Graduates on the move

Our recent high school graduates prepare for life away from Urukundo Village. University is now in their game plan. It takes a truck.

Bosco, Olivier and Abais. Congratulations, gentlemen. Well done.

Bosco and Abais will attend the Adventist University of Central Africa, Kigali campus.

Olivier will attend University of Kigali.

With the addition of these three, we now have quite a few in higher education:

• 22 students are at the university level or beyond.

• 1 is working on her master’s degree in Texas, USA.

• 1 finished college in Seattle, Washington, USA, in 2018. He returned to Rwanda and teaches phys ed at Urukundo Learning Center.

• 1 graduates from Arizona State University, USA, in May 2019.

• 4 have finished university or trade school and are gainfully employed.

• 3 will graduate in fall 2019.

• 5 will graduate in 2020.

• 2 will finish in 2021.

• 3 will graduate in 2023.

• 2 will graduate in 2024.

Our first generation of Urukundo kids are now young men and women. They are well on their way to a brighter future, thanks to you who have cared and shared. I thank you.

Project Library

The project for the month was revamping the library, including adding more educational toys and and supplying more shelf space. Librarian Irene and Olive teamed up with Carol Falke from the USA to make this project a success.

Big question: What belongs in the classroom and what should be in the library available for teachers to borrow and return?

Preschool classrooms also benefited from this project.

Organization was the objective in the library and classrooms.

Preparation before organization

Every 3- and 4-year old enjoys dolls that to play with. Cribs are on the way for these baby dolls. Each preschool classroom will have a crib and hopefully two baby dolls. Never too young to learn about love. With 30 kids in the morning and 30 in the afternoon loving on these baby dolls, they will not last long. But, oh, what fun!

In the library for all to share. African animals to see and read about.

What boy and, yes, girl would not love vehicles of every description? With books to tell the story.

Construction in progress. All ages benefit from the library.

Space travel, futuristic indeed. Carol demonstrates rocket for teachers.

Let's go shopping, Vegetables, fruits, shopping bag, pretend money and a tea set for later. All part of the learning process.

Learning about caterpillars and butterflies was the project for the preschool.

We cover so many aspects of living and sharing.

New in preschool

Kids are getting the full impact of food.

Shopping, vegetables

Cooking aprons and chef’s hats. See the eggs and chickens on the aprons?

Serving. First term in culinary arts. We’re starting them young.

Visitors day at secondary school

First visit to Claude and Luki in secondary school. Visitation is allowed the second Sunday in the month. The St. Bernadette Secondary School is a half hour from Urukundo Village and easy to get to.

Students wait for family and friends.

This month, Luki hurt his shoulder playing sports, and we were able to bring him home for a few days. If he were in a school several hours away, this would not have been possible. His shoulder was only bruised, and he returned to school after three days.

Our boys are growing up.

Big brother Diescor, our medical student, home for a break, visited with the boys.

Welcome home, Carol

Carol Falke came home for the eighth year in a row. She is family.

Carol is from State College, Pennsylvania, USA, and is president of the Hope Made Real board of directors.

Urukundo and the Learning Center are blessed by her presence.

What do you know about butterflies? Our preschoolers know a lot, thanks to Carol Falke.

First, you read a book about caterpillars.Then you color and cut out.

Next, you show them off.

Windows also work well for this activity.

Urukundo kids enjoyed playing Simon Says with the butterflies on the lawn at Mama’s house.

Touch your nose.

Touch your toes.

The parade led by Carol topped the play time.

Welcome to 2019 and Happy New Year

The start of a new year is always exciting. Here at Urukundo, it is exciting and also a mystery.

There were many challenges in 2018. Our greatest challenge was national exams for the first-ever Primary 6 students from Urukundo Learning Center. The teachers and kids met the challenge and aced the exams. Thirty-eight students took the exams, and 33 made the top division. Remarkable. Congratulations, Urukundo Learning Center. Keep up the excellent performance in 2019.

New school year

The school year started Jan. 14. Urukundo Learning Center enrolled 864 students.

Urukundo Home’s children ready and prepared.

Egide, Claudine, John, David, Joyce, Soso and Diane. Super kids.

Claude, Luki and Aline started secondary school. Claude and Luki are at St. Bernadette Secondary School, about 30 minutes travel time from home.

Boys on campus.

On way to dorm.

Long walk. Mama followed in car.

Aline at her new school.

Students, Have mattress, will travel.

Aline in school uniform and waiting for room assignment.

Diescor's visit

Our medical student, Diescor Kirenga, is serving an internship at the University Teaching Hospital of Butare. He is a student at the University of Gitwe School of Medicine. He did not make it home for the holiday. He did get home later, looking every bit the doctor modeling his Christmas gift.

Solange becomes a US citizen

Solange Nirere came to Urukundo in 2006. She was 12 years old. One of the first of my girls. She moved to McAllen, Texas, in 2012 for health reasons (asthma), finished high school and graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She is currently enrolled in its graduate program in political science. She expects to earn her master’s in political science in 2020. She is now 25 years old.

On Jan. 9, Solange took an oath and became an American citizen.

Solange and her best friend and lawyer, Ana Villegas, celebrate this momentous occasion.

So proud Solange is now an American.

Good news

Starting the new year, nine of our children remain in our home.

Three of them -- Claude, Aline and Luki -- are waiting for their national exam results and then will be going to secondary boarding school. They will return to Urukundo for school holidays. As is normal, we will share them with their families.

Claude, Aline and Luki.

David has been given permission from his foster family to stay home with us and attend Primary 6 here rather than disrupt his education in the last year of primary.

Of the children who have moved on to other families Jacob, Prince, Kevine, Banita and possible Rebekah will live close enough to be students at Urukundo Learning Center.

Graduation 2018

All non-graduating and graduate students gather at school for the parade to the foote ball field.

Students and graduates coming together.

Starting the parade to the site of graduation. Ready, set, go!

Kindergarten Graduates and the Preschool teacher, Erneste.

Primary 6 graduated, pictured with the Primary English teacher, Ignace.

Sewing Center Graduates with the teacher of tailoring, Desire.

Walking the distance from the Learning Center road to Mama’s gate.

Mama & Pastor Yves join the Kindergarten parade at Mama’s gate. We’re so happy that the road was completed before this event.

Primary 6 graduates, Mama and Pastor Yves.

Sewing Center, Mama & Pastor. The walkway beside Mama’s house leading into the compound from the main road.

Entering the Foote Ball field.

The Kindergarten is seated.

After seating the Kindergarten class the parade proceeds, with P6, Sewing Center & undergraduates arriving at the field.

Music Program and the New Music Director, Emmanuel

Recorders and flutes in the school P5 & P6 chorus.

Students show their skill on the violin, the bells, and the xylophone.

Drums.

The Director of Music struts his stuff. Good job.

The drum set we rented. Next year we hope to have our own.

P1 through P4 chorus.