American Friends of The School of St Jude Tanzania Inc.

My name is Ronit Kapur, a high school student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. I'm raising money to benefit American Friends of the School of St Jude Tanzania Inc, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause which means so much to me.

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The School of St Jude in Arusha, Tanzania is a fully-funded private boarding school for thousands of underprivileged students in rural parts of the country. St Jude’s offers academic scholarships to students that combine academic promise with a desperately poor background — sometimes from homes without running water or electricity — and a great attitude to work.

St Jude’s is a pioneering leader in charitable education within Africa. They educate 1,800 students across one primary and two secondary schools, achieving some of the top results in the country. They support hundreds of graduates through higher education and provide more than 10,000 government school students with volunteer teachers each year. St Jude's provides a happy and healthy environment for its students in a country where many school-aged children will not be enrolled in secondary school.

This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to visit this school, learn about its process, and deliver an astronomy presentation:

At the school, I was amazed at the lengths St Jude's goes to in order to provide quality education to all of its students. It starts with outreach: physical flyers are sent out to poverty-stricken families in local communities. An admissions test gathers the most promising students in the area and sends them to the school, where they then live and learn for free. With quality instruction and motivated students, the school routinely lifts students out of poverty and propels them to fulfilling careers.

With my presentation, I had the immense privilege of meeting these students and learning about their experiences. I realized that all of them genuinely care about education and want to fulfill their learning potential. Students asked questions regarding topics ranging from the status of Pluto as a dwarf planet to the acceptance of heliocentric theory. They were curious, attentive, and excited.

When talking to administration and the science department, we discovered that an issue for the school is STEM education. It does not have many lab and classroom resources to get students excited about learning STEM, specifically. By fundraising, I would help donate any collected funds to the school and ensure that these funds go toward lab equipment and other STEM supplies. Specifically, funds would be spent on general science supplies. With $5,000, we would be able to fund a number of key needs -- 20 calculators, 5 telescopes, 50 Arduino kits, a handful of educational DVDs, 50 subscriptions to online educational resources, and a few tablets/laptops. As these students are currently heading into a new school year, it is a great time to donate and establish a direct and fruitful impact. A stronger interest in science will create immense momentum for growth and professional opportunities.

I am reaching out to you to please join me in making an impactful contribution to the School of St Jude, Tanzania. While these students are halfway around the world, they are looking to fulfill a universal virtue: education. If we truly believe in this virtue, it becomes imperative to lend a helping hand to under-resourced schools around the world.

Any contribution, no matter how big or small, is appreciated! Thank you so much!

- Ronit Kapur

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More information about American Friends of the School of St Jude Tanzania Inc (AF St Jude): Developing moral, global leaders and providing a comprehensive education to break the cycle of poverty by supporting The School of St Jude in Arusha, Tanzania.