February newsletter

I really like February, even though it is very cold in many parts of the world. It is a short month, but a month dedicated to love. Love is what the world needs most. I hope you shared your love.

Music continues to be a theme. Last month, you saw the installation of soundproofing and renovation of Hillside House, the new center for music education.

An additional improvement was racks for students' shoes.

An overhang roof, tiled porch, and shoe racks make a difference. They save on dirt and mud tracking in on the acoustic carpeting.

Socks work. No shoes inside.

Song and poem culture competition

The district level of the culture competition took place on Feb. 21 at St. Joseph Kabgayi, a secondary school. It is held every academic year, prepared by the Ministry of Education to detect and support talented students in sports and culture in both primary and secondary schools. Our school competes in the primary school section. Our students, sponsored by the Urukundo Foundation, participated and performed very well. Our school won first positions in both poem and song. Now we will represent the district at the next level, province, on March 8 in Nyanza. 

Everyone attending the competition was happy and excited to see the student band of Urukundo Learning Center on stage performing! We didn’t go with the competitors only but also with the band to entertain the audience. No other school in the Muhanga District can do what Urukundo did. We wish to win again and continue to the national level.

Our school competed in the Muhanga District music and composition competition.

Those competing included the Urukundo chorus.

Another competitor recited an original poem.

A singer and band participated.

The band played for entertainment at the competition.

The Urukundo Foundation salutes all who represented the Urukundo Learning Center in this competition.

Well done.

Urukundo Learning Center

Continuing with the goal of textbooks for all classes, we have purchased textbooks for the new junior high classes. Thank you to those wonderful friends and family whose gifts for my birthday made this goal real.

Textbooks for Senior 1.

Textbooks for Senior 2.

Textbooks for Senior 3.

Never before seen. Not sure why. It does look good

Back view of the retaining wall and Secondary School building. 

Visitors

February brought two lovely ladies to Urukundo.

Their travels did not start well. Rosemary Anderson from West Virginia, USA, and her sister, Vicky Perratone, from Pennsylvania, USA, arrived a day late on Feb. 18 after a one-day delay in the USA because of fog.

We were happy to welcome them. The weather in the USA had us worried.

Adventures at the Learning Center.

Greeters at the gate. Taking a hand in welcome.

Time with the preschool top class, which compares with kindergarten in the USA.

Primary 1 classroom.

Our Learning Center students joined Rosemary under the umbrella on the lawn for some photo time.

Wednesday morning found our visitors on the floor, spending time with the under-4-year-olds in Mama’s residence.

The Music Department in Hillside House is an added enjoyment for visitors and students.

Rosemary on the drums.

Teacher Emanuel instructed Vicky on the proper way to hold and play the violin.

We really do need different bells, but they are fun.

Violin concert in the House of Music for visitors

At Akagera National Park, they saw an assortment of African animals.

Up close and personal. Wow!!

Visits to the King's Palace in Nyanza and the Ethnographic Museum in Huye were enlightening as to the history and culture of Rwanda..

Sharing messages

Rosemary and Vicky shared messages from students in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA,  with students.

Receiving messages and photos of the sender made this experience special for Urukundo students.

With help from Vicky, our students were delighted to write pen pal letters to be shared with students in the USA. Their photos will be added by Rosemary.

This was a project that the Primary 5 kids really enjoyed. Showing their joy. Winding down their visit to Rwanda, they journeyed to Kigali, the nation's capital.

Carfree area

Shopping for crafts in Kigali.

After a busy day, they are ready to return to Urukundo, and an unpleasant surprise. News came that the airspace at Doha, Qatar, was closed. Their departure for Doha was the following day. We were blessed to have them for a few more days while arrangements were made for their return trip. As I pointed out earlier, their arrival was not easy, and their departure was even worse. Have a safe journey home, Rosemary and Vicky.

Message from Mama

Wow, what a month!  It is such a pleasure to have guests arrive at Urukundo. Our guests have had many unexpected experiences. All have been enjoyed. Happy times. We control what we can and accept what we can’t.

I am remembering Carol and Covid’s closing of air travel. Now there is this latest Doha air travel closing. Hey, twice in 24 years. Not bad. I hope this newsletter lets others know the many experiences you have to look forward to as a traveler coming to experience Urukundo and Rwanda. We welcome and appreciate our visitors.

Much love, 

Mama

January 2026

The New Year started with good news of a facility – Hillside Music House – to be devoted to our music program.

Earlier plans were to build a two-story music house at this lower-level location at the far end of the school campus.  I love the views in Rwanda, and this site has a beautiful view.

We are always looking for the expedient alternative, and Hillside House became an option for consideration. This building near my residence is used very little. We need to use what we have before building more. You may remember that Hillside House was the house constructed for a Tom Nunnally Sewing Center classroom. The Sewing Center moved to its permanent location, and the house was available for another use.

Music Director Emmanuel visited the building. Happily, Hillside House met his criteria. It also met mine. It is close to the Urukundo office and Mama’s residence.

The photo above shows, from left, Mama’s house, the main office and Hillside House.

It is even closer to the guest house. Hillside House is on the left; the guest house has the large pillars.

Hillside House is in front of the HMR House, at left, used for dining, weddings, and special events.

Soundproofing needed????

The need for soundproofing is due to its location. We received an estimate for the cost. It was much less than constructing a new complex, and the board approved. So onward and upward, so to speak. Eric, our executive secretary, said, “It is cost-effective.” I agree. It will be less than half what it would have been to build a whole new complex.

Renovation and installation of soundproofing and air conditioning began.

An office and restroom were established by cutting a door in the wall into a room on the other side.

Benjamin's crew opened the wall from the main room.

The door gives the students a toilet and a wash sink, without going outside.

Work began. All windows and ventilators disappeared.

Sure looks different.

The black insulation went on after the blue foam; then came the wood.

I checked on the progress several times a week. Dr. Otto from Austria accompanied me to inspect the work.

The artwork in wood was handcrafted on the project. Notice the air conditioner. There are two units inside.

Outside air conditioning unit

Restroom looking good

Music director’s office

Original music room in another building

Storage space for instruments in the resource house

This room was used for practicing before Hillside Music House was open.

The space available in the new Hillside Music House. We began using it in late January.

Glory be!

Partial Urukundo band

Urukundo chorus

Secondary School update

The Secondary School building is moving from blue pillars to beige. The color change differentiates the Secondary School from the Primary School. Not sure I am happy with that. It may take some getting used to.

Inside work on laboratories for physics, chemistry, and biology is being completed. The Secondary O Level School will serve grades 7, 8 and 9. We apply for certification Feb. 1, 2026.  It has been a process but a worthwhile one.

Celebration of books

It has been my goal for a long time to supply textbooks for every grade level from Primary 1 to Primary 6. Each year, we have been able to purchase textbooks for one entire class, starting with P6. My goal was reached this year. Thanks to everyone who donated a monetary gift for my 95th birthday in the USA to be used to purchase textbooks for P1, P2, and P3. Every child in grades P1 through P6 now has his or her own textbooks.

Books received in bulk.

Primary 1

Primary 2

Primary 3

My goal has been reached. Thanks again to so many who made this possible.  A special thank you to all those who wished me a happy birthday by sending a donation to Urukundo/Hope Made Real for purchasing textbooks for the remaining classes in need. These gifts were the best because they helped me reach a very important goal.  Happy birthday to me.

Message from Mama

I am sharing this message I received from a recent retiree, Diane Mustrull, now retired coverage editor, for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Not verbatim but close.

“I remain so very inspired by my visit to Rwanda and Urukundo. I've leaned into memories of a central Pennsylvania grandmother I interviewed after first meeting her on a trip to Rwanda in 2015. My stories on her can be found in the Inquirer archives. When I first met Arlene Brown, she was 84 and running a Home for Children and a school she founded after retirement, and in her 70s, on 10 mountainside acres about an hour outside Rwanda's capital, Kigali.

“Urukundo – which means love in Kinyarwanda, an impossible language – is the call to purpose Mama Arlene answered when she retired after years as a nurse and then a 21-year floor leader at GTE Sylvania in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA.

“She had had an epiphany at 65. She believed that there was more to retirement than travel. A couple of mission trips to Africa working with children orphaned by the genocide in Rwanda convinced her of that, sparking what became the decision to leave Williamsport behind and ultimately build Urukundo Learning Center.

“When I asked her what she hoped would be her legacy besides the school and the children she nurtured and educated, she said, ‘I want people who are retiring to value themselves. You can retire from the workforce. Don't retire from life. You've got too much to offer.’"

Thank you, Diane.  You do Urukundo and me honor.

Love,

Mama

December newsletter

December was a super month.

I was blessed with a visit from several of my grown kids. They included, from left, Amin, Esperance, Claude #1, Serephine, Lucy, Divine (home from Germany), and Claude #2.

What an awesome group! Lots of help for the community Christmas party.

A mat was added to the play area in Mama’s residence.

The tile floor is easy to clean but a bit cold on the little bottoms. Babies are happier sitting and crawling on a mat.

OK, so some babies like the tile floor.

Legos are good for all ages.

Well, they really are plastic baby link rings, but the girls decided they are earrings. I admit it works. Playing with the doll babies is also a great way to pretend.