The District 9685 Rotary Conference will be held at Erina on March 15-16, with members of the public invited to pay a one-day registration fee to hear a variety of fascinating speakers on Saturday, March 16.
With the conference theme being Together Making a Difference, organisers have assembled a line-up of inspirational leaders who continue to create hope in the world.
One of these speakers is Aussie Gemma Sisia, who is the founder of The School of St Jude in Tanzania.
She will be accompanied by two of the graduates of the school, Winnie and Suleiman, and will share inspiring stories and explain the impact of education in Tanzania.
Started in 2002, St Jude’s is one of the largest charity schools of its kind in Africa providing free, quality education to 1,800 high-achieving children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The school not only provides education but plays a significant role in the improvement of economic outcomes for families, supports the local economy and creates hundreds of jobs.
All of this is done through the support of donors, with Australians contributing more than 90 per cent of that financial support.
“Australians have been supporting St Jude’s from the very first day,” Sisia said.
“From humble beginnings and a big vision, what we are achieving here is no longer a dream or a hope – it’s concrete, it works.
“Students that started with us in primary school are now adults leading their communities with Suleiman and Winnie being just two examples of thousands of incredible alumni.
“I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
The impact of the school goes far beyond St Jude’s walls.
It injects more than AU$10M annually into the local economy and generates hundreds of jobs; each scholarship at St Jude’s actually translates to supporting about 50 people in the local area.
In 2015, the school launched the Beyond St Jude’s (BSJ) program to support its graduates with higher education.
Today, St Jude’s graduates are adults, active in the workforce and starting their own businesses, employing more than 250 people.
“Today, we don’t just believe that education changes lives, we see it happening,” Sisia said.
“Over 80 per cent of our graduates’ families overcome extreme poverty and our alumni are emerging as role models in their communities and entrepreneurs.”
Suleiman, a graduate of St Jude’s inaugural class of 2015, is fulfilling his lifelong dream as a doctor at one of Tanzania’s prestigious hospitals and an inspirational figure in his community.
Winnie, a St Jude’s alumni of 13 years, has come full circle returning to the school to work fulltime while also pursuing her passion as an agricultural entrepreneur.
The conference will be held at the EV Church Function Centre, 331 Terrigal Dr, Erina, and registration can be made at https://www.9685rotaryconference2024.com.au/
For more information on The School of St Jude go to https://www.schoolofstjude.org/