Every year, St Jude’s conducts health checks for its 1,800 students across three campuses to identify any health concerns, monitor existing conditions, and tailor support for those with specific needs. This year’s Health Check team included some familiar faces, with three St Jude’s alumni returning to give back to the very place where their journeys began.
For Nadia, Class of 2019, coming back was a full-circle moment. “It feels special to come back and contribute to the same process that helped me so much,” she says. “I remember the medical professionals from my own health checks when I was a student, and thinking ‘I’d love to do that one day!”
Nadia joined St Jude’s as a Standard 1 student in 2007 and is now in her fifth and final year of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which consists of a year doing practical internship at Mount Meru Hospital, not far from St Jude’s Sisia Campus. Despite her demanding schedule, Nadia sought special permission to take two weeks of leave from her program to participate in the health checks, knowing it was an opportunity she couldn’t let pass by.
“My internship year is supposed to be uninterrupted, but I was fortunate the hospital team was very supportive and granted me the leave so I could be here,” notes Nadia, who says her passion for pursuing a career in healthcare was forged during her time at St Jude’s.
“I’ve always dreamed of returning to give back, and it’s everything I hoped it would be. I’ve seen students who were in Form 1 when I was in Form 6 who said, ‘Oh Nadia, look at you now!’ and I told them, ‘Everything is possible. You just have to believe in it,’ she says.
Returning alongside Nadia was Erneus, Class of 2020, who vividly recalls his first health check after joining St Jude’s in 2018 as a Form 5 student. “I was so happy as I had never had a check-up like that before. We were advised on how to improve our health, and it was crucial for me. It’s very fulfilling to now be a part of something that helped me in the past.”
After graduating with a degree in Biotechnology and Public Health in 2024, Erneus felt there was no better way to kickstart his career than applying his skills at the place that helped shape his future.
“It’s my first time volunteering in the Health Check team, and I’m learning a lot. It is so rewarding to see the students’ reactions and learn from an international cohort of experts,” says Erneus.
“I have been working in the vision team, helping assess students’ eyesight to identify any issues that could affect their learning ability. If not detected, these issues can grow and start to impact a student’s education, which is why the health checks are so important,” he says.
Like Erneus and Nadia, Winniefreda, from the Class of 2019, also volunteered in the vision team this year. She describes her return to St Jude’s as a homecoming. “I spent so much of my life here,” she says. “Being back feels like coming home. St Jude’s is where I learned and grew, and now I’m able to return the care that I once received.”
In 2023, Winniefreda completed her Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery. She now works at a hospital in Arusha and doubles as a private nurse, providing home care as part of the government’s clinical nursing program.
“It’s incredible to see how much the school has grown. What excites me is knowing that we’re helping students who could very well be the next generation of health professionals. Some of the students we helped this year could be in our position in the future. That’s the power of St Jude’s. It always comes back around,” she says.
Nadia, Winniefreda, and Erneus are prime examples of how a St Jude’s education creates a ripple effect, coming full circle to give back to their communities and inspire future generations.
The scorching heat, rough roads, wild animals, and the risk of getting lost are just some of the challenges awaiting Andrew and his team of six other cyclists. Yet Andrew keeps his good spirits and sense of humour, sharing regular updates on social media as the team begins their gruelling 1,600km cycling adventure across East Africa.
"Our little adventure will support free education for students whose families can't afford it," writes Andrew on one of his social media posts. "Every AU$3,200 we raise can fund one student's education for a year, including stationery, tuition, transport, boarding, extracurricular programs – everything they would need for a successful education. That's a good enough motivation," he shares.
Andrew is no stranger to challenging himself for St Jude's. In 2019, he went on a solo adventure to cycle about 1,600km in East Africa to raise funds for the school. This was followed by another similarly demanding challenge in 2020 with nine other cyclists. When he couldn't travel to East Africa in 2021 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, he rode the Red Hill in Canberra 41 times, equalling the elevation of Africa's tallest mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Now, five years since his first solo adventure, Andrew is returning to East Africa for a third round of adventure with six other motivated cyclists. Some are returning from previous expeditions, while a few are joining for the first time. One cyclist, who found the team on Facebook, joined after commenting, "I'm struggling to find a reason not to do this."
Although most of the team is mostly made up of men from older generations with established careers in law, banking, and medicine, this year's trip features a welcome change. One of the members from the previous expedition is bringing his son along for the adventure, making them the first father-son duo to cycle for St Jude's.
"We are particularly delighted to have someone to bring the average age of the team down by a significant amount," notes Andrew. "But we're all scared of him because we think he'll be an awful lot fitter than us old guys!" adds Andrew jokingly.
The adventure is underway, with the team riding from Kigali, Rwanda, heading east across Tanzania. They entered Tanzania a few weeks ago and are now pushing to the northeast corner of the country. In between, they will pass Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake, loop around the iconic Mt Kilimanjaro, and touch the Kenyan border to the east. The route will take them through Arusha, where they will briefly visit St Jude's to see firsthand the impact of their support.
"The ride has been developed in the true spirit of adventure. Each day, we will ride to the next general destination, find somewhere to stay and something to eat, and get up the next day to do it all again!" shares Andrew on his fundraising website.
"By the end of the ride, we will have seen some of what Africa's all about, from the busy cities to villages to farms to Maasai grazing lands to amazing wildlife," he adds.
Andrew and his team are hoping to raise AU$20,000 for St Jude's throughout the cycling adventure. You can follow their progress on Instagram, Facebook, and their website, where they share photos and stories while on the road. By donating or simply sharing their journey, you can be part of this amazing story and help students access quality, holistic education.
Over the past decade, the TechnologyOne Foundation, has been an avid supporter of St Jude’s, fuelling the interest and skills of our students in technology and lending their expertise to streamline office systems. Additionally, TechnologyOne staff have actively participated in various charity and fundraising activities for St Jude’s through the years.
Powering connectivity
Our school’s robust IT infrastructure is made possible through TechnologyOne’s donation, as well as our internet connectivity, IT infrastructure, and licensing for various eLearning programs for students across all our campuses.
Technology support
TechnologyOne donates software programs that assist St Jude’s with budgeting, forecasting, database management, and supply chain management. Their staff also closely collaborates with our Corporate Applications and IT departments in customising technology to meet the school's specific needs.
Supporting STEM learning
TechnologyOne provides ICT and software support that enhances teaching effectiveness in our school and nurtures our students’ digital literacy. In March, TechOne also offered career and study advice for our students, giving them perspectives on the range of career pathways available in the STEM fields and further generating interest in STEM learning at St Jude’s.
The Sunday of October 15 was a special one for Africa, an enthusiastic supporter of St Jude’s. He had just competed in a 10 km run and helped raise over AU$5000 for The School of St Jude.
“I participated in Queensland’s largest fun run to raise funds for St Jude’s,” says Africa. “I completed the run in one piece and raised an impressive AU$5860 – and the count is still rising,” he adds proudly.
Africa, who currently resides in Australia where he works as a senior electrical engineer, has been a long supporter of St Jude’s. He and his wife, Yvette, found out about the school during one of their many trips to Tanzania and immediately became supporters.
Long-Term Supporters: Africa (right) and his wife (left) have been supporters for 19 years!
“St Jude’s dedication to providing quality education to underprivileged children in Tanzania resonates strongly with my values and aspirations,” says Africa. “I know this because I have experienced it first-hand,” he adds.
Africa was born and raised in one of the villages along the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, in northern Tanzania. Growing up, he enjoyed playing football and developed a liking for mathematics and science subjects at school.
“Some of my favourite memories were those of my father tutoring me,” shares Africa. “He instilled in me the value of a good education from the beginning. My father would even assign daily learning tasks to reinforce the skills and subjects in the classroom,” he continues.
His father’s efforts paid off and Africa achieved high primary and secondary school results which allowed him to attend the best government schools in Tanzania. This opened up more opportunities for Africa to pursue further studies in the United States and Australia.
“I am deeply grateful to have a parent who believed in the power of education. I want to extend the same spirit to the next generation of aspiring Tanzanian professionals,” says Africa. “This is why I decided to challenge myself in the Bridge2Brisbane fun run this year to raise funds for a cause that is close to my heart,” he adds passionately.
Over the years, Africa and his wife have been ardent supporters of St Jude’s, through sponsorship, organising fundraising activities, and raising awareness. Africa was awarded the Rotary Paul Harris Fellow Award for his dedication to assisting his native community in Tanzania, notably his former primary school and advocacy for St Jude’s.
As long-term sponsors, Africa and his wife, Yvette, have personally experienced the transformative journey of a sponsored student at St Jude’s.
“When I learned of St Jude’s and its mission of fighting poverty through education, my wife and I agreed to sponsor a student. I was the first ever Tanzanian sponsor!” says Africa.
“The student we sponsored recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering,” says Africa happily. “This is particularly special because I am an electrical engineer myself, and it is inspiring to know that I had a role in influencing his career choice to follow in my footsteps,” he adds.
Africa's passion for St Jude's mission also inspired the original Brisbane High Rise Rotary Club visit to St Jude’s in 2012, which has now grown to six visits and more than 100 Rotarians being introduced to St Jude’s.Africa is one of many St Jude’s supporters who have gotten creative in raising funds and awareness for the school. By combining his hobby for athletics and passion for St Jude’s, he found a new way of supporting the school. Like Africa, there are many ways to join the fight against poverty. Our resource page may be a good place to start for aspiring supporters looking to raise funds for St Jude’s.
Saturday 19th August was a big day for The School of St Jude. The usually cool atmosphere of Sisia Campus was buzzing with activity and anticipation. There were students and staff from schools around Arusha, interested individuals, and stakeholders – all connected by their common love and appreciation for nature and the environment.
Dr Jane Goodall ascended to the stage at the St Jude’s Primary Dining Hall and proceeded to address the crowd in a mixture of grunts, barks, and pant-hoots.
“That’s how chimpanzees greet each other,” she explained, to the amazement of the audience.
Dr Goodall is a world-renowned ethologist and environmentalist. She has devoted her life to understanding, protecting, and advocating for the delicate balance of nature. Her unique connection to Tanzania started when studying the social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park.
“I have always loved animals from a very young age,” says Dr Goodall of her upbringing. “When my mother took notice of my interests, she introduced me to the fascinating world of books and that is where I learned about Africa,” she continues.
Dr Goodall’s first experience of Africa came in her mid-twenties when she travelled to Kenya to visit a friend whose family lived on a farm just outside Nairobi. While in Kenya, she learned about Dr Leakey, a famed primatologist and archaeologist, who introduced her to the world of chimpanzees.
“My life took a different turn from there onwards,” recalls Dr Goodall. “I spent the next 60 years studying wild chimpanzees in the forest. It was the most fulfilling activity of my life. I remember thinking to myself, ‘This is what I was born to do,’” she adds passionately.
Over the years of working in the wild, Dr Goodall became increasingly concerned about the alarming threat posed by escalating environmental and climate changes. The trend highlighted the urgent need to act and protect the environment for the survival of both people and animals. She has since become an advocate for the conservation and protection of the environment.
“I would speak to young people about climate change and they would seem to have given up hope,” recalls Dr Goodall. “They believed a lot of damage had already been done by previous generations and there was nothing they could do. But I encouraged them to take small actions of change, starting locally in their communities,” narrates Dr Goodall.
From these conversations sprouted Roots and Shoots, a youth-led program that encourages young people to be agents of change by participating in projects that protect the environment, wildlife, or their communities. Over the years, Roots and Shoots has grown to include 70 countries around the world where its participants identify and address problems in their communities while becoming compassionate citizens of the planet.
“Sometimes it might seem as if our actions are futile on the global scale,” Dr Goodall encourages the youth. “But when you know that there are young people like you in 69 other countries that are doing the same thing as you. Then you can dare to dream globally,” she adds hopefully.
Dr Goodall’s visit was inspired by St Jude’s active Roots and Shoots Club, one of the 50 student clubs at the school. In addition to sharing her life’s experiences and adventures working with wild chimpanzees and speaking on various environmental-related topics, Dr Goodall engaged in a thrilling Q&A session with students, planted several trees, and visited the Art Gallery at St Jude’s.
“It is such a wonderful idea to use education to lift people out of poverty,” says Dr Goodall of her experience at St Jude’s. “What I especially love about the school is that graduates have a gap year where they give back to the community. This is very impactful and cultivates a culture of giving back, thus raising a generation of responsible, compassionate leaders,” she adds.
St Jude’s Roots and Shoots Club is one of the fastest-growing student clubs at the school. Having started with only one student in 2020, the club has now grown to a dynamic group of more than 30 students actively taking part in making the world a better place one step at a time.
“Students can connect with Roots and Shoots because it touches on all three aspects: the human, the animal, and the environmental aspect,” explains Mr Mayala, St Jude’s Roots and Shoots Club Mentor. “Members are highly motivated in our activities, whether it is planting trees and maintaining gardens around the school, compassionate visits to elderly homes and orphanages, and debating on various topics on the environment and climate change to raise awareness about our mission,” he adds.
St Jude’s uses education to raise leaders of tomorrow who will use their skills to improve the well-being of their community in all aspects, including the environment. The supportive environment at the school encourages students to express themselves and pursue their true passions in various fields. Industry leaders like Dr Jane Goodall serve as a constant inspiration to many youths around the world that with determination, hard work, and discipline, they too can make a lasting difference in the world.
The School of St Jude is privileged to have modern computing and information technology facilities. From financial management systems and human resource solutions to help students and staff improve their English, technology is constantly in use at St Jude’s.
All of this is possible because of generous supporters, including TechnologyOne, an Australian software company.
“TechnologyOne is a software company based in Brisbane, Australia,” explains Robin, a software engineer at TechnologyOne. “Our software helps organisations and businesses manage day-to-day activities such as accounting, procurement, and student management,” he adds.
Although TechnologyOne is primarily a software company, it takes social responsibility seriously and is committed to making a difference for underprivileged and at-risk youths in communities. So when St Jude’s inspirational story of empowering future Tanzanian leaders with quality education reached TechnologyOne, they quickly joined hands in support.
“We have a dedicated charity program at TechnologyOne called TechnologyOne Foundation,” explains Melissa, of TechnologyOne. “The Foundation currently supports nine charity partners and St Jude’s is one of them,” she adds.
As a Foundation Champion at TechnologyOne, Melissa organises fundraising activities for charity partners. Over the years, TechnologyOne Foundation has come up with creative ways to raise funds and support for St Jude’s
“One of our popular fundraising campaigns is the triathlon,” explains Melissa. “In a triathlon, participants complete a series of three sports which involves a 1500m swim, 40km bicycle ride, and a 10km run,” she adds.
This year’s donation from TechnologyOne helped purchase 60 laptops for new staff, allowing them to work efficiently. Furthermore, TechnologyOne employees conducted their own fundraising for a new jungle gym at St Jude’s, a donation which the software company then matched!
Over the years, TechnologyOne has donated software that has become indispensable at St Jude’s, assisting with budgeting, forecasting, database management and supply chain management.
“Software programs from TechnologyOne have helped simplify a lot of processes,” says Noel, Assistant Team Lead of Corporate Applications at St Jude’s. “Tasks that used to take hours can now be done in a few minutes,” he explains.
Corporate Applications is a special division of Information and Technology (IT) at St Jude’s which is dedicated to researching, incorporating, and customising technology to school requirements.
“Technology is always evolving, and so should we,” says Noel. “Mastering technology is crucial for students if they are going to develop innovative solutions in the future,” he elaborates.
There is a strong emphasis on technology at St Jude’s. All students attend weekly computer classes, which include a special IT curriculum, typing lessons, and a program for learning English called ESL (English as a Second Language). Additionally, students have the option to learn programming as an extracurricular club to further nurture their interest in technology.
Melissa and Robin visited St Jude’s this year as part of TechnologyOne’s charity program. It was the first time in Tanzania for both of them and the experience was eye-opening.
“Everything from the art, music, dances, and academics is phenomenal,” says Robin. “It is truly fulfilling to be supportive of what happening here,” he adds.
TechnologyOne has been supporting St Jude’s since 2014. Their support helps St Jude’s equip students with 21st century skills in science and technology to lift their communities out of poverty. In an ever-changing world, TechnologyOne’s partnership with St Jude’s facilitates a necessary and timely technological evolution for Tanzania’s future leaders.
