We now have two sturdy cribs for the babies and hope to get two more. We drew a picture for a local craftsman and he made them for us. The side lifts up and off so we will be able to use them for a long time.
Our Present Library
We are very pleased that we have a library but it sure is not big enough for all the kids.
Aline and study bench in library.
Laki on table, Aline and Natete. Books are valued. The kids are learning to read in English. The babies learn so very fast.
The future home of the new worship Center and second floor Library.
Introducing to Rwanda a Protected Burner Barrel
This project has three compartments. 1 for cans and bottles, 1 for Compost and 1 for burning paper. It’s a step in the right direction. NGO (non government Organization) Food for Hungry came to check this one out.
The Mountain
It is still part of the vision to build schools that will aid the poor in the neighborhood and our own children. We have the land for the Day Care Center and Kindergarten. The land for the Primary school is on the mountain. That land is needed to complete the vision. It does not belong to Urukundo Village.
The talk at the present time is that a big hotel will be built on the top of my mountain. This makes no sense to me as our Urukundo Village sets between the main road and the site designated for the hotel. “God in Charge”
I can not visualize a hotel on this land.
Preparing for the future we, with the help of a team from Bloomsburg, have constructed a fence to separate the Soccer field from the road that will be used to build that hotel.
The road is a public road so we can not block it as we did the road next to the boy’s home. The openings in the wall will have metal but for now it looks ok and is protection. There will be a gate leading into the village. One day it will have a sign that says “Urukundo Village.”
The talk at the present time is that a big hotel will be built on the top of my mountain. This makes no sense to me as our Urukundo Village sets between the main road and the site designated for the hotel. “God in Charge”
I can not visualize a hotel on this land.
Preparing for the future we, with the help of a team from Bloomsburg, have constructed a fence to separate the Soccer field from the road that will be used to build that hotel.
The road is a public road so we can not block it as we did the road next to the boy’s home. The openings in the wall will have metal but for now it looks ok and is protection. There will be a gate leading into the village. One day it will have a sign that says “Urukundo Village.”
A New Tradition of Trees
It started with Betty Brown from Bloomsburg who asked could she plant a tree. Then my grandson Tim also planted a tree. Because we need the trees and want to have a growing testimony of volunteers who have honored us by coming and working in the village, a tree is planted in their name.
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A New Sport: "Baseball"
Our kids were again introduced to baseball. Tim Brown first introduced baseball when he brought gloves and a ball last year and now Tracy and Mike have introduced T-ball. The kids loved it but unfortunately we have no equipment. They were on the way to set up a sport center and had to take the equipment along because it was promised. I am sure this is not the end for baseball but Tracy, Mike, our boys couch, Debora, Kofi and baseball.
Just the beginning.
Aline takes a swing. Not bad for a first try.
Just the beginning.
Aline takes a swing. Not bad for a first try.
Meet Meredith, Our Peace Corps Volunteer
MeredithMeredith comes to Rwanda from Seattle, Washington.
She is one of the first volunteers to return to Rwanda with the Peace Corps after an absence of 15 years. We welcome Peace Corps back to Rwanda and are pleased that Meredith choose Urukundo Home for Children as her second project. Meredith is posted in our sector and has become a member of the Urukundo family.
The Wall is Finished
The safety wall is now finished. It is now safe for Laki and the kids to play in safety. Thank you for helping make this real.
Signs of Our Times
When you come to visit look for the sign. We are now official and the sign points the way from the main road.
A Soccer Team Update
The team is standing at 12 wins and 2 losses. Not bad.
Team and coaches. One key player, John Paul, was not present.
Team and coaches. One key player, John Paul, was not present.
Hope Made Real Vs. the Flu
Wonderful news for everyone: David has recovered from the pneumonia and bronchitis and is full of energy again.
The flu has made its presence known. All the children have been ill this month except for Luki, and he has had the sniffles, so that really does not count I suppose. Our staff has also been down because of illness. We had a bad scare when one of our staff tested positive for Malaria and Typhoid. The test proved to be defective and we breathed a sigh of relief and thanked God.
A Look at What We Accomplished in 2008
An amazing amount was accomplished in 2008.
With your help, Urukundo has acquired the necessary land to construct a home for the boys, a home for the girls, a larger and better kitchen, bought some equipment for our small clinic, purchased 500 layers for egg production, built a house to raise chickens for income, cleared land for a soccer field, and built a very nice guesthouse for teams and individuals who want to come and work with us.
We started on the path to being more self-sustainable by building the chicken farm for eggs. It is not yet paying for itself, but it will soon. We now have a guaranteed market that will buy all our eggs and broilers when we have them. La Galette Bakery and German Butchery is doing this to help our kids. This is a real plus. We have completed a house for broilers to produce more income. We have also acquired a milk cow and two calves. The land we purchased is being farmed to supplement our food needs.
We also made sure the roofs of our children's homes capture the rainwater for our day to day use.