The School of St Jude is a charity-funded school located in the city of Arusha, in the northern Arusha Region of Tanzania. With its three campuses, the school provides free primary and secondary education to children of the Arusha Region. It also provides boarding for over 1,000 students and employs over 270 local Tanzanian staff members. It was founded by Australian Gemma Sisia in 2002, based on the belief that education is the best way to fight poverty.
The school was founded in 2002 by Australian Gemma Sisia, who dreamed of helping end poverty in Africa. She named the school after St Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes. The school provides free education to over 1,800 girls and boys from the poorest families in the area. It is 100% charity funded and receives no government assistance from Tanzania or Australia.90% of the school’s funding comes from Australian families, who signed up to sponsor a child or donate.
Each year, the school selects approximately 150 new students who show academic promise, combined with genuine and demonstrable financial need. These girls and boys are then provided with international-standard education, accommodation, and three meals per day.
In 2015, the school’s first graduating class, Form 6, finished within the top 10% in Tanzania.
