In case you have forgotten, Divine Uwonkunda has not given up her dream and her goal to be a pilot. I found this book in our Urukundo library, and it made me remember this girl and her ambition. If you want more information, please feel free to contact me. arlene@hopemadereal.org
Let's make it happen. Another Hope Made Real.
Photo dedicated to Divine and her dream.
With the government-required shutdown, life for kids at Urukundo is different.
December 2019: Ready to play basketball. Aline, David, Claude and Soso. Good friends.
December 2019: Our secondary kids were home. All from different schools. It was good to be together again and to play together. Looking forward to April 2020 and normal school recess.
Shirt is the only thing that stayed the same. David wears it here.
April 2020 is different. One big field, one alone boy. Where are my friends? So sad.
David’s shirt in December 2019 is on Claude in April 2020.
Couldn’t have planned it.
Basketball one-on-one can be fun, but only one is no fun.
What does a short guy do? Just ask Soso. He could pretend he is tall. Well, that does not work so well. Pretending does not make it so.
Claudine joins Claude. OK, two are better than one with a basketball.
Mother's love shines through.
Preschool is a test of strength for little girls. Contemplating the world.
Sports day requires special clothes. Special energy.
Smiles of our students. Even half smiles are precious.
OK, so not a student. Playdough is such fun.
Soso thinks so.
I share my favorite photo for March with you. What a joy to hold this precious baby!
Urukundo was a happy place on Christmas Day. Fourteen of our university kids made it home for Christmas Day. Nine of our younger set also were present.
Kavine, David, John, Deborah, Sarah and Esperance
Aline, Claude, Abais and Lucky
Bosco and Olivier
Lucy and Cecelia
Lilliane, Giselle and Dada
Soso and Alexander
Divine, Tresor, Soso and Prince
We are so blessed. A great way to end our year 2019!
In closing out the year, I am so grateful to all who have made possible changes that make a difference. I leave you with this thought for the New Year:
Count your blessings.
Count them one by one.
Count your many blessings.
See what God has done.
The story:
Edison’s mother works at Urukundo, and Edison has grown up and gone to school with Urukundo kids. It was not a surprise that Edison missed Jacob, his best friend through daycare and preschool at Urukundo Learning Center.
Jacob was moved to a foster family over a year ago. One Sunday morning, Edison asked his mother, “Where is Jacob? I need to see Jacob.” His mom called Olive, our child advocate, telling her that Edison said, “‘If I can't see Jacob, then I will ask NCC to find me a foster family so I can live with Jacob.’” The NCC is the National Commission for Children.
This was a bit funny to adults as Edison has a mom, dad, brother and a great home. It was not funny to Edison. He was serious.
Tresor who just came home from Arizona State University and was very close to Jacob when they both lived at our home. He also wanted to see Jacob, so a surprise trip was arranged.
Benita, who also lived at Urukundo Home, had a history with Jacob. When Benita was 3 years old and had to go visit her grandmother far away, she was told she would come back but had to see her grandmother. She agreed to travel by bus to see her grandmother near the Burundi border. When she stepped out of the bus and saw her grandmother, she looked at her traveling companion and said, “OK, now let's go home. Jacob needs me.”
The impact Jacob had with so many has been felt. So Tresor, Edison and Benita went to spend the afternoon with Jacob. They had a wonderful time together.
Next visit, our maintenance worker Benjamin, who was Jacob's idol, will go to see Jacob. When asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, Jacob’s answer was always the same. “I want to be Benjamin.” No greater love.
Jacob in green and Edison in blue
Benita, Jacob and Edison, who were best friends at Urukundo Home, meet again after being separated for over a year.
Kids are kids. Photos are fun.
Edison and Benita came home to tell me, “Jacob has a tooth problem and needs to come home to get it fixed.”
Tresor and Jacob
August is the month for paying a call on our kids living away from home. Olive and Oswald had that honor.
Janette is doing well and growing. Olive took her a new friend, yellow bear.
Jason had asked Olive for a toy car last visit, so she took two cars for him this time. He is a happy boy.
Olive and Jason
This special boy worried us a bit on our last visit. Last time, Claude was not looking so good. We arranged for transportation for him to and from school and for him to have a nourishing lunch at school. We can see an improvement. We can still make a difference.
This smile warms the soul.
Jacob is doing well in his new home and school. Banita and Edison miss him so much. Notice the missing front teeth. He is that age, you know.
He is a charmer and so full of love to share.
Our driver Oswald and Jacob at Jacob’s school.
Kenny is growing tall. His school is in the background. He is finishing primary and will take the National Exam this October. He said he will do well. He is a good student. Kenny is one of the twins. Kenilla is his twin sister. We will visit her next week in Kigali where she lives with her grandfather. So sorry the twins are separated.
Take a good look.
Down Memory Lane…some time later.
A visit to our university house in Kigali. It’s unusual to find nine of the 10 kids at home at the same time. Perfect photo op. Dada (Pacifique) was in class so is not in the group. Oliver doesn’t start university until September. He then will move to the university house also.
Back row: Divine, Esperance, Bosco, Alexander, Abais
Front row: Giselle, Deborah, Cecelia, Lilliane
Bringing you, our long-time friends, up to date as to where the original 25 Urukundo kids are now. This group became family in 2006. Where are they in 2019?
The 11 above are or will be living the the university house. Solange is in Texas, USA, working on her master’s degree. Tresor is in California, USA, serving an internship in computer development after graduating in May 2019 from Arizona State University. John Paul, returned from Seattle, Washington, USA, after achieving his physical education certificate and is working at Urukundo Learning Center as a sports coach. Amin and Seraphina, with certificates in culinary arts, are on the job in Urukundo’s kitchen. Diescor is a medical student in school in Butare. Lucy and Fabrice are living with family and attending university. Anita, Anette, Emmanuel, Florentine, Savronia and Big Claude are now independent.
This accounts of all 25 of the first generation of Urukundo’s kids.
I am a very proud mama.
Beliza, Esperance, Claude, Luki and Aline. The first two are high school juniors by USA standards while the others are high school freshmen.
