Urukundo Village

The Progress on The Girl's Home

Check out the picture of the girl's home under construction last month.



Now check it out in this picture taken on June 25th.

The Girl\'s Home on June 25th, 2008

The progress in less than four weeks is great.  The girls are watching the work very closely. This is their home and they are excited. I really want for all of us to be in one place and so I am praying that we will be able to raise the funds to complete this house by November.

Thank you again to everyone who is helping to make this great work possible.

Cooking Food, the Price of Gas, and our New, More-Efficient Cooker

I'm sure everyone is well aware that the price of fuel has been going up.  It's been straining us here too.

Charcoal has become very expensive here because of the ban by the government on cutting trees.  This is, however, our least expensive way to cook.  Electricity is currently not possible for us and gas is expensive and can only be purchased in Kigali.  So we spend $20 to retrieve it and for $86 purchase a small tank that lasts less than a month.  There is no truck to deliver gas like in the US.

Looking for a solution, we discovered a new, much more efficient design for a cooker.  We had it build in a single day.  It is made of cement but has three cooking holes and uses a third of the charcoal and can burn scrap wood.  We have lots of that from old scaffolding.  It's a step in the right direction and makes sure we all have properly cooked meals.

Our new cooker

It may be reaching a bit, but it reminds me of the old Iron cook stove in my Gram's house when I was a kid.  Any way you look at it though, we're please to be doing more with less, making better use of the materials and gifts available to us.

Settling Into the Boy's Home, Laying the Foundation for the Girl's Home, and Much More

There is much to report for the month of May on Urukundo Village. For those new to Hope Made Real, Urukundo Village is our new home that we are currently trying to build on land that we actually own so that our work and these children have a place they can truly call home.

Our Great Progress


We have purchased 2.4 acres of land and it is ours, completely complying with all Rwandan government regulations, bought and paid for.  We are so happy to have land to call our own, to grow our good works, and to give these children a true sense of the word "Home".



The boys moved into their new home on April 23rd, 2008 on what was a joyous day and a small house for the caregiver in charge is also completed. It will initially be where I live and then for whoever follows me.



We have also bought a small house close to the boy's home and are renovating it to use it as a charcoal kitchen.



We have built roads to the existing buildings for easy access. Electricity and water have not been easy to get connected to both houses.

The Girl's Home in the Early Stages




In this photo you can see the foundation is nearly completed for the girls home. We need your help to complete this project both financially and with your thoughts and prayers. Living in two different areas is not good for us and hopefully we will be rejoined once the Girl's home is completed.

Our Play Area


Lastly, we have completed the play area to keep our kids safe. This consists of a basketball, volleyball and tennis court combination and a Karate practice area. It is good to see our children doing the thing children should do: just enjoy being kids.


Your Help and Support Make It Possible


Thank you again for your contributions and support. Please help bring our children together in one place enabling us to better care for them. God has been good to us. Things are changing here and making the right decisions is so important. Please pray for wisdom for yours truly as we proceed.

A Memorial Center to Honor Those Who Have Shared Their Love

There is a lovely garden where a Chapel will be established. In that garden currently stands our Memorial Center in the form of this simple tiki hut. It is to remember those who have supported Urukundo Home for Children in Hope Made Real Village.



Ada Esther Griffith, deceased
Herbert Beaver, deceased
Mary Richardson’s Mother, deceased
Elma Arlene (Musser) Gsellman, In her honor.

Your memory and contribution to our world will always be with us.

Our First House Is Built!

Our first house is beautiful. The boys moved in on April 23rd. Our goal was April 30 and we made it. Praise God. The plumbing and electricity are not in yet but we know how to live without them, so it's not a problem.

What joy to be able to play basket ball until dark and not have a long walk home, to have a room where you can move and play. The move also required the boys to adjust to a new school.
This has been quite a month for the them.