US Volunteers Leaving a Mark in Tanzania

Dec. 5, 2013 - PRLog -- The School of St Jude in Tanzania celebrates the hard work of its United States volunteers on International Volunteer Day, as they continue to fight poverty through education.

The day held on December 5th, established by the United Nations, promotes the efforts of not-for-profit organisations and NGOs from across the world.

St Jude’s was founded by Australian Gemma Sisia in 2002 and provides a free, high-quality education to more than 1,650 of the poorest and brightest children in Arusha. The school started off with one volunteer teacher and three students and has grown to include a team of 31 skilled volunteers and more than 400 Tanzanian employees. “Our volunteers work in all sectors of the school including admin, construction, transport, academic, IT, visitor, maintenance and donor relation sections and so are crucial to school operations as they both help sustain and grow the school,” said St Jude’s Founder, Gemma Sisia.

“I have been living and working at St Jude’s for the past year in the Sponsor Relations Department. I spend time with the students doing letter writing, go out to new students’ homes to do house checks and more. It has been an eye opening, rewarding experience and I have learnt a lot about African culture,” said Jamie Tucker, originally from Seattle, who is now St Jude’s Volunteer Sponsor Relations Officer. International volunteers quickly become immersed in Tanzanian life and enjoy African food, dancing, drumming and its vibrant social scene. “Since living in Tanzania, I’m learning Swahili and I love conversing with the local people. The community is colorful and vibrant and I feel I am a part of it,” said Miss Tucker. Some live away from home for up to three years so they can support the school. It is a big sacrifice but they find it rewarding. “I miss my family and friends but something keeps drawing me back to Africa so for now, I’m enjoying the experience,” she said.

Next year, the school will welcome more volunteers into the fold as others move on. The school is focused on building capacity and providing professional development for its Tanzanian workforce, and welcomes volunteers who can contribute to this goal.