A New and Safer Play Area for our Kids - In Process

Thanks to RAISED HANDS FOR AFRICA   Our children are watching a play area being developing for them and are making good use of it already. The mound of dirt under the bars is such fun. You can roll down the hill without getting hurt. The mound of dirt will be gone soon. We will have to think about that.

A good place to play hand games.

Exercise is good. Acrobatics are better.

Wheelbarrow with Soso thinking it might be good for a ride!

Claude standing up on top bars.

Watch Soso progress - he starts the climb.

Soso tries a different approach.

Making connection.

Success. Soso swings.  This little guy is amazing.

Primary School - First Building

There will be three classrooms, an outside toilet, a water harvest tank & outside paint.  The extra classroom, rain harvest tank and outside paint were not included in the cost of the first building we constructed for the preschool. These costs were added after construction was finished. The cost will be more than the anticipated cost and that pledged by our friends in Canada. We need additional funds to have the school ready by January 2013. Three classrooms is the requirement of the District.

Plan for our school

Dream along with me and the 6 year olds at Cyakabiri Preschool.   The 6 year olds will graduate from Preschool at the end of the next term if the Primary 1 classroom is ready to receive them. I am not sure the classrooms will be ready as we need assistance to get the school classrooms constructed.  The road giving access to the land is finished and the land is leveled and waiting. 

Community Education

Women in Rwanda want to learn English!

Urukundo Foundation will sponsor them.

• Women gather for the first meeting to learn more about ESL classes just for them.
• This proect is co-sponsored by AKILAH INSITUTE FOR WOMEN.
• The project is for mother with small children who want to learn English but have no funds for classes or funds for babysitters.
• The class is free with babysitting available for the small children while the mothers are in class.
  
• The new playground at the nursery will be a real blessing for these small children and our kids. 'RAISED HANDS FOR AFRICA', a not for profit in North Carolina, is constructing this play area for our children and children in the community.  This may be the introduction to a day care center for working mothers.  This day care center has been in the vision from the beginning but the time has not been right. 
• We will need to hire day helpers to care for the children of the mamas in the ESL classes and keep them busy.
• There is no telling where God is leading us.

If you are looking for a project to support this is a very worthwhile. Your support would be a great gift to many!

New Stones on the Path

Path to Learning

The Path to Learning continues to grow. Four new stones were added in June with two more on order.

UMW Saint Paul's State College, Pa.

Chanel is Mama's great-granddaughter. This stone is to honor her graduation from High School and start of University.

In Loving Memory.

This stone was a gift from Anita and Hyong Kim, who believe that education is the path to the future.

The children are some of the students who will attend the primary school. 

Ingoboka

Mothers' Day 2012 

I have been around for a lot of Mothers' Days but this one will stand strong in my memory.

Sharing their love for the children of Urukundo and their needs, two wonderful people - Vincent from Rwanda and Carol from the US - expressed in love how hard it is for Urukundo Foundation to meet emergencies when the budget is tight. This discussion took place at Pine Street UMC in Williamsport, PA, USA. Hearts reached out to a Mama with 43 kids, a full heart and a need for emergency help for such unforeseen events. This was the beginning of a Mothers' Day gift called the INGOBOKA FUND.

Please add this word to your dictionary.

My computer dictionary does not tell me what Ingoboka means. It says it is not a word. For me it is the most beautiful word not in the dictionary. 

My heart dictionary tells me it means "peace of mind and strengthening of faith".  

My Kinyarwanda dictionary says INGOBOKA is a very important word. Its meaning is "help where needed."

Yes, that is a very good definition and it fits the purpose of the fund. 

Words cannot express my love and gratitude to those who recognize that unexpected needs arise in every family. When that family consists of 43 live-in kids within a wider local community, those needs are many. The Ingoboka fund is "God's love in action".

Thanks to all who have taken this fund as their service project.

Mama Arlene

Partners Needed

...to build this school. It is our goal to have 2 classrooms ready by January 2013. Our school year starts in January for Primary and Secondary students. For University the school year starts in September. 

The classrooms are needed to accept the first graduates of Cyakabiri Preschool. With your help this is possible. Education is so vital here in Rwanda and everywhere. It is the key to a brighter future for our world.  Consider becoming a partner on the pathway to learning and make another HOPE BECOME REAL.

This is an invitation to educators reading this newsletter.

If you want a new experience and want to make a difference in the lives of children it is possible. Please consider coming to Rwanda and working with our teachers at Urukundo Learning Center.

Whatever your expertise we can use you.

ANOTHER WAY TO PARTNER

For a gift of $100 or more a stone can be added to the path to learning. The proceeds go to further education in our village and the community. A gift in honor of, in memory of or just because you want to make a difference would be appreciated.  

Path to Learning adds 2 new stones

Valerie and her mom from Canada visited Urukundo Village for a short time in May and sister Charley is coming in June for a month of volunteer work. Mom Diane placed the stone to honor her two older daughters.

Thank you Diane.

A Way to Celebrate our Fifth Year, a Year Late

It has been a long time coming but THE PATH TO LEARNING is finally starting as a way to financially support the development of our schools in the URUKUNDO LEARNING CENTER.

When Urukundo announced its 5th year in service to the children in Rwanda in 2011 it was suggested we should build a path and call it a PATHWAY TO THE FUTURE. There really was no place to put such a path and we were not sure where the future would lead. It was a good idea but it was not the time for such an event as God's plan for education to be our priority was very new. The time has now come. Education is our priority. The name has changed to THE PATH TO LEARNING. 

With a gift of $100 or more a stone will be placed on the PATH TO LEARNING. The stone will have the donor's name or a chosen word or the name of someone you wish to honor.   Here is the plan as it is seen.  Any suggestions would be welcome.

As the path develops the stones will be secured with cement to hold them in place.  The first stone will say THE PATH, Another stone will say TO LEARNING 

Then READING, WRITING,  SCIENCE, MATH, LANGUAGE, GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, MEDICINE,  JUSTICE, COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY.

You can choose to sponsor one of these stones.  These marker stones will indicate what the path is about. The stones purchased with names on them will then make up the rest of the path. We will send you a picture of your stone when it placed on the path.

Pictures show the path as it has begun. It will be exciting to see it grow knowing the children in Rwanda are the beneficiaries of a life changing gift.

Your gifts will help us to build through education for the future.

 

The path is in front of the new building for classrooms leading to the original class room where it all started. Where will the future lead as Urukundo develops in education?

New stones added this week.  Stones ready for your name.

 

HELP BUILD A BETTER LIFE FOR RWANDA'S CHILDREN THROUGH EDUCATION

The April DENNY'S  event should be a big boost to our education program. Check your local DENNY'S and participate in it if possible.

ENJOY SPRING AND ALL ITS PROMISE OF NEW LIFE. 

Urukundo will also celebrate the joy of THE RISEN CHRIST. 

Starting in  April Rwanda  honors with sadness the loss of families during the genocide. 

Please keep Rwanda in prayer as all  travel through this rather difficult 100 days.

Need of the Month

If you have stayed with me to the end of this very long newsletter, here is the need for the preschool:

We have 3 classrooms and a Nursery and only one set of cardboard bricks. These are a favorite of the kids!

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!