Special Event for The School of St Jude

Last Thursday, Trinity College hosted Gemma Sisia, founder of the School of St Jude in Arusha, Tanzania, for a special public event. Over 80 people, including Trinity staff, students and their families, parishioners from St Mary's, Rotarians, as well as some who had travelled from further afield, heard the extraordinary story of how one woman armed only with a vision and a $10 donation built a school that provides free private education to hundreds of the poorest and brightest children in Arusha and the surrounding regions. 

When it first opened in 2002, St Jude's had one volunteer teacher, three students, and a single classroom built by hardworking Rotarians. Twenty years later, St Jude's now employs hundreds of teachers to educate its almost 2000 students over three campuses. The current graduates are in universities across Africa, Europe and North America, and many are studying to become the next generation of Tanzanian doctors, architects, engineers, accountants, teachers, and scientists. 

One of Gemma's 2015 graduates, Enock Ephrahim, shared how he won a scholarship to attend St Jude's where he excelled. Upon graduating, he was accepted to study finance at a university in New York State, and now has returned to Tanzania to help run the school's alumni network. His entire life, and that of his family, was changed by the opportunities that a good education provided. Gemma was also joined by one of her Australian staff members, Maddie Kelly, who wrote a book about the twenty year history of St Jude's called The School That Hope Built. Copies of this book are now available to be borrowed from the library. 

Earlier, we held a casual clothes day and raised almost $900 for the School of St Jude - this money, along with the entry fee will be donated to the school on behalf of the Trinity community. 

Thanks to those Year 12 College Leaders who volunteered to attend, to Duncan and Michelle Green from Fusion Restaurant for the wonderful catering, and to Year 12 student Darcy P for proving the wonderful floral decorations through the Jubilee foyer. 

Daniel Rodway

Acting Director of Faith & Mission