Hope Made Real: The book

Get to know Claudine. Have you met our sight-impaired member of the Urukundo family, Claudine?

This photo is from the book.

She’s now a teen. Her glasses are her favorite color.

When you purchase the book, you help Urukundo care for Claudine and other special children.
I can’t wait for travel to be safe again so I can travel and share the book with many of you.
In the meantime, maybe we could do a Zoom contact. Are you willing to try?

The full title of the book is “Hope Made Real: The Story of Mama Arlene and the Children of Urukundo.” My daughter, Rev. Dr. Patricia Brown, and I wrote it together.

The book is available in both paperback and Kindle versions on Amazon.

Paperback and ebook (AZW, EPub and PDF) versions also can be ordered directly from this bookshop where a larger amount goes to Urukundo..

The book also can be purchased from Barnes & Noble in paperback and NOOK formats.

The many faces of Sarah

Our Sarah has many activities. Building a wall. How awesome is that? She may become our first female civil engineer.

A younger Sarah playing the violin.

This little girl grew up to be the Sarah we know today. She is a beauty.

Sports-loving Sarah today.

Sarah’s story is on Page 126 in my book, “Hope Made Real: The Story of Mama Arlene and the Children of Urukundo.” This is a talented young girl with a lot of ambition. Sarah returned to her foster family in early September. The special music classes are finished until school starts again. We miss her. She will return to Urukundo when the Urukundo Learning Center opens for the next term. Sarah is in Primary 6.

Want to know more about Sarah? Hey, read the book!

Life without school

Here’s an update on what is going on in the life of Claude, our 13-year-old secondary (junior high) school student.

With opening schools still on hold and the music program finished until school opens, Claude wanted something to keep him busy. He has always liked the farm and the animals there. Yep, he is becoming a farmer.

Theresa, manager of the Sewing Center, made him a coverall to protect his regular clothes. Urukundo bought him a pair of boots, and he was ready to work.

Feeding and watering chickens takes up a lot of his day.

Claude said he does not like the pigs, and the cows are very big. I understand that. These broilers will be ready for market soon.

The cowboy is in the teaching mode, and Claude is the student. Being friends with the cowboy is very important. Cows are honored in Rwanda and being a cowboy is also an honored position.

The farm got a great helper, and Claude has a learning experience to his credit.

Precious faces

Featuring baby Edith at daycare.

Big brother Jerry, little sister Edith.

Sarah is such a helper in the daycare!

Walk down Memory Lane with me

David 2009

David 2020

Johnny 2009

Johnny 2020

Sarah 2010

Sarah 2020

Claudine 2011

Claudine 2020

Lest we forget, I find the old saying true. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Miss my kids.

Mama

Baby faces

My favorite thing.

Josiane

Thinking I needed something to brighten my day, one of my staff brought me a photo of his baby girl being happy. She is sure a cutie.

Here are some more Urukundo family babies.

Bright

Anna

Edith

Urukundo babies are beautiful and mostly happy. Love them all.

Pleasant surprise

Now that gatherings of up to 10 people are permitted, Ismeal, our dental assistant, came to show off his beautiful daughter, Audrey. This was also the first time I met his wife, Ange. She is a lovely young lady. Great for me to have visitors again.

Divine’s dream

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.

Kids play

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.

Precious Faces

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!

A Family Christmas

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.

Reunion for best friends

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

Love those kids

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.