Book launch events

From the 23rd April to the 8th May, Gemma Sisia will be going around Australia to launch her book St Jude's at "Friends of St Jude's" functions in various cities and towns.



The aim of these functions is to:

1. Bring current and new supporters together in a friendly atmosphere.
2. Educate people who have never heard of this school, by showing a short visual presentation. Gemma will also be giving updates and information about future projects for both old and prospective supporters.
3. Launch the book St Jude's and sell copies. Sales of the book at these events will benefit the school directly. People who buy a book during the function will also receive a free DVD about the school.

Full details of the book launch events around Australia are on the School website. The cost seems to range from $10-$50 depending on the refreshments (tea, breakfast, dinner, whatever) and you will need to book a place if you want to go.

Here is the list of places and dates.

Friday 20th April - Gordon, Sydney
Monday 23rd April - Dubbo
Tuesday 24th April - Potts Point, Sydney
Thursday 26th April - Brisbane CBD
Thursday 26th April - Auchenflower, Brisbane
Friday 27th April - Centenary, Brisbane
Saturday 28th April - Bendigo
Sunday 29th April - Scotch College, Melbourne
Monday 30th April - Toorak, Melbourne
Tuesday 1st May - Hyde Park, Adelaide
Wednesday 2nd May - Glenunga, Adelaide
Thursday 3rd May - Perth
Saturday 5th May -Armidale
Monday 7th May - Inverell
Tuesday 8th May - Tamworth

So, if you would like to meet the remarkable Gemma Sisia and make contact with other St Jude's supporters in your area, book a place and share the joy!



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Watch the orange bar

Hey! It's nice to see the Chipin donation tool at work! Thanks Rob for starting it off, and you too Bill, for adding your bit. I'm curious to see how this progresses.



A growing project like St Judes relies on a solid foundation of sponsors and donors who can give hundreds of dollars. Major fundraising events like the 3peaks3weeks climb raised $100,000 for the school. It took 10 women more than a year to reach this target through lots of local events.

St Judes also appreciates the small amounts that can really add up. If you want to give just a little to the school as a one-off or an occasional donation, you can do it here.

And if you are hesitant to send money, they have an urgent need for plain navy socks!




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3 peaks 3 weeks challenge

Well, the ‘3 peaks 3 weeks Challenge’ has reached all its goals. The ten women have succeeded in climbing the three East African mountains in three weeks, and have raised $250,000 for the three projects they are supporting – the School of St Jude, Laikipia Wildlife Forum and Students for International Change. The School of St Jude will use the funds to build classrooms at the Usa River campus, Laikipia will use the money to support their community conservation work and International Change will buy three new mobile HIV testing vehicles.

Mission Accomplished! 10 women who did it!

How did these ten women raise so much money?

In their last dispatch from the field, the team gives a wrap-up of this BIG achievement.

One of the first successful events was a black tie dinner held in Wagga Wagga, Australia. Though it is a small town which rarely sees such a formal event, the community pulled together to support us and in that single night, raised over $15,000! Similar events to that were held in Tucson, Arizona and in London, UK. Pub crawls proved to be very effective, especially for our age group, and we appreciated all of the folks who came out for a good night at the bar in support of our work. Other events included movie screenings, overland treks, barbeques, and marathons. Some events were more successful than others, and we began to learn what worked and what did not. We tried selling chocolate, t-shirts, and Christmas cards. Most of these smaller initiatives did little to raise money, but were great for raising awareness and spreading the word about what we were doing. We met with companies across the globe in hopes they would put some of their “good will” money towards helping Africa.

A breakthrough came when Serac Adventure Films said they would film the trek. You can look out for the release of the film about the climb and the three projects that will benefit from the funds raised.

We are departing and going our separate ways, but have no doubt that the friendships we have made will last forever. Walking down the mountain together on the final day gave us one last time to take in what it meant to be a part of such a great group of women. Each one of us now has 9 new friends, 9 new sisters, and 9 new bridesmaids. The relationships we have made over the past 3 weeks, and even more, over the past 2 years are incredible. We have successfully completed the 3 Peaks 3 Weeks Challenge and are leaving Africa with a feeling that we truly made a difference and that many lives will be bettered by the work we supported. We sincerely hope that we have inspired you to challenge yourself.

These amazing women plan to make this climb an annual event and keep the momentum alive. You can check out their website to keep in touch or join up!

Where do we look for inspiration in our lives? We don’t have to look too far when we see energetic and committed people taking on challenges and then figuring out all the details they need to learn in order to succeed.

You can join inspiring women like Gemma Sisia, step into your own set of challenges that will develop your talents to the benefit of others. What else is a life for?

On the buses!

The School of St Jude is situated down a dirt road in the village of Moshono which is 5km along another dirt road from Arusha. Children come to school each day along the rough dirt roads from Arusha and the surrounding villages of this beautiful but very poor district. Most people are subsistence farmers who make barely enough to feed their families. Malaria, HIV/AIDS and other diseases take a heavy toll on these families and many children are orphaned.

A year or two after the School opened, it became evident that many children were walking for several hours to get to school. So, the School bought two battered old buses and rejuvenated them.


As the school has grown, the two buses have grown to a fleet of 18. Like everything else at the school, the funding for buses is provided by sponsors and donors. For $500 pa you can sponsor a bus and contribute to the costs of running them.

An important donation came from Rotary District 9640 (in Queensland) in April 2006. Using a multi-district Matching Grant, they were able to provide the School with two new buses, an assortment of spare springs and tyres, and a motor vehicle maintenance course to be run at the School.

Here is Gemma receiving the grant money - surprised but delighted.

Gemma Sisia, Heather + Ian Yarker, Ailsa Hay

The buses at the school provide vital transport that makes school attendance possible for many children. Even with the over-crowded buses, many children have a long walk home after the bus drops them. These buses don’t offer Western-standard transport, but they do give bright children from the poorest households an opportunity to get their foot on the first rung of the ladder of opportunity. Guaranteed!

A development project in an impoverished African country that is well-run, economical and successful in reaching the poor - something you will want to support!

Success!

The financial accounts of the School of St Jude are now online. They show that fundraising has doubled in the last year. In 2005 the school raised $547,213, and in 2006 the figure was $1,081,778.

Because the school is growing by 150 students each year, the fundraising target will increase each year until the building program is completed in 2012 when the school will have about 2000 students from kindergarten to Year 12.

Here is Angela Bailey, the first principal of the school with the three students who enrolled in 2002.

2002 - the school started with three students

And here are the students and staff in 2006.

2006 - the school has 700 students + 150 staff

Major expenses in 2006 were the purchase of 30 acres at Usa River for a second campus and the construction of the new 10 classroom block at the Moshono campus.

These large goals were achieved, thanks to growing support from worldwide networks.

Nothing succeeds like success, and this school is a great success story. No wonder donors are happy to contribute.