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Mama
Mama and Baby Project
Mama and three little girls came to Mama & Baby Project for help. Thanks to so many of you, we can help. The big girls like their new clothes. Lookin’ good. Baby is 3 months. She also received clothing for her age and size. Mama’s front porch is the distribution center. Love it.
We are careful to remember the other children in a family and give them something also. Don’t want hard feelings when the baby gets gifts and others don’t. Learned that from being the mom of five.
This little one is a first child, and mama is so happy with a gift of clothes. The baby girl’s name is Belise.
This little premie is loved by her mummy and Urukundo. Her mother came back to say thank you. I share that thanks with all of you.
Wonderful Wedding
Weddings in Rwanda are fun -- especially if they are on our basketball court. Short walk to get there. Francois, who is one of Urukundo’s mamas in the boys’ house, invited our volunteers and mama to her daughter’s wedding. Tents were rented and erected, music played, ceremony took place and delicious food was served to the guests.
Sarah, myself and Anna dressed to the nines and attended the wedding.
The bride was beautiful. The groom handsome. 
The colorful decorations were breathtaking.
The day was fun.
June 2018 Newsletter
What an exciting month!
The Primary 6 students are our first graduating class from Urukundo Learning Center. The students, teachers and Urukundo managers had the very first field trip ever. But not the last. The field trip will be a yearly event.
Large busloads traveled to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.
The group visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre and paid respect and honor to those lost in the genocide.
After the visit to the Genocide Memorial, the children visited the Parliament building, which is the seat of governing body in Rwanda.
This was such an important day for Urukundo Primary 6 kids, teachers and managers. The students will graduate in November.
Too much rain
In case you missed my posting on Facebook:
A mountain fell into the small valley in Kibuye, located on the shores of Lake Kiva, about two hours from Urukundo. Lives were lost and homes destroyed. This is just one example what too much rain can do in Rwanda.
There is no controlling nature. Not enough rain is not good, and too much rain is a disaster.
April Newsletter
April marks a time of national mourning and remembrance of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi. It’s a stark reminder of the pain of the past, but it also throws into sharp relief what Rwanda is today – a beautiful, safe and peaceful country full of hard-working and enterprising people who are building their nation for the better.
Please pray for continued national unity, healing and reconciliation.
Never again
April is the month dedicated to remembering the genocide of 1994.
Pray for continued peace in Rwanda and wherever persecution, heartache and strife exist.
We come together in love to make it a HOPE MADE REAL.
January 2018 Newsletter
Here it is: another whole new year given to us as a gift. What new beginnings will we make in 2018 and how well will we work with projects from 2017 that were not finished?
Looking at our 2017 goals, many were accomplished. The building project for Preschool has been finished, giving us six Preschool classrooms.
Primary 1 through Primary 6 now have 12 classrooms. This was completed ahead of schedule.
A new guardhouse at the gate of the village is under construction. This will give our guard protection from the rain, and he still will be at the gate.
One school bus was purchased, and we were halfway toward the purchase of a second, larger bus. I couldnít get a photo of half a bus. Sorry. But here's the first one we bought.
Six new teachers were added to our school in December.
Bob and Amy Dove joined the Urukundo family and plan to be here for a year. They are improving our school with added training for our teachers.
For a yearís stay, it was decided they should have a house of their own. They are living in a house about a two-minute walk from Urukundo Village. Great to have this young couple with us.
Amy at work
Our community outreach focus is getting the ICDL computer center off the ground and running. This is Bob Dove's project. It is ready to roll.
Bob putting it all together.
Construction of the new computer lab and teaching center for the ICDL and the school is complete. They are in operation. More computers are needed. If you are upgrading your present computer and it is still good, think about contacting Carol Falke (falkes@verizon.net) and dispose of your old one for a good cause. It must be not junk.
In 2017, we welcomed Pastor Yves to Urukundo Worship Center as spiritual guide and counselor for the staff, children and community.
Yes, 2017 was an awesome year, thanks to all of you.
Umuganda
Prince, Kaboss and Rebekah collecting paper during Umuganda Day.
Umuganda is fun because Mama walks with the kids and points at the litter and then the kids pick it up! You got it - I do not bend real well any more so I point and they do the stooping. Anyway, they are built closer to the ground!
The Story Behind the Cast and Crutches
Not my best moment.
The fateful day was September 15.
I had sent my driver to get two of our kids from the Kigali library. Setting in my parked car in a hillside parking lot slight movement on my left side gave me the thought that the car next to mine was moving. It took a second to realize it was my car moving. I could not reach the brake and my reaction was to get out of the car before it went over the bank and turned over. Not good thinking but a gut reaction.
I opened the car door and managed to get out of the moving car. The open door pushed me to the ground. I lost my footing and was dragged. I was able to pull my body out from under the car but just before I would have been free my foot caught on a raised curb and I could not move. The left front tire pinned my right foot to the curb.
I twisted my body trying to get free. I think I resembled a pretzel.
It took 6 strong young men to push the car off of my foot and free me.
Funny I felt no pain until after the car was moved. Then it hurt a lot.
I am so blessed. It could have been much worse. It's October 24 and the cast is off. The foot looks good.
I am back in full service in time for the graduation. Praise God.
Soso made his own crutches to walk like Mama.
How very inventive!
Umuganda
The two Carols worked on the kitchen gardens that needed to be reinforced with new stakes and meshing. Felicitie gave us the final "good job" after a morning and afternoon of hard work.
News from Urukundo for November 2012
Greetings from Urukundo, the home that love built. What an exciting month. Some good days, and some not so good. Our kids all came home from boarding school. It was great to have all 44 of them home at one time. Worship was outstanding. They were here a short time and went on holiday with extended family. The time at Urukundo passed too quickly, but they will be home for Christmas. Even the primary kids are on holiday. With all who are away we still have 21 kids in the houses. It is never lonely here.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The Rwanda Commission for Children has taken some very positive steps to protect vulnerable children and is asking orphanages (institutions) and homes for children to assist in connecting children to their extended families.
The government is endeavoring to give responsibility to the Rwandan people for the children connected in any way to their families. In compliance with the new regulations set forth by the government to protect the rights of the children, Urukundo Foundation has enlisted the families to take part in the lives of the children. This includes Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Mothers or Dads with little or no income. I do not know how this will work but we know how important family ties are. Preserving the Rwandan family is one of our criteria at our home for children.
Urukundo is and will remain home to the children. They have been family for 6 years and have grown up here. These are kids from 7 to 19 years of age. The children will continue to have a choice as to where they will spend holidays, which they have always had. Not much will change, but in writing we conform to government regulations and keep our kids secure. Urukundo will, with the help of our sponsors, continue to cover tuition, school supplies, medical insurance, savings at Fina Bank for the kids, and food and lodging here at home. Their families will take care of them while they are with them. This also has not changed. Unless there are further changes by the government there will be no effect on the primary and Nursery kids or the older adolescents who have no extended families. God in Charge.