January 2, 2018

Bridge to a Bright Future

Through Beyond St Jude's, one young adult can change hundreds of lives.

In 2015, the Beyond St Jude’s program launched its first Community Service Year. A handful of bold sponsors and 50 graduates put their trust in this new program, enabling The School of St Jude to venture into uncharted territory, with a vision of nurturing our graduates’ leadership potential and changing even more lives. 

We knew from day one that Beyond St Jude’s was going to have an important impact on St Jude’s graduates, but we had no idea just how much they would help their communities flourish, and how much they personally would grow from the experience.

In its pilot year alone, our interns taught over 10,000 government school students! 

In 2017, three years on, we have welcomed 117 new graduates into the program. As of today, we have positively impacted over 22,000 students in 80 schools in the Arusha district. The ripple effect is spreading far and wide!

Rising to the occasion: Joseph was Head of Department during his Community Service Year!
Rising to the occasion: Joseph was Head of Department during his Community Service Year!

The numbers tell one story, but the stories shared by Community Service Year interns tell a heart-warming personal tale of compassion and triumph against the odds. 

Each intern who chose to teach during their Community Service Year enthusiastically rose to the occasion.

For most of their schooling, these young adults enjoyed a free, high-quality education at The School of St Jude. However, Beyond St Jude’s interns appreciate their privilege, and realise government school students aren’t always so fortunate.

Government schools in Tanzania are over-crowded and under-resourced. Our interns work tirelessly, teaching hundreds of students each day with great professionalism and empathy. 

Some Community Service Year interns overcame monumental challenges. As the only mathematics teacher in his government school, Joseph became Head of Department, teaching 244 students in total! 

A 'family-ar' face: One of Josephs students was his own younger brother.
A 'family-ar' face: One of Josephs students was his own younger brother.

“I feel very good doing community service. I am helping with the whole of my heart because I know how it feels to have nothing,” the brave leader said. 

Joseph’s students also benefitted from his teaching abilities. 

“He is a good teacher because he taught me new skills and knowledge. He has improved my study skills and confidence,” said Form 3 government school pupil, Elibariki. 

Joseph comes from a rural area outside of Arusha. Aside from helping so many students, Joseph changed his family’s life. With the stipend he earned during his internship, he rebuilt his mother’s house and provided school uniform and books for his younger brother. 

Building the dream: Joseph used his Community Service Year stipend to help rebuild his mother's house.
Building the dream: Joseph used his Community Service Year stipend to help rebuild his mother's house.

Beyond St Jude’s interns have their sights set on higher education upon completing their Community Service Year. Through Beyond St Jude’s, we have 66 Scholars studying everything from Education, Communications and Law, to Medicine, Engineering and Agriculture, in institutions across the country.  

Thanks to the quality education they received at St Jude’s, our students are motivated to take their next steps into higher education. However, financial aid for post-secondary study in Tanzania is severely limited. Many high school graduates are not able to afford tuition fees, and government loans for disadvantaged graduates have decreased. 

Currently, more than 40 Community Service Year interns and university scholars in our program remain unsponsored. Without a higher education, it is impossible for many St Jude’s graduates to reach their long-term dreams of becoming Tanzania’s future leaders. 

The Beyond St Jude’s program is more than just an education sponsorship. It is the bridge between adolescence and adulthood for St Jude’s graduates, who are fighting poverty through education with support from donors and sponsors worldwide.  Their lives have been changed, and now, they are changing the lives of others.  

Support Beyond St Jude’s by becoming a sponsor or donating to our tertiary fund. 

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