The School of St Jude
‘Gemma Sisia, a 22 year old Australian, travelled to Uganda to volunteer as a teacher, where she taught girls science and sewing. This experience led to a fervent belief that a free, high-quality education should be the right of all children in the world and that education is the strongest weapon in the fight against poverty, corruption and political instability.
Upon returning to her native Australia, Gemma fundraised to help underprivileged children in East Africa complete their schooling. She would raise enough money to start an official fund to invest in the education of East Africa’s poorest children. Along with the gift of a small plot of land in Arusha, Tanzania, Gemma began to build The School of St Jude with the help of friends, family and Rotary groups’ (The history of St Jude’s n.d.).
The first class of Form 6 students started in May 2020, giving St Jude’s a class in every grade. The building program, which spanned more than a decade, was finally completed.