With heartfelt thanks, I reach out to all who cared and covered me with prayers during my bout with pneumonia. I am so grateful.
January Newsletter
The highlight of 2022: Mama has a new home. Its completion was a very special event. This building will be the home of all future directors of Urukundo and the guest house for visitors and volunteers who wish to spend quality time at Urukundo Village and Learning Center.
Here’s what I could see looking out the window of my old residence. Yes, it was rather bleak. This was the view from my old residence.
Compare this with what I now am able to see from my new residence.
Sliding board, swings, merry-go-round in play area
Basketball court
Basketball
Volleyball
Soccer field
I can view all of the activities, and I am a happy Mama.
Awesome. I feel less isolated and, more importantly, I have contact with the children. I no longer have to climb the mountain to see the kids at play and visit the school.
Here’s a tour of my new home. Small door is my office entrance. Double doors are the entrance to the living quarters. In all the years I’ve been at Urukundo, this is the first time my bedroom is totally private. Wow! What an accomplishment! The shape of the home is a tribute to Rwandan history and culture. It's the shape of the King’s Palace Museum, which is a reconstruction of the 19th century traditional royal residence.
A beautiful art canvas by a local artist, a gift from Urukundo cleaners. Look for it hanging in my new office.
The moving week began on Jan. 4.
Installing kitchen cabinets
Kitchen completed
The dining room drapes open
The dining room drapes closed
Dining area and kitchen. I love the openness of this floor plan.
Relax and enjoy our living area. Great place to greet friends.
Wide-open space includes living area, dining area and kitchen with cathedral ceiling.
Looking straight up.
My greatest joy: zebra, birds and paintings are all Rwandan culture art.
Guest room. The beds are comfortable and the covers will keep you warm.
My office. Imagine an office that does not have a bed in it!
Thank you for touring Urukundo’s new residence with me. I hope soon you can come to Urukundo Village and spend some time enjoying what so many of you have helped build.
Family, first and foremost
Four generations. How awesome!
What wonderful joys have taken place on this visit that I didn’t expect when I started planning this trip! First two weddings and now seeing my my great-granddaughter Jasmine, her husband Eric, and her daughter Lola, one of my great-great-grandchildren, for the first time. With my daughter Barbara, that makes four generations.
Then hugging Hannah Arlene and Amelia. They are daughter Barbara’s grandchildren.
Getting to know my great-grandchildren is such a reward. Juliana is the granddaughter of my son Jerry.
I am so blessed to have both great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Altoona
Pastor Rebecca Holland and her husband, Pastor Jeff Holland.
Rebecca is Chair of Disability Ministries Task Force of the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church. She serves as pastor to Christ Community and Llyswen United Methodist Churches in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Through her ministry, the Urukundo Learning Center received aid for Claudine. Because of Rev. Rebecca and her task force, Claudine now has a brighter future.
Rev. Dr. Joleen A. Willis, district superintendent of the Altoona District in the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church, honored me with her presence at Christ Community.
Book signing and sharing took place at Christ Community.
Joleen and her husband Randy, who is pastor of Wehnwood United Methodist Church in Altoona, are parents of Ethan and Sarah. The Willis children were a delight. Such energy! Wow.
Thoughts
In closing, check this out.
Article in Williamsport Sun, headlined “Woman with a Mission: ‘Mama Arlene’ shares decades of experience serving children in Rwanda.”
I am thankful for all who join in the mission. If you would like to give, please send your donation to Hope Made Real, PO Box 3222, Williamsport, PA 17701.
Mama
School and day care
Thanks to Carol Falke, president of the Hope Made Real International Board, and those who support her ministry for Urukundo Learning Center, new books arrived for the new term which will start on Oct. 11.
Headmaster Irene Dushimimana inspects the books.
Teachers then come together to decide where the books are most needed according to the subject being taught.
Carol ships the books via UPS and can always use financial support to cover the shipping. We so need and appreciate the books.
New house in progress
I hope you recall that some time ago my home was invaded by thieves. My bedroom was targeted. It was a shock to me to realize I was not safe in my own home. It also was very disturbing to my family. They decided I need to be away from the main road, my present location, and in the center of the compound where it would be harder for intruders to be a threat. They decided to do something about it and contacted family members and family friends with a plea to help build a safer residence for me.
This is the letter my daughter Patricia wrote and sent out to family members and many friends.
I share it now with you:
I’m writing to you because Mama needs a house. Turning 90, Mama Arlene finally admits (sort of) that she may be getting a bit older.
As you know, Urukundo is built upon the side of a large hillside on three plateaus:
The Lower Plateau -- the main road and Mama’s present residence
The Middle Plateau -- the school, dining hall and activity center, and business offices
The Upper Plateau -- the farm and animals
Mama can no longer safely climb the steep hillside without assistance, and even then, once a day is laborious, leaving her out of breath at a high altitude. I can tell you, she is not happy not being in the middle of all the daily activities of the campus.
In addition, her present residence, located just inside the gate on the main road, leaves her vulnerable to intruders. Only a couple of months ago robbers broke in while Mama was asleep.
With your help, a new home, constructed for the present needs of Mama and for the coming decade, could be built on level land of the middle plateau. The estimated cost is $40,000, a small amount compared to comparable U.S. homes.
I am so grateful for my family’s concern and I thank everyone who stepped up and helped make it happen. Again, I say thank you to all.
Construction of a new residence began on March 19 and continues today. It is my hope construction will be completed in June. It will be not only a new residence for Mama Arlene and any future director of Urukundo Foundation but will have four guest rooms to welcome volunteers and visitors.
The design of Mama Arlene’s new home is a tribute to Rwandan history and culture. The photo shows the beehive-shaped King’s Palace Museum, which is a reconstruction of the 19th century traditional royal residence. The palace is located in the Nyanza District, Southern Province, 88 kilometers from the City of Kigali.
Now I share the progress to date with you.
March 19, preparation began. Clearing and leveling.
The location is in the field next to Hope House.
March 26, layout for the foundation and rooms. This layout also includes four guest rooms with baths.
April 5, outside walls. A structure has begun.
May 5, reaching for the sky.
A three-week delay took place as we waited for the metal sheets to arrive for the roof.The June newsletter will report on construction in progress. I am hoping for a July move-in date.
March 2021 Newsletter
Vaccinations!
Urukundo certainly marched into March with gusto. What an exciting month!
The first week in March will live in my memory. This was the week Rwanda received the Covid-19 vaccine. The first vaccine was to be distributed to health centers on March 5, with the first vaccinations to be given on March 6.
Not being a Rwandan with just my passport for ID, I was not on any listing to receive it. I understood that I would have to make contact, I then would be added, and it would take weeks or maybe months before I would receive notice to go to a health center to be vaccinated.
I had no problem with that. There are so many who are in greater danger.
Much to my surprise at 6 a.m. the very next morning, I received a text telling me I should appear at the Kivumu Health Center that very day (March 6) and the vaccine would be given to me. As is normal, I was being given special treatment. This time, I was grateful for it. Most times, I resent being shown preferential treatment.
Covid-19 vaccine administered in Kivumu in the Cyeza sector on March 6.
Sorry to say I had a very bad reaction to the vaccine two weeks to the day, but knowing travel will never be possible unless you have the vaccine, I am glad I received it and I encourage others to receive it also. It is time to return to sharing hugs and kisses. The vaccine, masks and love make that possible.
Wonderful memories
A lovely gift. I received this beautiful picture and was so pleased. The photo came from London. We know the team and the names of all of the volunteers, but I don’t know which one sent it to us. I would like to know to say thank you. I had the photo framed, and it now hangs in my office for all to enjoy. The kids find themselves and name the volunteers and staff, remembering this visit and the happy times we all enjoyed.
As the song goes, “Memories are made of this.”