Adding color and fun. Making the school wall more friendly.
See next month's newsletter for further developments.
July 2022 Newsletter
In July, a lot of activity took place at Urukundo Foundation, both at the school and in the village.
I do hope you enjoy the journey through the month with me.
Work continues on the renovation of my old residence for it to become the new location of the Dental Clinic.
Inside work is underway.
Floors are being prepared and waiting for the tile.
The required tile does make a difference.
The new roof is on now. Ceiling panels are needed.
From this to …
THIS! Beautiful.
Gate entrance to the new Dental Clinic from the main road. Looking good. What cleaning the bricks can do!
Same wall looking toward the gate. A lot of work but worth the effort.
Inside the gate. Ollie checking it out.
Developing space for parking. Hard labor. From this to …
THIS! Off-street parking.
Handicap accessible entrance from the parking lot to the waiting room. Ramp in place.
As in all areas of Urukundo, the Dental Clinic has an accessible entrance. Cement not dry yet.
August will see the end of construction and the opening of the improved Dental Clinic. Thanks to all who helped make this possible. I am grateful.
June 2022 Newsletter: Dental Clinic renovation
June is a month mixed with joy as the renovation starts on the relocation of the Dental Clinic and sadness as I watch the destruction of my lovely yard and the beautiful old tree become firewood.
I walked down the mountain to stand in what was the great room in my former dwelling. The window is gone and a larger one will take its place.
Jean Marie stands with me viewing what was my beautiful front yard. This room will now be the patient waiting room. Sad to see the garden go but necessary.
It was a big beautiful tree with problems. Remember when in July 2018 a large section yielded to the storm and landed in the driveway? Same tree, but we won’t have to worry about it falling on the house anymore.
This will be the parking area for dental patients. The tree limbs will make good firewood when propane gas runs out.
Area being prepared for off-street parking.
Welders making frames for new windows.
Small windows give way to larger ones. The workers are replacing windows and adding more ventilators.
Air conditioning is not needed, but airflow is so important
Windows and ventilators completed.
The very old roof was removed. Ready for metal sheets that will protect the interior from rain and wind.
Blue metal sheets arrive.
Frame support work in place. This is work to be completed before a new roof can be placed.
In process.
The new roof is on. Work inside to begin.
Development
Our 2022 project is moving along.
The project is relocating the Dental Clinic to my former home. The costs are:
• $15,000 to renovate the house
• $1,450 for the new dental chair
• $6,200 for chair accessories.
That’s a total of $22,650. Of that, $2,950 (counting a donation for the chair) has been raised. That leaves $19,700 to raise. Small donations help a lot.
Work in progress on my former residence on May 26.
An appeal from Mama
For Urukundo to become self-sustaining, it is necessary to expand and develop the facilities we already have. To do this, I need your help
Urukundo Foundation is setting a new goal for 2022. That goal is to expand dental service in rural Muhanga, Rwanda. Dental care is so needed.
Now that construction of the new residence in a safer area has been completed and Mama has vacated the house by the side of the road, we plan to renovate the former residence into space for our Dental Clinic. It is along the main road and has its entrance from the road, thus protecting the children at the school.
We are using what we already own rather than purchasing land and building a new structure to improve the dental service. The renovation work will cost about $15,000.
When that move is completed our small dental clinic will be a larger facility. We will have space to add a chair for other services in the larger facility.
A chair can be purchased in Kigali City. The cost of the chair alone is $1,450. That $1,450 has been pledged. I thank the Van Dolson family for this gift.
I was naive to think the cost of the chair included all attachments. So with the accessories added to the original cost – you guessed it – the total cost of the chair was much more. So $6,200 is still needed. This price includes what you see and a compressor machine and stool chair. The new chair will let us add orthodontia to our service to the community. Any help to purchase the needed accessories for the chair would be appreciated.
Why an interest in orthodontia? Too many children and adults do not smile because their teeth are crooked and not a pretty sight. So many children and adults in Rwanda suffer from damage done to their teeth. As babies, the cultural doctors destroyed the root base because they cried while teething. Crying while teething is normal for babies. We rub teething gel on the sore gums, but the remedy in Rwanda was to destroy the baby tooth roots to stop the pain. Not well understood by me, but it was the culture.
Now the second teeth come in out of alignment.
Our Claudine is an example of the need. I want very much to correct her beautiful smile.
Are you willing to help?
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.
Progress on the new residence and guest house
Work on the new residence and guest house is moving along.
Kitchen flooring and back wall
Mama’s bathroom is taking shape. The tile is a pretty grey and white mix.
Saving rainwater is still a priority. This tank connects to Hope House as well as the new residence and guest house.
Update on the residence and guesthouse
Metal roofing sheets arrived on Friday, May 28.
Lovely vision. Yes, Yes!
Hopemadereal House a multi-purpose center
Yep, the new building has a name. Say it fast. It sounds OK that way.
Now that we have a building large enough to accommodate all students at the school, a special assembly is called each Friday and an event takes place. Hopemadereal House is the auditorium for this event.
First school presentation in the new building. This group was only Primary 4, 5, and 6. The competition was a spelling contest and a reading contest in English.
The second week’s event featured the school orchestra and chorus.
We’re so proud of both.
This assembly hosted both a spelling contest and a reading contest in Kinyarwanda. All 1,020 kids were present, and there is room for more. I am told the next assembly will be in French. Kinyarwanda, French and English are taught in our primary school.