In 2002 a young lady, Gemma Rice (now Gemma Sisia), from a sheep farm in Australia, opened a small school in Northern Tanzania with the help of her family, friends and local Rotary Club. What started with only a handful of children and one teacher is now a thriving school of almost 850 children, 60 teachers and 200 staff. This school has the potential to really influence the quality of Tanzania's future leaders.
Over 90% of the children at the school receive a totally free education as local and international sponsors individually cover the costs of not only the educational fees but also the uniform, stationery, transport, hot meal, snacks and drinks of each child. What makes this school even more special is the fact that this success comes about due to the group effort of thousands of ordinary people from all over the world coming together to do something quite extraordinary. Individuals, families, schools, church groups and service clubs are joining forces by supporting the school's various sponsorship programs.
Every day staff and students work hard to fulfil the school’s philosophy of "Fighting Poverty through Education" helping our students break the cycle of poverty that has gripped their families for generations. If this is what such a team effort can achieve in four short years, then imagine what could be achieved in ten years!
Please follow the link to their website and if possible, support the school through a donation.In five years, The School of St Jude has grown from three students to 850 and continuing to grow fast. Every year at least another 150 students have their dreams fulfilled by being able to wear a St Jude's hat.
Because of the huge demand, a child has a less than 1% chance of gaining a child sponsorship and so the school has to have a one child per family policy.
With every 25 new children sponsored there is a massive amount of infrastructure that has to be put into place so that they can be officially enrolled at the school. Child sponsorship helps to cover the running costs of the school such as salaries, stationary, electricity, water, textbooks and uniforms. However with every class of new sponsored child comes infrastructure costs that outside donations are sought to cover. New desks, chairs, bus, playgound, computers, a teacher, a cook, a driver, another cleaner etc etc. It is a wonderful headache to have but it takes a lot of money and time to prepare for a new class of students (let alone 6-8 new classes which usually enrol each year!)
In 2008, another School of St Jude will open with a student number of 500 students. Over the coming months we need to build over 20 new classrooms, 500 desks and chairs 3 staff rooms, 3 computer labs, an administration, a hall, playground, Art room, Music room and line electricity!
Also in 2008, weekly boarding houses will open at both campus' and so many hundreds of local people have been able to gain employment as they madly try and build over 300 bunk beds, 20 matrons beds and obvioulsy the houses.
Our school account often hits $1000 and so we are constantly living on the edge. We really need your donation and support no matter how small as even $2 can help buy food for a day for one of the students.
It has been proven the average people coming together CAN make a difference!
The School of St Jude needs your help!
After 5 years of pleading, we are daring to hope that the dreams of our students and their families could come true!
We have started construction of the proposed boarding school ( see pictures)-but we cannot complete it without your help.
BEFORE
With your help, we hope to build and fit out dormitories dining rooms and bathrooms. We then hope to assemble 400 beds, 400 mosquito nets, and provide a huge number of new local staff to supervise all the children who will benefit from this.
And the benefits are priceless! The students are so excited about having:
1. Three nourishing meals a day
2. Electricity and regular showers and toilets close by
3. A bed and mossie net all of their own!
4. Someone to help with their homework
5. A 5 minute walk to school as opposed to an hour walk just to the bus stop!
BEFORE
However we need your help if the boarding school is to open in time for the new school year.
From the picture below you will see eight suggested packages to help fulfill our kids dreams.
PLEASE email me if there is a package/s you are willing to support- and we will give you lots in return by means of feedback and thanks.
If you want to go straight to the place at our website for payment on the below packages then go to the following link:
http://www.schoolofstjude.co
Looking forward to hearing from you!! Gemma
Sponsorship package overview
- Provide a healthy sleeping environment ($150 = bed and mosquito net. 400 needed)
- Purchase a bed bunk mosquito net to enable a far healthier sleeping environment than using a shared mattress in an mosquito infested open-house
- Ensure a safe study environment ($500 = desk and chairs for 8 children, 96 sets needed)
- Supplying a study room where homework can be completed away from the distracting commitments of home-life children's duties enables a unique edition to school life.
- Encourage play and recreation ($300 = 1 double swing set, 30 needed)
- Safe, dedicated play areas are a rare luxury for Tanzanian children, yet play is essential for development of social skills and learning. Sponsorship of a swing-set or slide will provide fun for boarders for many years to come.
- Let boarders have a sit down meal ($500 = 1 table, seating + cutlery for 16 kids, 48 needed)
- Buying, cutlery, dishes, tables and chairs can allow St Jude children to receive an evening meal in safe and clean conditions.
- Ensure safe electric wiring and adequate lighting ($300 = fits out 1dorm, 96 units needed)
- Fires and burns caused by candles, charcoal stoves and kerosene lamps are a real risk for St Jude's children trying to study at home. Safe electric wiring, energy-efficient lamps and water heaters allow children to study and live in safety.
- Prevent disease and ailments with adequate and environmentally friendly sanitation ($5,000 = 1 bathroom for 32 kids, 24 needed)
- Clean water, bathing facilities and modern toilets are essential to prevent disease and contamination in Africa and to reduce environmental damage.
- Construction of an dormitory unit, ($10,000 = providing 1 rooms for 8 children, 96 needed)
- Why not make an individual donation to provide a distinct part of the new boarding facility by paying for construction of an entire dormitory unit.
- Allow St Jude boarders to benefit from a nutritious evening meal ($1000 = 1 industrial cooker unit, 12 needed)
- Buying industrial cookers to allow St Jude children to receive a healthy and hot evening meal.
Gemma Sisia
The School of St Jude
Fighting Poverty through Education
Email: schoolofstjude@habari.co.tz
Website: www.schoolofstjude.co.tz
Address :
PO Box 11875, Arusha
Tanzania, East Africa
Phone: 255-754-566136
