Eight years later, Mrs Sisia’s determined efforts have established the School of St Jude as one of its country’s top educational institutions, changing the lives of more than 1,300 desperately poor but bright children and their families and communities. And Mr Leahy has continued to sponsor St Jude, personally donating more than $20,000 so far.

Mrs Sisia, well-known to many locals from her pony club days, took the opportunity to meet Mr Leahy in person at Haddington Nursing Home and was thrilled to receive yet another cheque.

Mr Leahy, who yesterday celebrated his 96th birthday, called Mrs Sisia “an extraordinary girl”.

A former landholder in the Western District, he bought into Tenterfield in the mid-1990s. He first heard of Mrs Sisia’s efforts at a meeting at the Catholic Church and considered it a very worthy cause.

It’s but one of many charities he supports, with his former neighbour and regular Haddington visitor Val Gardiner naming him “the greatest philanthropist you can come across”.

Mrs Sisia said every cent of Mr Leahy’s generous donations goes towards necessities such as construction, teachers’ salaries, uniforms, transportation and food, with the complex annually consuming around 60 tonne of grain alone.

“Without St Judes the children would barely make it through primary school, with 100 students to a class,” Mrs Sisia said.

“Now they get a private school-type education.”

Mrs Sisia was on her annual whistlestop tour around the country, in quest of donations and sponsorships. She said it’s just as well she didn’t know the journey ahead of her when she began eight years ago.

“It’s lucky I was naïve when I started. I though it would be easier.”

She said she never fails to be impressed with the generosity of country people. Three days earlier she had presented her case to 600 businesswomen and received three donations in return. Last Wednesday at the specially convened morning tea attracting 40-50 people to St Mary’s Hall she had received $1,500 in donations.

“I wish I could travel around the regional centres and just skip the cities,” the country girl said.

B For further information on the School of St Jude visit the website www.schoolofstjude.co.tz.