Kitchen challenge

A new challenge is improving the kitchen and the fuel we use. It is necessary to stop cutting down trees that are so needed to preserve our land from erosion caused by heavy rain and mudslides. The trees from the forests are used for firewood for cooking and to produce charcoal. Cutting down trees hurts the environment. The solution is propane gas, which is now available for cooking in the Muhanga area. Urukundo meets the requirement to switch to propane because we feed so many children and staff.

What our tank will look like.

This is one size. Needed are different size cookers for different size cooking pans. Cooker is the term used in Rwanda for what I would call a gas burner. Their term does seem more accurate.

Just a few pans of different sizes.

The above photos will give you an idea of the equipment needed to improve our kitchen.

This will require building a new, improved kitchen. We hope to accomplish this switchover before it is mandated and costs go sky-high because, at that time, the demand for materials will increase. The estimate we will receive will include the large outside tank, all necessary hookup equipment, cookers and pans of the sizes needed for the cookers.

Our kitchen does not meet the requirements for the transfer from wood to propane. We will demolish the kitchen and start from scratch. We have used the present kitchen since 2006, and wood smoke and inferior building materials have taken their toll. The walls are black from smoke, no exhaust system and poor ventilation. It is long past time for a change.

Wood smoke and not enough ventilation have been ongoing problems. It is not healthy for our kitchen staff. This has to be the new priority.

The platform is the location of the sink where we wash huge pots, pans and cooking utensils.

The cooking area is in bad shape. Our cooks and kitchen help continue to serve great meals. I, for one, could not work in such conditions. How about you? Want to trade kitchens?

Below is a floor plan for the proposed new kitchen. When the construction is completed, it will be a “Hope Made Real.” A significant improvement in the process. Can’t wait for the new and improved kitchen with propane gas, more and better work areas, and ventilation.
The image below shares with you the vision of our new kitchen and connecting dining room. The dining room will connect directly to the kitchen, avoiding carrying food outdoors, rain or shine. There will be proper ventilation and an exhaust system in both places — a huge but necessary project — and no more wood burning. Propane and biogas will be the fuels for cooking, creating a more efficient and healthier environment. The result will be better working conditions for our kitchen staff and safer transport of food.

This is a small beginning for the dining room, but it is a start.
Donations appreciated.

New classrooms ready

The last two classrooms have been completed, and we have space for the distancing required for our students, thanks to the generous support from donors.

Notice the new construction is handicap accessible. It is less expensive if the paving is done when building takes place.

Look, Mom. No steps.

Coronavirus and safety rules

We are working hard to meet government regulations preparing for school reopening in September. Most important is the station for washing hands.

This wash station is recommended by the Ministry of Health of Rwanda. The tank holds one jerrycan (20 liters) of water and is worked by a foot pedal.

The approximate cost is $30 each. We need 15 because one wash station is required for every two classrooms, one for each of the two gates and one for the lunchroom.

Along with the wash stations, each child and teacher must have two face masks, one for morning and one for the afternoon. We are recommending four each as two would need to be washed or sanitized while the other two are with the child at school.

This is going to be an interesting new school year. We are doing our best as I believe our government is making these requirements for the health and welfare of our children and teachers.

We are now in the process of meeting the government regulations for distancing between students. Four additional classrooms are needed to provide enough space.

In May, we completed two of the needed classrooms. Two more are needed to be able to reopen our school in September. These two are ready.

Another two are in process.

Hoping to be financially able to complete these next two in the next month. To complete the construction, we need glass for windows, outside cement and grass to hold the soil.

Cement for floors and inside wall paint.

We needed to install fencing to protect the children from falling over the very steep bank in front of the upper-level classroom.

Our students’ safety is a special concern at Urukundo Learning Center. Leveling to build creates high and dangerous drop-offs.

A protection fence is the safety step needed. The fence in process.

Protection fence completed. No child will accidentally fall from the school yard to the ground below.

The next step is making the classroom levels handicap accessible. This is an ongoing project required by the government. We are doing our best to comply. As you can see, building on a mountain, there are many steps. Steps are not easy for those unable to walk. I had a sample of that when I broke my foot and ankle a few years ago. Walking in a cast to visit the school was not possible. I will share the progress being made in the August newsletter.

Necessary maintenance

It is always good to be building new structures, but, like any home, there are times it becomes necessary to do repair work. Urukundo is no exception.

Protecting our neighbor and securing the land at the preschool became a big deal. With the heavy rains in the last months, we saw the bank with no retaining wall begin to collapse. Knowing the real danger of the bank collapsing in front of the preschool and doing great damage to our neighbors’ house, we decided maintenance was necessary. Steps to alleviate the problem took place. Retaining walls are so necessary in Rwanda.

Inspection tour or just a nosy old woman wanting to know what is going on. The work went well. The walk (exercise) is good for me.

It was not only necessary to build a new retaining wall, but the deterioration of the bank caused a brick wall to crack and no longer be safe. Repair was not possible. The wall had to be replaced, and a new gate was installed to replace a damaged one. In a short time, the wall would have been gone. A photo for you to see.

A view of where the wall and old gate have been removed.

New gate in place.

Replaced stronger and reinforced inside the wall and sliding gate. Looking good and protecting our school property, our kids and our neighbors. The shutdown was a good time to do this work at the school.

View of the finished wall at the entrance to the Urukundo Learning Center. It really is an improvement.

New gate and new sign. We are proud of our school and want all passersby to know we are here.

More classrooms

In an earlier newsletter, I shared the need for bricks to build two classrooms. The response was awesome. Thank you to all who helped to purchase bricks. Funds came in to buy not only the needed bricks but also to complete building the two classrooms.

Work began at once. Although the classrooms were not expected to be finished soon, the donations for building the classrooms were more than enough for bricks, and we went ahead and finished the two classrooms. Never dreaming the coronavirus would happen and funding would be a bit scarce.The mandated shutdown took place March 21, but the sector allowed Urukundo to finish building using only two workers from the community on the site at a time. Keeping social distancing.

It took until the end of April to finish the project.

Two new classrooms finished and ready for the start of school. The computer lab now will have a home base. The second room is to reduce the number of children per classroom. We try to keep the number in a classroom to no more than 30 children.

Thank you all for the gifts that made this possible.

Construction

How do you move a pile of rocks in a construction project at Urukundo?

These women have it under control.

Not an easy job.
After building a wall, what do we use these smaller chipped rocks for?

We use them as a base for the floor in the new classrooms. Nothing is wasted, not even chips of stones.

Retaining wall for expanding auditorium

The necessary clearing and leveling for the hoped-for auditorium are complete. Hope House will be used as a base for the auditorium.

A retaining wall was next in the process.The most important reason for the wall is it stops the heavy rains from washing away the ground on the soft bank. Otherwise, that’s what happens when you level land for a building or play area and do not sustain it.

Before the wall was constructed, I sat in worship on a Sunday morning and saw three of our cows come to the top of this loose bank looking at the grass below. The mama cows wanted the grass. It looked so good. With little thought other than hunger, they decided to jump. All three jumped, pulling the loose, freshly dug bank down with their bodies. I feared for the cows and for the work that had been undone. That part of the bank would have to be repaired. We were lucky the ground was still soft and could give. As I watched, I knew the cows could break a leg when the ground became solid. We could not risk such a thing as cows are important in Rwanda and their products are important to Urukundo. Dead cows do not give milk.

Thanks to a gift of funds, the wall is protecting the land from mudslides and problems due to heavy rains. This also created another problem. Cows and kids could still jump or fall over the wall as it is cut into the mountain and is terraced at ground level.

Solution: You got it. Sturdy mesh wire reaching from the ground to the top of the frame protects the kids and cows. It also keeps the soccer balls from rolling down over the wall. Much safer for children at play.

Love knowing our Urukundo Learning Center kids are safe at play.

Moving into the future

On a wing and a prayer. Mostly prayer.

The classroom so needed is now a priority. We started building, having faith that funding will come.

Materials needed to complete a classroom are numerous. We will need many bricks, electrical wiring, windows, doors, floor tiles, inside walls, blackboard, cement (many bags), scaffolding and metal roofing like the blue roof below in the photo. (The roof in the photo is for the Primary 6 classrooms.) Well, just everything needed to build a classroom in Rwanda.

Foundation in place for two classrooms. We will complete one.

One load of bricks ready for building.

A special gift was received for one load of bricks. One large load of bricks costs US$150.
Thank you, donor. We can build only as funding comes. We hope to finish at least the classroom for use in 2020. The second one is needed by January 2021. Cost per classroom is US$25,000, including labor. Will you help us make it happen? Every donation, gift or grant is appreciated.

What one load of bricks can do in two days.

Love the view from the school. Our community hills are beautiful.

Auditorium expansion

Urukundo Learning Center needs an auditorium where all students can gather for assemblies and special events. Building an auditorium will be an expensive proposition and will take a long time, but slowly by slowly we will succeed. We do need a building with a larger capacity. Staying with the concept of using what we have and improving it makes Hope House our best option.

When we constructed Hope House in 2009, it was a big building. At the time, it really was and met our needs. I had not visualized the growth that would take place at Urukundo in 10 years.

Renting larger facilities for parent/teacher meetings and other school activities proved costly. Turning away income-producing community meetings, celebrations and weddings because the building did not have enough capacity was an indication it would be beneficial to provide a larger building.

The need for an auditorium became even more apparent in 2019 when the number of community children participating in the Christmas celebration filled a second building.

Looking at possibilities of expansion at a reasonable cost, expanding Hope House seems the most doable. The unused land is there. We are doing the clearing and leveling work. We are looking to the future with hope.

It is possible to add an addition not only at the front but also at the end of the building. Both areas are in the process of being prepared for possible construction. The Urukundo National Board of Directors has asked for three bids from local contractors. Growth is inevitable. Sustainability is the ultimate goal. Funding would be helpful and appreciated.