Secondary School

Construction of the new Secondary O Level School continues to progress. The school will serve grades 7, 8 and 9.

July 20

July 23

Frame for the roof is in place. The photo is from the top of the mountain.

July 26

It's beginning to look like a school. The August newsletter should see construction completed. 

After that, there needs to be equipment for the inside. So much yet to be done!

Moving into a new age. I am amazed at the advancement in construction in the Muhanga District. So much of the grunt labor is now being done by machines. First, a cement mixer, then safer scaffolding, and now a shovel for moving loose earth and leveling. 

This was dirt removed by hand, shovels, and wheelbarrows when construction started in January 2025.

Looking ahead a bit

The new building will have six classrooms. Each classroom needs 18 desks and 36 chairs. There will be 36 students per room. One chair costs $22. One desk costs $76. The set for two students costs $120.

Our visitors

Patrick KInchsular, a Canadian who is a student at New York University in the USA, spent a month learning about our culture and exploring Rwanda, based at Urukundo. He attended Cecelia’s wedding.

Patrick took Kinyarwanda lessons from Urukundo Learning Center teacher Kubwimana Marcelin.

Patrick made friends with Ollie.

And he was our photographer at graduation.

Patrick was a support for me during very sad times and many good times. I am so grateful he was here in this eventful month of July.

We had other visitors from Canada as well.

It was our pleasure to host this group of five for lunch with Mama and a tour of Urukundo. Wybe Bylsma, his granddaughter Candice, and his great-grandson Seth spent an afternoon meeting our students preparing for graduation. They met Ildephonse Habinshuti, left, university lecturer in the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences at the University of Rwanda, and another Rwandan, Olivier Manzi, right.

Getting ready

Band director Immanuel is proud of his music students as they practice for their part in the graduation ceremonies.

Before taking national exams, our Primary 6 students took a field trip to Nyanza, visiting the King's Palace and other sites in the area. P6 national exams were June 30 to July 3.

We are waiting for results from the exam.

Urukundo’s 13th graduation

The 13th graduation at Urukundo Learning Center was a joyous event attended by many. We honored kindergarten, Primary 6 and Tom Nunnally Sewing Center graduates. Our graduates number 125 in kindergarten, 81 in P6 and 27 in the Sewing Center.

Honored guests: Musabwe Aimable, who is the Cyeza Sector executive secretary, and Mugabo Gilbert, who is the Muhanga District vice mayor.

Urukundo Foundation administrative staff and spouses, left to right: Felix and his wife, HR Juliette; National Board President Oswald and his wife Felecie; Executive Director Jean Marie; and Executive Secretary Eric.

Primary 6 graduates wore green and black.

The kindergarten graduates from the preschool wore blue and gold.

Claude and Lucky today. Claude finished secondary school. Lucky has one year to go. He lost a year due to his school closing for Covid.

These are the kindergarten students in Graduation 13.

Even in preschool, our students visualize a bright future. Here are some of our kindergarten graduates.

He dreams of being an astronaut.

A doctor is his vision.

Flying as a pilot is where it’s at when you are 6 years old.

Baseball is his goal.

Constructing buildings for Rwanda is in the future.

All have hopes and dreams. We hope to make their dreams real.

The Tom Nunnally Sewing Center graduates wore blue and white.

Urukundo students modeled some of the outfits sewing students made.

Pretty in purple

Strutting her stuff

She will be a model or an actress.

Musabwa Aimable, right, Executive Secretary of the Cyeza Sector, awarded a sewing machine to the best student, Mukamugemo Francoise, left.

The award of a sewing machine is a tradition established by Forest Hills Rotary in Pennsylvania, USA, to honor Tom Nunnally, a member of their club and a patron of Urukundo Foundation, who left us way too soon.

Forest Hills Rotary also gave a startup gift for every graduate. Urukundo has continued this memorial to honor Tom.

On the runway, sewing students modeled clothing that they designed and made.

All of the graduates paraded on the street in front of the Urukundo campus.

Opening student parade. In sync, marching to open the event.

I was honored to be a speaker. My talk emphasized, “Education is the light to a brighter future.”

Urukundo’s chorus and band

Urukundo’s dancers, girls and boys

Urukundo’s karate presentation

13th graduation for the school but 7th for Primary 6.

Graduating P6 dancers

P6 valedictorian Iradukunda Clarisse

An outstanding academic student received an award gift. Student Hakizimana Kevin Promese and his father. 

Closing our graduation ceremony with cake

Upcoming visitor

Abigail from New Zealand came back for her second visit in 2015. Abigail teaches circus. Yep, that is her profession, and the kids love her and the acrobatics she shares with them. She also cooked Chinese food for the kids when she came before.

Abigail is coming back to her second home at Urukundo in September. She is returning for the third time, this time bringing her son.

A message from Mama

The loss of a child is so painful. I am grieving the loss of Kavine, 13, a child of Urukundo’s family, and Kessia, a Primary 3 student at Urukundo Learning Center. Both died July 1.

Kessia died of complications of malaria. Malaria remains a dreaded killer in Rwanda.

Kavine’s death was not malaria. Kavine’s body filled with fluid, which included her lungs. They could not clear the fluid from the lungs. She stopped breathing, and her life ended. Why, I do not know.

Kavina came to the Urukundo Home for Children when she was just a few days old. In 2017 when the Rwanda government closed homes for children, Pastor Yves and his wife Libereta took Kavine into their family. She had just finished her first year in secondary school.

This is such a heart-rending time in our family. Thank you for sharing my grief. 

Love with a heavy heart.

Mama

A special I would rather not have had to send.

Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

Malaria remains a dreaded killer in Rwanda. On Tuesday, July 1 it invaded our Urukundo Learning Center. Kessia, a Primary 3 student, died from complications of Malaria. We mourn her death. There needs to be a vaccine for MALARIA. There is a vaccine for yellow fever, also a mosquito-borne killer. Why not a vaccine for Malaria? Mosquito nets are not enough.

Kessia was laid to rest July 2. Her classmates do not understand how this could be.  Along with me and many others, they mourn over her departure from among us.

On the same day, Tuesday, July 1 the Urukundo family sat in shocked disbelief. Word was received. Kavine had died. Kavine was 13 years old.

Kavine was a child of Urukundo Home for Children. Brought to us and given her name by the Vice Mayor of Muhanga District. At Urukundo home, she had 25 siblings. She came to our family just a few days old. As she grew, she was a bright, happy little girl. She sang, danced, laughed, and spread joy wherever she went. Life was good.

In 2017 when the Rwanda government closed Homes for children, Pastor Yves and his wife Libereta took Kavine into their family, keeping her close to Urukundo home where she could continue in Urukundo Learning Center. Her graduation from Primary six in 2024 was with honors. At the time of her death, she had just finished her first year in Secondary school.  She had dreams of a bright future.

On Thursday, July 3rd, a memorial was held for her at Urukundo Worship Center. There was not enough room for all who came to honor her.  She was and is loved.

Pastor Yve's family and all of Urukundo are in need of prayer.

June Newsletter

June is supposed to be a dry month yet it still rains. Love the rain when I am ready to sleep.

So soothing.

Announcement of the month

Esperance, one of my Rwandan daughters, is engaged.

In Rwanda, many events occur before a wedding can take place. They begin with the families of the bride and groom meeting to discuss whether or not the union is acceptable and what the dowry will be. As Esperance’s mom, I was included in this gathering hosted by Juliette and her husband Felix, as Urukundo is the family of the bride. Oswald – who wears many hats, including president of the National Board, and vehicle manager and driver –  will act as the father of the bride. I had often wondered about how such an event would be managed.  Now I know for such  future events.

Julliette, Mama (myself), and the bride-to-be.

She was accepted as a suitable wife by the groom's family. He was accepted as a suitable husband by the bride's family (Urukundo Foundation).

The dowry will be many cows. In Rwandan tradition, cows are a significant part of the dowry, known as "inkwano." The groom's family traditionally presents cows to the bride's family as a symbol of respect, wealth, and their ability to support the new couple. This practice highlights the cultural importance of cows as a sign of prosperity and kinship in Rwandan society.

The dowry and wedding date are set for Aug. 31, 2025. The dowry celebration will take place in the morning at the Urukundo Foundation Hope Made Real House. They will go to another location for the religious ceremony in the afternoon and then return to the HMR House for the reception in the evening.

Our bride and her Urukundo family are in the first phase of a very special occasion.

Pastor Yves, Executive Secretary Eric, Juliette’s husband Felix, Juliette, me, bride-to-be Esperance, Oswald, his wife Felicia, Juliette’s sister Dancille, and Assistant to Pastor, Chantel.

More on this event in the September newsletter.

Family visitors

It is a joy for me when any of my family from the USA visits my home and volunteers at the Urukundo Learning Center.

Timothy Brown, my grandson, and his son, Mason, my great-grandson, arrived on June 5.

This is the third visit for Tim and the second for Mason.

Grandson Tim and I enjoyed early morning coffee using the new outdoor table and chairs, a gift from Marilyn Ely Yorks, treasurer of our International Board. Her visit to Urukundo was in the May newsletter.

The day before their arrival, many suitcases arrived with a team from SUNY Buffalo State University in Buffalo, New York, USA. Our vehicle transported the suitcases from the airport to Urukundo.

Unpacking and distributing the contents had priority. After a rest day, our staff, Tim, and Mason went to work immediately unpacking, sorting, and distributing the contents.

We unpacked suitcases containing much-needed supplies for our school, neighborhood children, and the Mama & Baby project. We were able to do in a few hours what would have taken much longer without their help. Thank you to all who made this gift possible.

After the work project, Mason joined the friends he had made on his first visit. At that time, all were in Primary 3. This visit, they are in Primary 5. It has been two years and counting.

He became involved in sports.

Kickball was fun.

Music, especially the drums, added flavor to ongoing activities.

We have our sample desk and chair for the students attending our secondary O Level school. That led to testing. To prepare for the school's opening, we have ordered 100 to be constructed. Two students per desk.

Nuri Benoit and Zetie

Mason and friends tried out the new desk and chairs.

Yep, it will work just fine.

While Mason spent time at the Learning Center, Tim was playing with the kids at the daycare

Love this photo. Tim's hat on a little head. What fun!

Meeting with older students was included in his agenda.

A mob scene is always special when it includes Urukundo students.

Tim is a member of the Hope Made Real board of directors. Introducing him to our Village Leader, his wife, and daughter was my pleasure.

Parting is such sweet sorrow, but they have promised to return.

A yearly event

The Anne Frank Project at SUNY Buffalo State University Team 2025

The Anne Frank Project at SUNY Buffalo State University  uses stories as vehicles for community building, conflict management, and identity exploration.

Each year in early June, the Anne Frank Project team arrives to spend time with Urukundo Learning Center and Muhanga area teachers.

First stop: Mama’s residence and the head office. Then two days with the teachers.

Their purpose is to teach teachers to use storytelling as a way to communicate directly with others with like conflicts and stories.

Then on to the Urukundo Learning Center.

Love and sharing are the key components for all.

While here, they learn about the Urukundo Learning Center and spend time in our classrooms with our students.

Emmanuel, head of the music department, demonstrates his ability on the saxophone.

Our Music Department is limited to a very small space in the teachers' resource building. Our need is to expand the music program. With added facilities, we hope to encourage visitors interested in music to volunteer and share their expertise with our students. We are looking forward to expanding the Music Department soon (after completion of the Secondary School). It will include a soundproof room for band and chorus practice. That improvement will reduce sound that tends to disturb other classes close by. We know it isn’t noise, but we must admit it can be a bit much. Financing and prayers are needed.

Sharing Mama’s (my) story was a highlight for me as I hosted this remarkable team in my home.