Gathering
Walking and singing Hosanna
Amy Dove reading Scriptures; Bob Dove as speaker for the day.
February Newsletter
Love Is All Around
February is the love month. The perfect month for the LOVE (Urukundo) FOUNDATION. I hope each of you are our Valentine. There is so much love here with lots to share.
Belise and Esperance
Babies from Mama & Baby Center share love.
We are ever in need of infant clothes for Valentine babies who remain in our hearts.
More love. Kiriku, Joyce, Jacob, Banitha. Friends.
Betty is also a Valentine. She has been the main caregiver in the boys house since 2006. She should be a great mom when she has her own kids as she has had lots of practice in the years she has served Urukundo’s boys and girls. Congratulations, Betty, and a happy marriage to Etienne from Mama and all your Urukundo family. 
Thank you for inviting us to this happy event.
Secondary Kids Honored at a Worship Service
Esperance, Belise, Bosco, Olivier and Abias.
School Year 2018 Begins
Urukundo kids are ready, willing and able.
At a traffic check at the village gate, there are no vehicles in sight.
Then there's a traffic jam. New bus arrives with students on board.
Kids, kids, kids.
Opening ceremony was impressive.
Kids meet teachers. Preschool classrooms are in the background. We are so blessed. Thanks to you who make it possible. There are 722 children who are getting a good education and 32 qualified teachers who have jobs.
This young man is not sure he approves of the whole process. Attitude is everything. Home is better. Oh, yeah.
THANKS
In this first month of the 2018, we at Urukundo say:
THANK YOU ALL
&
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Mama, Staff, Teachers and Kids
December 2017 Newsletter
Closing out the Year 2017 and Welcoming the Year 2018 is a big event
Birthdays at any age are special events. At my age, they are treasured. Such a blessing to have Bruce Krogh and Bob and Amy Dove celebrating with me.
A Joyous Event
No, this is not the arrival of a newborn baby but instead is the arrival in Rwanda of Chanel Moore, my very first great-grandchild.
Chanel is the fourth generation of terrific women in my family, including me, my daughter Barbara Downs and my granddaughter Beckie Starr.
This is Chanel's first visit to Africa. She is working on her master’s degree at West Chester State University in Pennsylvania, USA.
I’m so happy that you are here, Chanel.
Love the hats.
Staff Celebration
Forty-two staff members have children under the age of 12. At last count, 85 children under 12 received gifts. All children of staff members – older and younger ones – as well as spouses joined us for a movie, sumbosa and juice on the Friday before Christmas. Gifts aplenty.
Staff and Children
Community Children's Party
The children from the community also celebrated at Urukundo. More than 500 children crowded into Hope House.
It was awesome. The house could not contain them all.
Nativity Presentation & Christmas Dinner
Special gathering Christmas Morning.
Notice the HATS. A gift from Julliette in our Personnel Office.
Bob & Amy received an iron from under the tree.
Christmas dinner:
Jacob gets a Benjiman Suit
For those not in the know: When you ask Jacob what he wants to be when he grows up, his answer is: “I want to be Benjiman.”
Benjiman is his idol and the maintenance person at Urukundo. He solves odd job problems, builds and is the father image for our boys. Jacob could not pick a better person to emulate.
The suit was given to him for Christmas by Bob and Amy Dove. It is a replica of the suit Benjiman wears as he does his job here at Urukundo. Jacob is his shadow. Wherever Benjiman is working, there is Jacob.
Town Meeting
A town meeting at the Embassy was also an occasion to meet the new ambassador. I was honored to meet and talk with AMBASSADOR ERICA BARK-RUGGLES. She is a lovely lady and was accepting of a hug from this mama. She represents the USA very well.
Welcome Ambassador.
Special News
Congratulations to JEAN MARIE NTWARI on his Civil Ceremony (equivalent to an engagement). Jean Marie is Executive Director at Urukundo.
