Bega solicitor Andrew Warren is pumping up the tires ready for a cross-country bicycle ride – in Tanzania!
In February 2019, Mr Warren plans to ride the length of the African country, alone and unsupported, to raise funds for the School of St Jude in Arusha, Tanzania.
All up, the ride covers about 1600km.
“If you agree to sponsor me, you will get your money back if I do not pedal every kilometre of the way – I promise!” Mr Warren said on his GoFundMe page.
Since only launching his fundraising page on Wednesday, December 5, he has already raised more than $2500 of his $3000 stated goal.
“If I can raise $3000 from sponsors of my ride, that will pay for a student to receive an education for a year,” Mr Warren said.
Mr Warren said St Jude’s provides a free, non-demoninational, high-quality education to children who, due to poverty and social pressures, would otherwise be unlikely to complete their schooling.
“I made contact with Gemma Sisia [the school’s founder] about 15 years ago – she’s an amazing woman,” Mr Warren said this week.
“She started the school with mud bricks and three children. Now it’s three campuses with 1800 children.
“We sponsored some kids at the school years ago and then this year we visited the school on a family holiday.
“It costs only $3000 a year to sponsor a student and for they St Jude’s provides full board, uniforms, all meals, books and pencils and so on.
“Every single one of their students was chosen because they combined academic promise with a desperately poor background and a great attitude to work. They feed them, house them, educate them, and do everything possible to ensure their students’ wellbeing and future success.”
Mr Warren said he could ride anywhere in order to raise some money for the school and its students, “but it seemed more appropriate to go back to Tanzania”.
He heads out on February 8 – “it’s all booked in so I can’t back out now!”
“I’m not a competitive rider, just your typical middle aged man in lycra. I just enjoy going for a ride.”
Mr Warren said he hoped to find guest houses along the route, but given the African country’s landscape that may not always be possible.
“So I’m packing a tent but maybe I will need to hang a sign on it saying ‘Lions not welcome’,” he joked.
Bega District News (read the original article here).
Cloncurry local, Lexie Hudson, is one of seven young Australian leaders who have embarked on a three week Tanzanian Immersion trip.
yLead’s Tanzanian Immersion has focused on connecting young people through adventure, service, connection and cultural immersion, through which it is hoped these women are inspired to make a difference in their local communities.
Ms Hudson and the other leaders climbed to The Roof of Africa, at the peak of the highest free-standing mountain in the world, Mount Kilimanjaro, immersed themselves in the African wildlife during a safari, spent a night in a local teacher’s home on a cultural homestay and relaxed on the island of Zanzibar.
A key objective of the Immersion this year was to celebrate women supporting women, with a special visit to The School of St Jude in Arusha.
The group spent just over a week teaching English in local schools, holding an athletics carnival, planting trees, and building their cultural understanding with the people of Tanzania.
This year’s participants alone raised $8000, and were able to see the life-changing impact that this fundraising has on the school, and community of Arusha first hand.
Founded by Australian woman, Gemma Sisia in 2002, St Jude has grown from three attendees and one teacher on its opening day, to now providing an education to over 1800 local children who would otherwise be unable to get an education due to living in an impoverished community.
yLead has harvested a partnership with The School of St Jude, funding the opening of a girl’s boarding house in 2011, which now houses 80 girls. Since connecting with Gemma Sisia in 2009, yLead has donated over $230,000 to The School of St Jude.
yLead CEO, Bel Yorston, speaks passionately, saying that “it is so important that we connect young Australian women with inspiring mentors across the globe, and inspire them to use their knowledge and skills to make a difference in their own communities,”
Bel Yorston also said “we often read about these remarkable women, however, to actually see this first hand puts the impact that one strong woman can have on both her community, and other women across the globe into perspective.”
Students from the Dominican College Wicklow were blessed with some great weather as they carried out a five-hour fundraising car wash at the school.
The event on Saturday, April 21, was held to raise funds for the School of St Jude in Tanzania.
The School of St Jude educates disadvantaged, bright students in the Arusha area of Tanzania to help them become moral and intellectual leaders in their country. The school receives no State funding so depends entirely on voluntary donations.
Some Dominican students will travel over to Tanzania in the summer.
Some of the students plan on running marathons to raise money while other fundraisers were held during the week, including a cinema day. The funds raised through the car wash are still being established but €22,000 had already been raised prior to that through a series of other different events.
Bray People (read the original article here).
Ms Hart has been a sponsor at The School of St Jude for over 12 years and was at the graduation to see her academically gifted sponsor student, Erick, graduate.
According to UNICEF, in Tanzania, almost 70 per cent of children aged 14–17 years are not enrolled in secondary education, while a mere 3.2 per cent are enrolled for the final two years of schooling.
At the graduation, amidst the colourful and vibrant celebrations, speeches and traditional dance, Ms Hart took to the stage to say a word on behalf of all St Jude’s sponsors.
“You are a true example of what you can achieve when the opportunity presents itself,” Ms Hart proudly told the graduates.
“You have proved that you are all capable of applying yourselves and reaching the heights that were once so unattainable.
“You should always remember that we will always be by your side encouraging you, loving you as one of our own and taking delight in your future careers,” she said.
St Jude’s is a charity-funded school founded in 2002 by NSW humanitarian, Ms Gemma Sisia.
The School offers a free, high-quality education to over 1,800 students, and boarding to over 1,400 students.
With a predominantly Tanzanian staff and resources, and supplies bought locally, it injects over $4m Australian dollars into the local economy every year.
Unlike most schools, the students of St Jude’s are selected based on their academic potential and genuine financial need, often coming from families that live on less than US$1.90 a day.
“I first met Mama Gemma 20 years ago,” Ms Hart recalled.
“She told us of her dreams to build a school in Tanzania, such an unbelievable idea for one so young who was brought up in Australia and had no money to build a school.
“She faced many hurdles along the way but did she ever give up?
“No, she held her head up high and kept going.
“Where is she today; taking pride in all of you and knowing she has made a difference to so many lives, and has given a future to those who would never have had the opportunity that you have,” Ms Hart told the crowd.
Ms Hart played an integral role in the beginnings of the school.
After hearing Ms Sisia speak at a Rotary conference in Australia, she accompanied her fellow Erina Rotarians to Arusha and helped to build the School.
She then went on to become the chief Financial Coordinator for the School, processing charitable contributions on its behalf up until 2010.
“Monica played a massive role at the very beginning of the St Jude’s story”, Ms Sisia fondly recalls.
“She generously gave up a lot of time and effort, not only in physically building the school, but in managing and processing its Australian contributions,” she said.
After a year of great academic success for the class of 2018, almost all graduates have elected to take part in the optional Beyond St Jude’s program and undertake a Community Service Year before embarking on tertiary and further education.
Most will teach in government schools across the region as a means of giving thanks for their free, high quality education at St Jude’s.
“They are bringing to life the school’s mission of educating the moral and intellectual future leaders of Tanzania, and in turn are emulating the values and altruism of loyal supporters like Monica,” Ms Sisia concluded.
Central Coast Newspapers (read the original article here).
Exclusively for our graduates, we help The School of St Jude recruit and support top creative talent to best communicate their important mission—providing high-quality education to 1800 of the brightest and poorest students in Tanzania. Selected from families living on less than $2 a day, St Jude’s students receive an education that consistently ranks in the top 10% nationally. Andy Shillington, Founder and CEO of Shillington is a long-time donor and loves connecting our design graduates to the school’s important work.
In 2016, New York graduate Connie Leung spent one year designing for good at St Jude’s, and now—in 2018, London graduate Kate Holland takes the reins. “A talented, enthusiastic graphic designer helps us find new and exciting ways to share our story,” says Gemma Sisia, Founder of St Jude’s. “Good design connects with our supporters from all over the world who help us do an amazing job fighting poverty through education here in Tanzania.”
Here’s our full interview with Kate. Find out why she’s pumped to work with such a beautiful brand for a good cause, what life is like so far in Arusha and why she’s passionate about this important work.
Congratulations on being selected for the Shillington Design Safari at St Jude’s in Arusha, Tanzania! How does it feel?
Seriously incredible and totally surreal at the same time! I had such build up of anticipation before coming here and now that I’m actually standing on Tanzanian soil I can’t believe it. What they’re doing here at St Jude’s is beyond words. It’s very moving to see the students gorgeous, cheery smiles around the campus every day, it’s a constant reminder of why I’m here.
Since arriving, I’ve been blown away by the kindness and contentment of the people, their humble approach to life, the way people greet each other and just the everyday on-goings of life in Arusha. I’ve never been to Tanzania before so it’s all extremely eye opening but I feel like I’m meant to be here, I’m ready to call this place home.
You actually saw Gemma Sisia, founder of St Jude’s speak while studying at All Saints Anglican School and it “shifted and heightened [your] interest to aid others”. Tell us more about what her talk meant to you.
Having grown up on the Gold Coast and then seen others parts of the world, I think we have no idea just how lucky we are to have access to privileges that many people do not experience. Listening to this inspiring woman talk about the unimaginable extremes of poverty and lack of education in Tanzania, it really put a lot of things in perspective for me.
It was about 10 years ago so the school was still in its early stages, but you could tell that St Jude’s was no ordinary organisation. Even then, what Gemma had done was incredible – to think that she started with $10 in a bank account and not much knowledge of building schools is probably the most inspiring story I’ve ever heard. A few of my closest friends went over to visit St Jude’s on a school trip and seeing their pictures made me realise that one day I just had to go over, experience it for myself and help in whatever way possible.
Before coming here I read Gemma’s book about St Jude’s—an absolute must read! It gives such an insight into her background and shows how one person with enough good-will, motivation, love and selflessness can actually change lives and have huge positive impacts on a community. Her story is incredibly moving and really prompted me to think about the way I live my life.
Besides being inspired by Gemma, why else did you decide to apply for the opportunity?
I love seeing the world, I love new challenges, I love immersing myself in other cultures and also, why not? I think it was a sign when I received the email from Shillington advertising the design safari and I wasn’t going to ignore it. It was a great opportunity to not only continue working in design but also produce work that is fulfilling and for a fantastic cause. Sometimes you can get caught up in all the materialism and mundanity of design so it’ll be nice to feel like my work is making a difference, even if it’s ever so small!
Why are you excited to work with Seesaw’s branding?
St Jude’s has taken such a massive leap in the right direction with this rebrand. I’m only two weeks in and I can already see how imperative this new brand is for St Jude’s.
It’s energetic and fun, it’s colourful, it’s the kids on the playground at lunchtime, it’s positive, it’s impactful, it’s the atmosphere of the campus and it’s also so much more!
Seesaw Studio and Connie have done an incredible job and I hope I can fill their shoes as I continue to roll out the branding across bigger and better things!
What else are you most looking forward to during your time at St Jude’s?
Making life-long friends and memories with like-minded people who are here for a great cause. Trying to understand and immerse myself as much as I can in the Tanzanian way of life and maybe becoming fluent in Swahili! I also can’t wait to interact with and get to know some of the students a bit more, we have some interns in our team who are completing a Community Service Year internship through our graduate program, Beyond St Jude’s. Many graduates choose to participate in the program as a way to give back to the school that gave them so much, and when they’re working right beside you, you realise just how far they’ve come, thanks to an education at St Jude’s.
I’m also really looking forward to going on Safari, I’ve heard so many great things about the safaris in Tanzania and can’t wait to see it for myself!
What were you up to before studying at Shillington? Why did you want to study design?
I’ve always been quite creative but also very methodical and logical so design seemed like the perfect avenue for me. I went to a Shillington Info Session in Brisbane while I was still at school and something about it definitely felt right, so it was always in the back of my mind.
Then I finished high school in 2011, turned 18 the following year and jetted off to Europe for a gap year. I fell in love with London and made the decision to stay as I was having the time of my life. After a year, I decided (with the help of my lovely parents!) that I would enrol to study at Shillington in London, and the rest is history!
Where has life taken you since graduating?
Since graduating I moved back to Australia as no one would marry me for a UK visa! I worked on the Gold Coast for a year and then moved to Brisbane for two years working for a boutique hospitality group and then back to the Gold Coast to work on the 2018 Commonwealth Games and now to Tanzania! I think studying at Shillington was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It was exactly what I needed and look where it has taken me—I couldn’t ask for anything more!
Anything else you’d like to share?
ASANTE SANA (‘thank you’ in Swahili) to Shillington for giving me this opportunity and supporting such a great cause!
Huge thanks to Kate for sharing her Shillington Design Safari story! Be sure to check out her website.
I can’t believe it’s that time of year again! My calendar is filling up fast, the wheels are in motion and it’s thrilling to think that in less than one month, Godwin, our 2018 graduate, and I will be touching down in Melbourne – the first stop on The School of St Jude’s 2019 promotional tour.
Godwin is an exceptional young man and a shining example of how St Jude’s, the school so many of you helped to build, is transforming lives and communities in Tanzania.
Respect, responsibility, honesty and kindness are key values that underpin St Jude’s. Many years ago, we decided to hang these words on signs across our school campuses. I dreamed our graduates would personify these qualities. Godwin does exactly that. I know you will love meeting him during the promotional tour, and I certainly look forward to catching up with old friends and making many new ones.
Between late February and the end of March, Godwin and I will be zipping between Australia’s eastern and southern coasts and hopping over to visit our friends in New Zealand.
Click here for a list of upcoming events in each region.
See you soon, mates!
Gemma Sisia, Founder, The School of St Jude
