Teacher enjoying the view.
Hello Friends and Family from the USA and Urukundo.
The month of May in the USA has been very cold but the spring flowers have been spectacular. I am freezing. I'm delighted to report I have been given a clean bill of health and am ready to return home to Urukundo and get back to work. The report from Urukundo is very positive. Our staff is doing a excellent job while I am away. This comment from Helen Kweskin and her team of students :
"Please know how truly grateful I feel for all the love, support, and logistical thoughtfulness that allowed us to have such a rich experience at such a very special place. "
Thank you Helen!
Next month will be back to business as usual since I'll be returning June 12 to my kids. In the meantime, thank you to Carol Falke and Sarah Ketchley for their participation in getting this newsletter to you.
The month of May we will share with you the projects involved in Education at Urukundo Learning Center.
Funding for constructing the second grade class rooms is still the priority project for the present. Looking for partners in education to make it a success. Building each set of classrooms, one at a time, is very difficult and more expensive. If it were possible to contract for the whole project it would be more economical. Until that financial support comes we will continue one year at a time. I know with God all things are possible.
Walking from the library at the end of a day, I peaked in David’s preschool class. One group of preschoolers were using the building set, Straws and Connectors, that I left in August. When I saw how they were using it, I understood I should have taken the time to go one step further by opening the box and showing them the potential for building.
You see they didn’t know the connectors were supposed to be pulled apart to allow them to build “BIG” things. They used the connectors as a platform.
Notice the fun they had when they realized all the possibilities they had. Even David, the teacher, was having fun!!
Big brother Claude and Jacob
Hello from Urukundo Village, Mama and The Urukundo Kids.
January started off with a bang. After Christmas our kids went to visit extended family and so New Year was a bit quiet, but there was celebration in the boys' house when the New Year came in. However 2013 arrived with no help from me. I and the little ones thanked the Lord for our blessings and went to bed about 8pm. The older kids and mamas ushered in the new year with juice, sumbosa, donuts and a movie on VHS. I think it was 'The Lion King'.
Welcoming the 45th child into our family on January 4 was an unexpected pleasure. He will need a sponsor. If you're interested, please get in touch arlene@hopemadereal.org
Waiting for the results of the National Exams and school assignments was a bit tense. How you preform in the exam determines where you can apply for further education. There was so much activity as we searched for Secondary Schools for 23 kids. Changing schools was not as traumatic as I had thought. It amazes me how these children adjust to what ever the circumstances and keep a positive attitude.
With all the secondary kids gone back to school our house hold is very different. The time had come to move our 4, 5,and 6 year olds from the nursery into the big kids' house. They think that is great. It is much like a graduation and the criteria for such a move is no Invura (rain) in the bed at night. The boys have a bigger problem with that than the girls. I seem to remember that from when my kids were little. Then, I was dealing with one at a time. Now I am dealing with 11. They really want the move so the incentive is there and they are doing well. All but two are moved and they will move soon. The nursery will then have
four babies, Jacob, Kavine Nelly, Diane, and Soso.
EXPRESSING A NEED
Children's one-a-day chewable vitamins with iron.
Too much water is bad not enough is worse. We now have experienced both. With a torrential downpour we discovered what too much rain can do. I have lived in the flood area in Williamsport and had my home damaged by raging creek water but this experience was more frightening. Crops were washed away, homes gone and we feared for the Solar Panel building and the source tank.
Again God was good. We had some damage with fences down and debris everywhere but our foundation was strong and the house stood firm. Repair took two days. Urukundo paid for the stone and cement but the
community provided all the labor. We are blessed to have such a good relationship with our community.
The pictures show the damage and the project after repair was made.
