Help Make Joy : Guest Post by Carol Falke, State College, PA

Sunday School children, book clubs, alternative Christmas, preschool global giving projects. What do they have in common? Marc, 11yrs old, says it best, "I got to help make joy for the people of Rwanda. We gave money for a pig and desks. It was really cool."
The end of 2012 brought many joys and examples of giving that I knew God was smiling and blessing all the hands and feet serving. One little boy gave at Sunday School to purchase a pig for the farm and said it was “Special. Heart soaking.” Barb said with a smile, “For the past several years, I've given a donation as an alternative to purchasing a Christmas gift for my parents. This year I chose to honor them by giving a gift of desks and chairs to the new primary school. My parents were so touched! They have always valued education, and this seemed like the perfect way to show our love for and support of the children of Rwanda.”

Two women’s book clubs were inspired to give towards desks, bookshelves and books. Gail shared, “Learning and loving to read is one of the most wonderful gifts given to us all. It opens the world around us. We chose having bookshelves for your classroom to enable you to fill the world around you with books, books and more books!” And Darlene’s book club said, “All children deserve the chance to receive an education. It is the building block for a nation.”

A partnership was formed a year ago with a preschool. Classes at each school in Rwanda and the US are learning what is the same and what is different. They are learning about each other’s countries and to appreciate their culture. This school selected Urukundo as their Global Giving Project for 2012. Almost $400 was raised for desks, bookshelves and teacher materials.

So for 2013, be creative, think BIG and connect people, schools, organizations to the Urukundo Children’s Home and Learning Center. They will fall in love with the children, understand how something small can mean something big in Rwanda and KNOW they are truly making a difference. Share the stories of Urukundo with others to give them the opportunity to Help Make Joy all year long!!!

Development at the School

Clearing and leveling has started for construction of the next two classrooms. We are working to make this Hope Real by January 2014.

These classrooms will be for Primary 2 (second Grade) It is our hope to add two classrooms each year as our children move on until our goal of a complete school system is reached. 

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED.

Water

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.

Community Outreach

Our outreach to the children in the community continues to be a success because so many of you care. Our goal was reached.  Thank you for supporting this part of the mission. The photos are just a few of the children from the local community, Binunga Village, that Urukundo through your gifts are supplying basic needs for primary school.

Primary School Update

Today was a red letter day. The furniture for the PRIMARY SCHOOL was delivered.

50 desks 50 chairs, 2 teacher's desks with drawers, 2 adult chairs, 2 assistant teachers tables, 2 assistants chairs, 2 book cases and 2 cabinets with locks. Our boys helped unload the truck. Every child will have a desk and chair. This is a blessing.

Project Primary School Construction News

Going to the building site Dec 28, 2012 I was surprised by an inspection team from the Muhanga District.
Vice Mayor Fortune and Exec Secretary Rodger from the sector were part of that team. Our report was a good one. School will open January 7 and an official opening will take place in March.  Dec 31 we start moving into the class rooms.  This is an exciting time specially for Luki, Emmanuel, Nelly  and Claude as they will help with the move to prepare their new class room for other students.  The January Newsletter will have news coverage of the school start up. Don't miss it!

Progress on the Primary School

The floors are finished. Blackboards are in place. Furniture ordered and more than half paid for. Another $300 is needed and Tom Nunnally's offer to match funds is still out there.

The outside is being dressed up. Trees have been planted to hold the soil, the cement frontage is in place and gutters are there for ground drainage. We still need the rain water harvest tank and foundation to set it on plus toilets. The school needed an access from the Preschool down to the Primary School. The path had to go through two of our neighbors yards. We are blessed wiiith good neighbors who care and both have given us the right of way with no compensation expected. We are blessed to have such good caring neighbors. Building the path will include taking out a wall, building steps and providing security. Benjimin the builder and Abis, one of our boys, started work on this project today.

about 4 feet of this stone wall will be removed.

Education Support for the Poor and Needy Children of the Community

Just a reminder.  But an important one!

329 children attend school because you care. This project is ongoing and each year you respond. Thank you.

For those who are new, a $15 gift supplies a uniform, back pack, shoes, excercise books, pencils and jacket for a child in need of education but without any financial means to pay for it.

Thank you for your support.

Update on Projects

The chicken house project is complete and 300 chicks are now living there.
The Biogas project is complete and we are cooking with gas. Awesome!
The plaground project is near completion thanks to "Raised Hands for Africa" in North Carolina.
The Primary school is in process and I hope to send pictures in the November newsletter.

Urukundo Kids News

After an unusually long holiday our secondary (High School) kids returned to their respective schools. Some of the primary children came to see them off on the minibus. We now have kids in 5 different secondary schools. It was much easier when they all went to King David Academy. In the Rwandan school system, after the first 3 years in secondary school the children choose a goal for the future and move to a school that provides the education needed to be successful in their chosen field. It really is a good system giving the kids a head start for the future.

They will come home in early November and the 2013 school year begins  about January 10.

We finally have a playground thanks to RAISED HANDS FOR AFRICA  (check out their website). This mission-minded group hail from North Carolina.

Of course the big kids like the little swings. The twist and turn and unwind. That just makes me dizzy.

Big kids' swings.

The playground is such a joy to the kids.

Parallel bars, basketball court, swings for big kids in background. The sandbox is such a hit. It's located just above the nursery.

Mission Outreach - Education for Women

We had no idea when we decided to offer English classes for women who had small children in our preschool and wanted to learn English along with their children that the response would be so great.

The class was for mothers but grew to include all community women who wanted to learn English as a second language and to read and write.

120 women responded.

Monday through Friday at 2 pm you will find more than 90 women in class at Hope House, our multi-purpose building.

The teacher Maggie is doing a great job and for the first time these women who do not live close together but are in the same community are getting to know each other. They talk, share concerns and work together to solve them.

Maggie, the ESL teacher.

More Outreach

Adopting a rural school has turned out to be a great experience for Urukundo Learning Center.

To begin the last term of the 2012 school year Urukundo presented chalkboard and chalk, exercise books, paper, pencils, crayons, coloring books and some clothes to the students and families of our adopted school.

I am in awe.  With all their needs they wanted to show their gratitude and presented Urukundo Learning Center with a rabbit.  Such a wonderful gift.

Legal representative Alain, Jean Marie from Urukundo and Marieta, head teacher at Cyakabiri Nursery School.

It is a compliment to Cyakabiri Preschool to be in partnership with a sister school where the help is so needed and we share a purpose worth so much.  Our community outreach continues.