The School of St Jude, Tanzania: A volunteer’s perspective

Erin Aldersea is our copywriter and dreams of travelling to Africa again one day soon… very soon she hopes!

Visit the St Jude’s website for more details on this inspiring school and also check out the volunteer positions available.

"The School of St Jude we love you so much (clap-clap), The School of St Jude we love you so much (clap-clap)."

This tune is permanently stuck in my head, and is the song of St Jude’s (as us volunteers affectionately call it). It's sung by all the students, teachers and staff at weekly assembly, and there are even choreographed dance moves to go with it! And let me just say this is a joyous song and dance.

St Jude’s is a special place, where I was lucky enough to volunteer for nine months last year. Located near Arusha in Tanzania, it provides free, quality education to around 1500 of the poorest children from the area and boarding for over 900 students.

Additionally, it now provides employment to over 340 Tanzanians and buys the essential goods needed to run the school from within the local community.

The school’s motto is ‘Fighting Poverty through Education’ and from what I experienced they are doing this all day, everyday and with effective results.

Founder and director, Gemma Sisia, is one of those people who constantly amazes you with their stoic determination and true grit. Gemma was born and bred in Armidale, Australia and after volunteering in Uganda and travelling in Tanzania, she met and married Tanzanian Richard Sisia. This brought her to Tanzania and to the plot of land that is now home to St Jude’s.

One of the things I tell people when they ask me about my time here is that these kids love going to school. They really do love The School of St Jude just as much as the song suggests. You can see this in the enthusiasm and energy they put into their classes.

They don’t complain about having to wear a uniform or having to listen to a teacher all day – they take in everything they can from the moment they walk in the front gate or get off one of the colourful St Jude’s school buses.

All Gecko’s tours that go through Arusha will visit St Jude’s.

Have you visited St Jude’s on your African adventure? If so, tell us about it in the comments section below.

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View all Gecko's trips through Tanzania, and see how you can experience St Jude's for yourself.

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