GPAs) since her enrolment at the university.
“Out of almost 40 Tanzanian scholarship recipients at her university, Judith consistently ranks number one academically, followed by Agnes, also a St Jude’s alum,” says Vivian, St Jude’s Special Programs Senior Manager, who looks after the Beyond St Jude’s Scholarship program.
“She is a great example to students back at St Jude’s that they too can excel at both sports and academics,” she adds.
Judith is also a proud ambassador of St Jude’s wherever she goes and a great example of the school’s motto: challenge yourself. Her dedication, hard work and incredible discipline leaves behind a legacy for many aspiring students to follow her trail.
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.
