Luki, David, Kenny & Claude.
Gathering in Mama’s room.
Prince
Moved to the porch. Better place for pictures. They are beautiful.
Kavine Molly joined the group. She does not go to school yet but loves to be included.
Haircut!
Jacob before his haircut.
And after his haircut!
Greetings from Urukundo Village - June 2014
May used to be the beginning of a dry period in Rwanda. Now it starts in June. Could this be “global warming"?
This has been a tough month for me starting with what I thought was a cold. It turned out to be an allergy complicated by all the symptoms related to the not so common cold. Never having had an allergy I had no idea you could get so sick.
I spent most of June in my room managing Urukundo from my desk and bed. I am a hands-on person so this was not easy but the Urukundo staff were great. Things ran smoothly much to my surprise and pleasure.
Photo Shoot
Rebecca
Claude
Johnny
Soso
Yves
Kaboss
Meet Tresor and Jacob - Great Pals
TRESOR our oldest YOUNG MAN & JACOB our 1 year old superman.
It is great to have a brother to point the way!
Sports at Urukundo
KARATE:
There are 20 kids in the Saturday morning Karate class. 9 are our kids, 11 are from the community and the group comprises both boys & girls. It is awesome to watch these kids and the master at work. It is work with dedication.
Our 5 first and 4 second graders love karate!
When the team is ready they will compete with other teams of their age.
Our master teaches as a volunteer.
We could not afford ready-made uniforms from stores in Kigali town so our Sewing Center took a pattern, bought material and made uniforms. They are great. Good work, sewing students! These uniforms are also available to the neighborhood parents. They can buy them for their kids at an affordable price.
I think the kids look great - comments from our readers are appreciated!
One of the neighborhood kids has a yellow belt. I'm not sure what that means in terms of advancement for children even though my son Ted is a black belt!
Volunteer Master & kids: Pete in a brown belt. He is very good with the kids.
Emotions of a Grateful Mama
What brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart? It is the simple things that make such a difference for our children. These gifts make my kids happy so I am happy.
Baby Jenny gets a doll.
She is a happy little girl!
Kavine likes a tea set for tea party play!
Little boys like Tonka trucks.
Little cars for little kids.
Fire truck made with Legos - what fun.
Girls like trucks and cars too.
Books and reading - children enjoying all the books that have been given to them.
Long Term Volunteer
Saying goodbye is painful. If you don’t believe it, ask Laura Rowland from Pittsburgh, PA USA.
Laura came in February to volunteer for three months at Urukundo.
Her work here has included assistant teacher at the Preschool/Kindergarten, helping out during playtime at Hope House and assisting at the start up of the Dental Initiative. There she was so appreciated. Her skills as a leader and teacher and her ability to relate to children were a blessing. The kids had trouble with the L and R in her name so she was called many different names while she was here. Never a problem - Rorla was the favorite I think.
The kids watch as Laura and the car drive away. Having them sit on the steps is the only way to make sure none are too close to the car and all are safe.
All of the kids would like to be in her suitcase. They will miss her so much. Her time with us was truly a blessing.
Gathering for pictures was a last fun time for Laura and the kids.
Greetings from Urukundo Village - March 2014
Hello everyone whereever you are.
Spring is just around the corner for many of you, but for us the weather is great. We are planting a second crop because the weather here is playing tricks - but in our favor. Imagine two growing seasons back to back with no dry season in the middle. Seems the climate is changing everywhere.
The children are fine. They have the ordinary scrapes, bumps and bruises. They run too fast, stop too quick and take headers, get up and run again.
Jacob is coming to Mama’s house on his own now. He is so little, but very independent.
He is not ready for soccer yet.
Looks like we have a new girl. (The dress code for children does not exist at Urukundo.). No, it is Jacob learning to run and keep his balance. Not easy on bricks and rough ground.
Visiting Mama's room.
Baby Jenett is now 4 months old and has discovered her hands. Watching a baby develop is awesome. She is not sure where they came from or if they are hers but she likes them. She has been using them to hold and grab for some time, but didn’t really see them till now.
I wonder as I watch this baby, how many things we take for granted but do not really see.
At my age I am still learning and many of the lessons come from children.
Jenett
Continuing the Gallery
Some of the older kids
Secondary school equals High school.
These were the little kids in 2006.
Abis, 16 years old, in Secondary 2.
Tresor has just finished Secondary School and qualifies to test for the MASTERCARD SCHOLARSHIP AWARD. He is applying for further education with BRIDGE 2 RWANDA to be better prepared to take the tests and then apply to a university in the US through the MASTERCARD SCHOLARSHIP program.
This young man can use some financial help to accomplish his goals.
Alexander, 17 years old, Secondary 6.
The oldest of our 3 Claudes, 18 years old, Secondary 1.
Divine, 17 years old, Secondary 6.
Olivier 16 years old, senior 2.
Liliane, 17 years old, Secondary 3.
Esperance. We have two young girls named Esperance. This is the older of the two.
19 years old, Secondary 6.
