The Brookings Rotary Club weekly meeting welcomed members, guests, and a visiting Rotarian from Canada. The meeting featured a presentation on the School of St. Jude in Arusha, Tanzania, delivered by club members Deb DeBates and Larry Janssen who recently traveled to the school as part of a Rotary-sponsored group.
DeBates and Janssen shared that the School of St. Jude was founded in 2002 by a woman named Gemma with just three students, one teacher, and one classroom. It has grown to serve 1,800 students across three campuses. Named after the patron saint of lost causes, the school was established to fight poverty through education. The school is composed of three campuses: the Sisia Campus (primary and girls' secondary), the Smith Campus (boys' facilities and girls' Form A), and the Moivaro Campus (a 10-acre boarding school for secondary girls).
DeBates and Janssen noted that while 84% of Tanzanian children are enrolled in primary school, only 28% reach secondary school — a gap the School of St. Jude works directly to address.
The presenters visited a local government school where class sizes reach 100 students per teacher, resources are extremely limited, and many students fail to advance due to insufficient English instruction.
Several Brookings Rotary members currently co-sponsor students at the school. The annual cost to co-sponsor one student is $2,640 for two semesters, covering boarding, education, and related expenses.
DeBates and Janssen conducted home visits to sponsored students, witnessing firsthand the positive impact that education has had on students' families — including improved housing, employment opportunities, and quality of life.
The club announced that Malik, a student at St. Jude’s whose father is currently unemployed, needs a sponsor. Members interested in co-sponsoring Malik or another student were encouraged to contact the club for more information.
The Brookings Rotary continued its international outreach by announcing a Rotary Friendship Exchange with Northern Thailand (District 3360). The exchange is planned for January or February 2027. Approximately ten to twelve Rotarians and their spouses will be selected to participate.