I was touched when Juliette and Libby arrived at my door to escort me to a special time of celebration commemorating my 90th year.They came to make sure I attended. There was a gathering in Hope House with distancing and masks and a most special luncheon prepared in our Urukundo kitchen.
Soft drink (Fanta) and food ready for the celebration.
A beautiful cake with icing in my favorite color, blue. A candle that acted like fireworks was part of the decoration. Blowing out 90 candles would be a little much.
Urukundo Learning Center students from Primary 5 and 6 sang “Happy Birthday” to me before moving to the dining room for a special lunch in my honor.
Special visitor Aicha traveled from Kigali with Divine for this day.
Aicha is founder and CEO of Kandaka Naturals. She also is a PhD student at the University of Bayreuth in Germany in ecological modelling. Over the year, she lives in the Sudan, Rwanda and Germany. She creates hand-made soaps, lotions and all the natural cosmetics for Kandaka Naturals. Our daughter Divine is employed by this non-governmental organization.
Delighted to have Divine and Aicha at my celebration.
The celebration did not stop with only one day.
Day 2 of celebration was three days later.
A second cake, this one with icing in white and dark chocolate. Thanks to Clare Effiong and Esther’s Aid Culinary Arts School, this cake arrived and was a gift from the international board of directors of Hope Made Real. The board also met with me on Zoom and sang “Happy Birthday.” What a wonderful birthday surprise! It was glorious. Thank you, board.
Clare Effiong, director of Esther’s Aid Culinary Arts School, came with her Chef Din, bringing me bagels, banana bread and cookies and, of course, the cake. Fatsville for sure but oh so good! Chef Din took over my little kitchen and made me a “for real” delicious hamburger prepared just the way I like it. I was on Cloud 9. Clare is from New York City, serving in Rwanda. An amazing woman.
I received many messages from friends and family members, both here and abroad. I share only one. The message is wonderfuI. It came from an employee.
“Be happy! Today is the day you were brought into this world to be a blessing and inspiration to the people around you! May you be given more birthdays to fulfill all of your dreams!”
Birthday messages came from all over the USA and also from Germany, United Kingdom, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Uganda, Rwanda, Switzerland, Finland and Australia. I am humbled by the love shown to me on my special day.