Newsletter Special - Award Nomination

Urukundo Home for Children has been nominated for a RINA (Rwandan International Network Assocation) Humanitarian Award.

This award is given to individuals or organizations that have demonstrated significant efforts in improving the quality of life in global Rwandan communities. Nominees have directly addressed the needs of specific groups within the Rwandan community in the areas of health, human services, education, and employment.

We need your votes! Please take a moment to visit our RINA Nominee Page and click 'vote'.  The voting process lasts only for two weeks and the winners will be announced thereafter.

Forward to your families, friends and communities - thanks for your support!

More Outreach

90 children, both boys and girls, attended a Basketball Clinic/camp at Urukundo Village. The Clinic was held by Rob Thomson.

Rob is an American/Rwandan citizen born in Pennsylvania wearing the #12 Uniform. He is 6 ft 10 tall.

 

First team up for instructions.

Rob Thomson giving some tips.

Coach Ryan Turcott.

Coach Jacque Bahige.

Abis, Rob, Bosco & Claude.

Christmas

What a wonderful Christmas was celebrated at Urukundo Village.  I give thanks to those of you who sent boxes with gifts for Urukundo's Children and Staff and their children.  I was not here but the children tell me it was "very good".

Thank you.

April Challenge

A message from the Board of Hope Made Real

You can help by eating dinner!  That's right.  If you live in an area where a Denny's restaurant is located, you can set up a fundraiser for the month of April 2012.  Just contact you local Denny's for details - meet with the manager and then invite others to join you at Denny's for dinner.  Let's make April a fantastic month for Urukundo Village and Education Center.  Then, let us know the results of your efforts.  Denny's will donate 20% of profits from not only your group but everyone eating at their restaurant during the time your group is there. 

Please join us!  

Urukundo Five Year Report

2006 - 2011

Urukundo Children's Village as of this date has 46 orphans and abandoned children.

18 of our children are in secondary School. 12 are in Primary School.

11 of our children are in Preschool.

5 are in our Nursery (Safe Haven).

6 former young staff members in University. (Designated funds).

First graduate  We are very proud of Diane.

We are giving employment to 34 local citizens.  All employees are covered by medical insurance upon providing proof they have covered their own children with medical coverage from a local hospital.

Urukundo Foundation provides 329 children of very poor families with supplies required in order for them to attend primary school.

Urukundo Foundation cares for 2 families with teen head-of-households with a total of 14 children (several missing when photo taken).

At the same time we need to develop the general infrastructure and create sustainable long-term business.

We can be the first orphanage/NGO ever reaching self-sufficiency and economic independency.

It is an incredible task and challenge.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE

2006. Rented first Urukundo Home for Girls with 15 girls. Today's total is now 21.

2006: Rented first house for guests. Some little income.

2006: purchased four wheel drive vehicle (directors funds).

2007: Rented first Urukundo Home for Boys with 7 boys. Today's total is 24.

2007: First purchase of land to start chicken industry and safe area for kids to play outside of town.

First Chicken House

Deed of first ownership

2007 through 2011: Purchased, registered and paid for 14 joining small properties using (missionary gifts and Arlene's SS income) to establish Urukundo Village.

Claiming the top of the mountain.

2008:  Built a Home for Boys, a soccer field and a basket ball court. 

2008: Built a Home for Girls.  (Director's personal funds)

2008-2009: Constructed buildings for kitchen, offices, and storage.

2009: Built Multipurpose House. This house includes a Library, classrooms, meeting room, worship center, celebration house and dorm for teams with more than 4 people.

2009: constructed a shed for the 1 cow and 1 calf.

2009: Purchased another cow and her calf.  (Designated Money from People to People).  Milk for babies and HIV kids.

2009: purchased home for Guesthouse on adjourning property, resident for director, clinic, office.  Now Cyakabiri School for Young Children.

Increased chicken industries to include broilers and layers.  (Producing eggs for income and meat).

Broilers                                        

Layers

2010: started JR Saving’s accounts for kids.  Fina bank

2010: Built a "SAFE HAVEN" Nursery for throw-away babies.  We have 15 Under 5 years.

Established Cyber Café for community and income producing nonprofit business. (Rental property) Purchased 5 PC and a copier.

We planted 7 kitchen gardens and all available land. Veg for children and excess for sale.

Purchased 3 Sheep (designated money). Total now 8 and expecting.  Meat for kids.

Started rabbit hutches purchased 2 rabbits and a gift of 2. 

At present total 64. Sell and use for meat for children.

2011: Director purchased large home and guesthouse. (Personal funds savings for old age. Might be now.)

2011: Purchased house and land (Loan from Fina Bank) protection of children, larger clinic in better location, closer to children. Additional guest rooms to accommodate teams coming as volunteers.   Work not completed.

Received 3 cows from District a gift. Total cows now 5.  Two milk cows and 3 yet to breed. 

Constructed larger housing for number of cows (designated funds) and fenced in pastureland with barbed wire.Fenced in all Urukundo land to protect our children and animals. (Barbed wire)

2011: Purchased 5 pigs a gift from visitors.  (Designated money) Meat and marketing.

2011: Built pig housing.  

2011: Increased goat herd by 12 new goats (designated money) Meat for kids (total 18 at present).

Renovated first cow barn to accommodate goats and sheep.

2011: With support of Park Forest and devoted people Urukundo built a water system for the Binunga Community. In time it will also benefit our schools. (Designated funds)

2011:  Solar pumps and power were added to the water project thanks to Rotary International. (Designated funds). The project will benefit over 3000 people plus Urukundo Village when schools are constructed.

2011: Added 3 tanks for harvesting rainwater. (Designated funds)

Purchased truck for farm. (Designated funds).

Cyakabiri School opened. The first step in the planned URUKUNDO LEARNING CENTER.

Sports World Headlines

News Flash

After their team won the Basketball championship in Muhanga District, 3 of our boys - Amin, Bosco and Abis, were chosen to receive sports training in Nyanza, the capital of South Province. They really are champs.

The training will take place from November 27 to December 12th.

We are so very  proud of our boys!

(l-r) Bosco, Abis and Amin.

Open Days in Rwanda

The Mayor and Vice Mayor visit the Urukundo Foundation's booth during Open Days in the stadium.

We were invited to have a booth where people could talk to our staff and see pictures of what Urukundo Foundation is doing, not just for the children but also for the community. It is good public relations.

Umugunda

Umugunda is a very important event in Rwanda. Every last Saturday of the month the government has set aside the morning hours for all citizens to work together in their neighborhood to make it look good. We at Urukundo are a part of that and as a team the work is done well and is fun.
This month was special because four of out toddlers became a part of the team. Vincent and Grace supervised them in their work.

The guards pitch in.

Serephine, Belise & Aline clean up trimmings.

The toddlers join in for their first Umugunda day.

Kenny, Kinela, Agid and Claude part of the team.

Vincent, Grace, Agide, Kinela, Claude, Luki, Neli & another Claude.

Piling trimmings Claude in red and Agide in yellow shirt and tan pants

Filling the bag.

Job finished.

Moving to next clean up area. Can you pick out the toddlers and name them?!

Flag Ceremony

Cyakabiri School and Urukundo Foundation were presented with the nation's flag to be flown at our school. This is indeed an honor.  The ceremony was held the last day of the term.  Parents, visitors and dignitaries took part in the raising of the Rwandan Flag.

The military were present to do the honors and we were joined by dignitaries from the village, cell, sector and district.  Students sang one verse of the National Anthem and the guests helped sing the other verses.
The children worked very hard to memorize the words to the Anthem.
Our teachers were shown recognition.  The only thing that made us sad was that Jan Brown, the inspiration and coordinator for the school, could not be with us.

Celebration - It Needs a Party!

Cake and Fanta for all.  Hey, I am shouting the good news!   URUKUNDO HOME FOR CHILDREN IS FIVE YEARS OLD!

Five years ago on May 1, 2006 Urukundo opened it doors and its heart to children needing love and protection, food, education and a better chance for a brighter future. 

 

This year is our fifth year serving the children of Rwanda. Urukundo is alive and doing well. With God in charge and with God's speed we have moved forward faster than I ever envisioned. We have reached so many of our goals and the big one was education for orphans and the very poor. The school for small children at Urukundo started with the solid approval of the District and the Ministry of Education on May 10th 2011.

Cyakabiri School is truly Hope Made Real.

 

There are so many reasons to celebrate this fifth year.   The water project for safe, clean water for the community is well underway, expecting to be completed in mid-July.

The line of succession has been established. Urukundo is built on a firm foundation will continue long after the founder has moved on to rest. All in this first month of the next five years.

Now we need financial help from our friends to be able to pay salaries for the teachers and put electricity into the water project. Any ideas of how to make others aware of this need would be appreciated. I had hoped the educators in our newsletter list would come to the rescue but that has not happened yet.   We need funds.

I don't know how I became a farmer! Now I have cows, sheep, chickens, rabbits, goats and dogs. Muhanga District has given us a cow and in June we will receive 3 more. That is real recognition for Urukundo Foundation and our Ministry from the Rwandan government.  It's also a blessing for our kids - milk is so important.  We will need to build a barn (lean-to shed) to protect them.

May Birthday Party

The Nursery (Mama Cindy's Cottage) is such a blessing.  So much activity takes place there.

The month of May found three of our babies having a birthday - LUKI, SARAH and PRINCE.

The special event, the birthday party, now takes place each month in the nursery where things are just their size.  It begins with a Baby Einstein dvd (thanks to Rhegan from Arizona) on my 15 inch laptop, then cake with a candle to blow, singing and juice and gifts. Sarah received a box from her sponsor. Luki has a new kite to share from Louise in the UK. A box of trucks, cars, a big red fire truck and large yellow bus came for all to share from Ken Lake in California.   It was a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Greetings from Mama Arlene in Rwanda for April 2011 - Part Two

The Second Half of a Wonderful Month at Urukundo Village

The Vice Mayor of Family Development and Gender and her assistant paid a visit to Urukundo Village.  They met the kids and heard them sing.

She encouraged the kids to work hard in school and to have a goal in life. She visited the school project and toured the Village.  We were honored by her presence.