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.

Play Area Cleared and Leveled

Next step is swings for small and big kids. Benjimin is constructing them as I write. We will use metal pipe, chains and wood. I can't wait to see what develops - it is always rather interesting to see what can be achieved with materials on hand and available.

The little kids do miss the dirt heap under the parallel bars. Guess we need a short one for them.

Leveled and ready.

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!

Development in Progress

Site of the future Primary School.

The land for the primary school is being leveled and a local contractor is willing to go ahead with the building having faith that Urukundo will receive the funds needed for the project and will pay him. I am awed by his faith. 

There will be three class rooms in this first building project.  They will extend the length of the bamboo fence in the picture. This building will be similar to the Preschool building but with an additional classroom. 

Help is certainly needed to build this school. 

From this area the volcano is visible on a clear day. The view is breath-taking.

Please pray with us for the success of this project.

Mama

What is there to do at Urukundo Village?

Ask the 7 Students and 2 leaders from SMU in Texas, USA. They came for a day and worked hard.

Michael Dearman, Corbin Swagerty and Sargent Jimmy Winn,  the co-leader, worked at clearing the land in preparation for building the hoped-for primary school. This was the first work signaling the beginning of Project PRIMARY SCHOOL.

Oscar our administrator supervised.

The girls removed bricks from an old wall and we will reuse them to construct the chicken house.

Their leader Pat Davis and Haleigh Wagner work in the library. Indeed there are many jobs to do. Spending time with the children is an added bonus.

Thank you for coming and sharing SMU, Texas.

One child, one laptop. Corbin's research project in action.

It turned out Corbin's research project for school was the project ONE CHILD, ONE LAPTOP. He was delighted to see the actual laptops being used.

Ketetha Olengue (with baby Diane on her back) and the girls spent time with the babies and toddlers. The  girls helped with baths, and helped serve breakfast and lunch. The most fun was singing with Corbin on the guitar, sharing story and game time. Our kids loved every minute.

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.

Project in Progress for May

Biogas

Wood has become a problem in Rwanda. It is scarce and expensive. We cook with wood because that is what is available.

Now that we have the farm Biogas has become an option. Biogas is a product of manure. With goats, pigs, cows and chickens we now have manure enough to install a biogas tank and  also make our kitchen a safer place for those who prepare our meals. Wood smoke may smell good outdoors but the smoke is not so good in a confined area. 

Getting ready to run the pipeline to the kitchen and the farm.  I am told we will have gas for cooking and some way this project will supply electricity to the kitchen and farm. I don't understand how this is possible and so I leave it to the experts. To be able to supply our own gas for cooking and a constant source of electricity is our hope.  Saving the environment, our resources and producing our own baby chicks is a plus.  Imagine the benefits.

Project for April

The on-going project for Urukundo Farm to be a major producer of broilers and eggs is getting close to being accomplished.  We just need more space and the building project will give us this. The building project in the pictures below shows the progress made so far. We have a market for the broilers with MR CHIPS RESTAURANT in Kigali City. He would like for us to deliver at least 200 broilers a month. Now, that is reaching but with God all things are possible. 

Broilers

Construction in progress.