Greetings from Mama Arlene and the Urukundo Family for April 2012

Greetings from Urukundo Foundation and Urukundo Learning Center. We continue to grow into a brighter future through education and love.

Remember to purchase your stone on the path to learning. Education is that path.

April 1st came and went with no one playing a joke on me. Guess it really is a US tradition.  The three weeks with all our kids home was a very busy time. Seventeen High School kids keep us busy and 12 toddlers and 3 babies kept them busy. It is nice to have so much help - and the kids do help.

Washing hands before and after meals is routine.

Claude and Johnny washing while Becca and Agide wait their turn.

Laundry is on going and a big part of the work day..

Our rain harvest tanks are a blessing. This tank outside the boys' house provides a lot of water. It cannot be used for drinking or cooking  but it can be used for clothes and flushing. This cuts down on our water costs as laundry for 43 kids and staff takes a lot of water.

The kids also cook. Chapati Saturday is a pleasure but peeling potatoes, green bananas, avocados, carrots, snapping beans and preparing other vegetables is just plain hard work. The peelings are kept and served to the animals. Nothing goes to waste.

Serving food in the dining room to kids and visitors who choose to eat with us is a delight and considered an honor. You have to be older to have this opportunity.

Our visitors and kids help serve food for the little ones at meal time.

So you see being an older brother or sister in a big family is no easy task.

News From Cyakabiri School

It has been a wonderful month for Urukundo Learning Center.

April 7, 2012 was a great day as it marked the final day of the first term of Cyakabiri School for the year 2012.

Parents and children came to pick up reports, this was their opportunity to visit the new classrooms. These classrooms will be used for the first time when the second term of the year begins on April 23, 2012 takes place.  

This newsletter will show the closing pictures of the first term and the opening pictures of the second term and they are only 3 weeks apart. 

The parents came to pick up the kids and we were able to let them see the inside of the new classrooms. They did not have equipment yet but would be ready for the second term. We rejoice in knowing and preparing for that event.

Later News from the School

April 24 finds the office secretary Adeline and school coordinator Nancy very busy with enrollment.

Children and teachers in the first days of the second term at Preschool. We now have 3 class rooms, 3 teachers and 3 assistant teachers.

The area where a playground could fit inside the gate in front of the classrooms.

Palm Sunday and Easter Service in Hope House

Worship Center ready for Easter services.

Pastor Eugene from the Gitarama Presbyterian Church came to Urukundo to serve communion to our children and staff Easter Sunday afternoon.

Project for April

The on-going project for Urukundo Farm to be a major producer of broilers and eggs is getting close to being accomplished.  We just need more space and the building project will give us this. The building project in the pictures below shows the progress made so far. We have a market for the broilers with MR CHIPS RESTAURANT in Kigali City. He would like for us to deliver at least 200 broilers a month. Now, that is reaching but with God all things are possible. 

Broilers

Construction in progress.