New Year's Greetings from Urukundo for 2012

Our wish for all is a happy and prosperous year.

The current news is in our mission outreach. The water and power project are finished and the community has a good, clean and accessible water system in place. Thanks to Rotary International.

More Outreach

We continue our hope to fulfill our commitment for the poor in 2012. Here are some of the community kids we help to gain an education through our love and support. Remember them and others in your giving. You do make a difference.

 

Urukundo Five Year Report

2006 - 2011

Urukundo Children's Village as of this date has 46 orphans and abandoned children.

18 of our children are in secondary School. 12 are in Primary School.

11 of our children are in Preschool.

5 are in our Nursery (Safe Haven).

6 former young staff members in University. (Designated funds).

First graduate  We are very proud of Diane.

We are giving employment to 34 local citizens.  All employees are covered by medical insurance upon providing proof they have covered their own children with medical coverage from a local hospital.

Urukundo Foundation provides 329 children of very poor families with supplies required in order for them to attend primary school.

Urukundo Foundation cares for 2 families with teen head-of-households with a total of 14 children (several missing when photo taken).

At the same time we need to develop the general infrastructure and create sustainable long-term business.

We can be the first orphanage/NGO ever reaching self-sufficiency and economic independency.

It is an incredible task and challenge.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE

2006. Rented first Urukundo Home for Girls with 15 girls. Today's total is now 21.

2006: Rented first house for guests. Some little income.

2006: purchased four wheel drive vehicle (directors funds).

2007: Rented first Urukundo Home for Boys with 7 boys. Today's total is 24.

2007: First purchase of land to start chicken industry and safe area for kids to play outside of town.

First Chicken House

Deed of first ownership

2007 through 2011: Purchased, registered and paid for 14 joining small properties using (missionary gifts and Arlene's SS income) to establish Urukundo Village.

Claiming the top of the mountain.

2008:  Built a Home for Boys, a soccer field and a basket ball court. 

2008: Built a Home for Girls.  (Director's personal funds)

2008-2009: Constructed buildings for kitchen, offices, and storage.

2009: Built Multipurpose House. This house includes a Library, classrooms, meeting room, worship center, celebration house and dorm for teams with more than 4 people.

2009: constructed a shed for the 1 cow and 1 calf.

2009: Purchased another cow and her calf.  (Designated Money from People to People).  Milk for babies and HIV kids.

2009: purchased home for Guesthouse on adjourning property, resident for director, clinic, office.  Now Cyakabiri School for Young Children.

Increased chicken industries to include broilers and layers.  (Producing eggs for income and meat).

Broilers                                        

Layers

2010: started JR Saving’s accounts for kids.  Fina bank

2010: Built a "SAFE HAVEN" Nursery for throw-away babies.  We have 15 Under 5 years.

Established Cyber Café for community and income producing nonprofit business. (Rental property) Purchased 5 PC and a copier.

We planted 7 kitchen gardens and all available land. Veg for children and excess for sale.

Purchased 3 Sheep (designated money). Total now 8 and expecting.  Meat for kids.

Started rabbit hutches purchased 2 rabbits and a gift of 2. 

At present total 64. Sell and use for meat for children.

2011: Director purchased large home and guesthouse. (Personal funds savings for old age. Might be now.)

2011: Purchased house and land (Loan from Fina Bank) protection of children, larger clinic in better location, closer to children. Additional guest rooms to accommodate teams coming as volunteers.   Work not completed.

Received 3 cows from District a gift. Total cows now 5.  Two milk cows and 3 yet to breed. 

Constructed larger housing for number of cows (designated funds) and fenced in pastureland with barbed wire.Fenced in all Urukundo land to protect our children and animals. (Barbed wire)

2011: Purchased 5 pigs a gift from visitors.  (Designated money) Meat and marketing.

2011: Built pig housing.  

2011: Increased goat herd by 12 new goats (designated money) Meat for kids (total 18 at present).

Renovated first cow barn to accommodate goats and sheep.

2011: With support of Park Forest and devoted people Urukundo built a water system for the Binunga Community. In time it will also benefit our schools. (Designated funds)

2011:  Solar pumps and power were added to the water project thanks to Rotary International. (Designated funds). The project will benefit over 3000 people plus Urukundo Village when schools are constructed.

2011: Added 3 tanks for harvesting rainwater. (Designated funds)

Purchased truck for farm. (Designated funds).

Cyakabiri School opened. The first step in the planned URUKUNDO LEARNING CENTER.

The Next Five to Ten Years

Projections

1. Finish renovation on house already purchased for guest rooms for volunteers.

2. Purchase land to house Cyber Café along main road.

3. Start up a day care center for young children and babies of working parents.

4. Add another classroom for Preschool.  (Already have land).

5. Construct a Primary School adding to our school system (starting small) 2 rooms

We own land for this purpose.

6. Construct a secondary school to the system. (Starting small) 2 rooms. (Have land). Growing as required.

7. Construct a Clinic for mothers giving birth requiring post delivery care.

8. Have a well baby clinic for those babies born in the prenatal clinic.

9. Open a dental clinic for the poor.

10. Resurface the basketball court.

11. Purchase house in middle of our property after Government has declared it eminent domain for benefit of community. It can be used as the primary school after purchase.

12. Purchase a lawn mower.

Pick a project and help us reach our goal!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Greetings from Mama Arlene in Rwanda for November 2011

Greetings from Urukundo Village and Pittsburgh, Pa. November has been eventful for me and this ministry.  

The beginning of November saw us saying goodbye to our visitors Jan Brown and Carol Falke and sending the first of our teachers (Louise) to the US for some teacher training. Our administrator will make the trip at a later date.

All school kids now are on what would be called SUMMER BREAK in the US. This is a big event in Urukundo. All the children were home for one week.  Then the exodus started as the older kids go visit their home villages to be with extended family and friends for a month. Divine and Dada are visiting their aged grandmothers, some have aunts while others go to friends. It is important they keep a connection with family. 

About the middle of the month my trip to the US for R&R took place.  I am in Pittsburgh now and will be until Dec. 26th when I will return home to Urukundo. After some problems with a Visa I finally was able to board the plane and was on my way. I arrived at Dulles, Washington and more complications but Cathy Leatherwood from Reston came to my rescue and I reached my family safe and sound. I will return to Urukundo the day after Christmas arriving the 27th. and the older kids will come home the first week in January.

DELAYED CHRISTMAS

Our Toddlers and infants will celebrate the birth of the Christ Child on Christmas day but we will do Fanta, Sombosa, Cake and gifts from sponsors after we are all home together the second week in January 2012. Hard to believe a whole year has come and gone.