At St Jude's Secondary School, Smith Campus is a plot of land commonly called the school shamba (shamba means farm in Kiswahili). It's one of the most beautiful places on campus, thriving year-round with fresh fruits, vegetables, and livestock. The shamba also serves as a practical learning ground for our students' agriculture lessons and a source of nutritious, homegrown food for the school.

Although the farm is confined within the school walls, it has recently become a new outlet for St Jude's kindness, extending its benefits into the wider community. 

"One of the common community outreach activities at school is volunteering to assist at local orphanages during weekends," explains Zuberi, a student at St Jude's Secondary School. "After doing this for a while, two of our schoolmates came up with a brilliant idea to go the extra mile," he adds. 

The pair, inspired to make a more tangible impact, conceived an initiative to cultivate vegetables at the school shamba and donate the harvest to special groups of people within the community.

The proposal was well received by the school, and a small piece of land was allocated to the group. Soon, word started spreading around campus, attracting other students to join the initiative.

"I was one of the first volunteers to join the group," recounts Zuberi. "We immediately set to work, dedicating our spare time to bring the project to fruition," he adds. 

The group comprises members from different year levels working in rotations, ensuring the farm is not neglected despite their busy schedules throughout the week. The group members consistently dedicate several hours to tending their vegetable garden on weekends and after-school hours. No wonder the farm yields bountiful harvests. 

"Everyone is supportive, generously sacrificing their free time and effort for a cause," says Zuberi passionately. "It is truly the spirit of St Jude's in action," he adds. One of the active members of the group is Jastini, a St Jude's student particularly interested in agriculture and supporting children. Jastini comes from an agricultural background and loved farming from a young age. So, when he came across the initiative that supports the less fortunate through the school shamba, he quickly jumped at the opportunity.

"It's one of those activities that I look forward to whenever I have a few minutes to spare," says Jastini with a smile. "The fact that I get to do something that I enjoy and still impact others is enough motivation for me," he adds. 

Though the group is only several months old, they have already harvested over 200 kg of vegetables, most of them going to orphanage centres around Arusha, with the rest supplementing the nutritional needs of students on special diets at school. On their last outing, the group donated fresh vegetables to a nearby orphanage centre in addition to assisting with manual tasks and playing with children. 

"Our aim is to help the centres offset their operating costs for food while providing children with essential nutrients for their growth," explains Jastini. "Knowing that we are making a difference in the lives of the children at these orphanages makes all our efforts worth it," he adds passionately.   

The St Jude's Spirit Program is a movement that unites our community in performing acts of service anchored on the school values of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, and Kindness. Through this program, we celebrate and share stories of people who go above and beyond to help nurture Tanzania's future moral and intellectual leaders. 

As part of the wider St Jude's community, we invite you to unite with our students, their families, staff, and alumni in the spirit of giving.

Vivian is a student at St Jude's Secondary School and the current Vice Chairperson of the Student Government. She enjoys playing netball, decorating, practising poetry, and reading inspirational books in the school library. Recently, Vivian spent a month at home for the end-of-term school holidays. We caught up with her about her recent holiday and plans for the new year.

In Tanzania, the final two years of secondary school are known as Advanced Level (A Level); Forms 5 and 6. The A Level school year is divided into two parts: the first term runs from July to December and the second term runs from January to June. Students enjoy a month-long break each term's end, in June and December.

How was your holiday?

My holiday was great! I spent time with my parents at home, travelled to visit my grandmother, and attended different workshops and seminars. Time well spent!

What was your favourite holiday activity?

I really enjoyed attending the workshops and seminars. I was a speaker at a youth conference on entrepreneurship and self-awareness. It was a pleasure sharing my knowledge and insights with fellow youth. Another highlight was visiting an orphanage and supporting the children with various items.

Did you learn anything while at home?

I learned some graphics design stuff from a professional. It's a skill that I intend to develop going forward.

What are you most excited about this term?

This is my first term as a Form 6 student (Form 6 is the final year of secondary school in Tanzania). This means we are the oldest students on campus!

What are your big plans for this term?

It's my final year in school, so I want to finish strong and get good grades. I also want to continue building on my leadership and engagement skills and work on becoming a positive influence on my fellow youth.

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.

St Jude's firmly upholds the principle of equal opportunity for all, regardless of tribe, family, or gender, in accessing education, resources, and opportunities. Over the years the school has taken intentional steps to create a supportive environment where women and girls can thrive and impact their communities.  

First a quick note of the school system here in Tanzania; there are seven years of primary school from Standard 1 to 7, then four years of secondary school called Ordinary Level (O Level) from Form 1 to 4, and then the final two years of secondary school called Advanced Level (A Level), Form 5 and 6.

One of the most enduring cultures at St Jude’s is the spirit of compassion and helping those in need. Throughout the year, students and staff support the community in various ways. 

“Every other weekend, our students are out volunteering at an orphanage, cleaning the marketplace, or sharing their skills and knowledge with students from neighbouring schools,” says Focus, a staff and mentor of Interact Club at the school. 

This year, St Jude’s launched another impactful initiative to support the community, particularly patients in need of blood transfusion. In March, the school introduced a bi-annual blood donation drive for eligible staff and students to voluntarily participate.

“We saw the need to step in and help local hospitals around our communities replenish their blood banks,” says Irene, who helped organise a recent blood drive at St Jude’s. “From medical emergencies and accidents, to supporting mothers during childbirths, our hospitals could always use the extra blood units,” she adds.

The first round saw 81 volunteers, including students at St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School and staff participate in the blood drive. The turnout was so good that it earned St Jude’s special recognition from Arusha’s largest referral hospital as the biggest blood donation drive by a single institution in its history.  

“It was a pleasant surprise,” says Irene excitedly. “We only had a few weeks to organise the drive and had initially estimated the blood drive to only take a few hours. In the end, it lasted the entire day! It was wonderful to see the St Jude’s community coming together once again in support of such an impactful program,” she adds.

The blood donation drive was a collaborative effort between St Jude's welfare and academic teams, with support from Arusha's biggest referral hospital. 

"We wanted to ensure that the drive was organised efficiently," says Irene. “The hospital helped organise an information session for our students and staff ahead of the drive and the school arranged a special lunch for everyone who donated their blood,” she adds.

Fatuma, one of the talented hosts of our monthly podcast, was one of the 63 students at St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School who participated in the blood drive. Beyond the podcast, she is an incredible athlete aspiring to become a P.E. teacher and understands the importance of donating blood in saving lives.

“I first learned from my sister, who is a nurse, that blood can be used to help people, particularly mothers during childbirth,” says Fatuma. “So when this opportunity arrived, I immediately volunteered,” she adds excitedly.

It’s also quite fitting that the record-setting blood drive happened at St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School during a month dedicated to celebrating women. Soon, St Jude’s will conduct another blood drive at Smith Campus and continue supporting local hospitals with extra blood. It’s part of a new tradition at St Jude’s where students and staff unite to save lives.

There are many reasons why The School of St Jude is a success story, including its extended community of parents and guardians.

Shabani is one of the dedicated parents who serve as an exemplary role model. He has dedicated his time by volunteering in the school's kitchen for the past five years. 

Shabani, whose child, Farida, is a student at St Jude’s Primary School in Class 7A, believes that volunteering is a meaningful way to express gratitude to the school for providing free education to his daughter.

"Volunteering in the kitchen to prepare meals is one way we thank the school for providing free education for our children. It is a way of collaborating with the school and staff in providing meals for every student," he shares.

Shabani and fellow parents highlight the invaluable impact of collaborative efforts between parents and the school. Their unwavering dedication in the kitchen and on the farm has ignited a spark within students, propelling them towards similar endeavours that cultivate self-reliance and entrepreneurship. 

"We want to show the way for our children, empowering them to embrace responsibility, nurture their skills, and create a thriving community rooted in shared values," says Shabani.

Parents like Shabani who embrace the spirit of giving encourage students to learn the valuable lesson of giving back to the school and the wider community... cultivating a culture of gratitude and philanthropy at St Jude's.