No More Candles

A near tragedy and our eyes were opened to how dangerous candles are.         

We have been using candles when the electricity goes out from the very beginning at Urukundo. The electricity goes out most every day for a time and that time is usually at the evening meal. Since it is dark by 6 pm and dinner is 6:30 pm, light is necessary for the kids to see to eat.  It was time for devotions so I walked up to the homes. The children were still in the dining room - the lights were out and candles were lit.  The first thing I saw was 6 year old Nelly holding a burning candle and trying to get it to stand up. This apparently is not unusual because no Mama paid attention. I went to Nelly and took the burning candle from her, and told her how dangerous it was. While I talked to Nelly, Becca, a four year old took a lit candle from the table without being observed since the lighting was very poor.

  

She went into the little girls' bedroom.  We heard a scream and thank God she had not closed the door. She had set a box of papers on fire. Flames were shooting up. Becca was screaming. The mamas handled the fire well before it got out of hand while I took care of a frightened Becca. The point is it never should have happened. If the blankets, curtains  or her clothes had caught fire it would have been a tragedy I could not live with.  

That night was a warning. There will be no more candles used in our compound. 

Our friends THE WILLIAMS FAMILY from Michigan some time ago started a solar light business in Kigali. They had given us some for free and some at a discount. We used them in our guest rooms and each night guard had one. The Boys' Home had one and there was one in the Girls' Home but they did not keep them charged. The nursery had one but did not know where it was. Why did I not think about the dining room?  Our eyes were opened and each table in the dining room will have two and every room in the kids house will have one, thanks to an appeal to HMR's board of directors. They really came through and the kids will no longer be in danger from burning candles.

Our need was for K-lights for the dining room. These are the solar lights available to us here in Kigali City.

They are also for sale in the US and work better than flashlights that need batteries.

Day to Day at Urukundo

Doing laundry - every day is laundry day!

Mixing sand and cement, for construction projects like the basket ball/volley ball court.

Loading the wheelbarrow.

Cutting firewood.

Chopping cow grass for the animals.

Sports News

The second half of the basketball court is completed and we once again have a court to play basketball and volley ball. We are grateful to the Carnagie Mellon team for starting this project.

Preparing the final stages of construction. Benjimin and his crew do a good job. Covering stones on basketball court preparing for cement.

First cement in place and beginning to dry.

Finished - a beautiful sight. Thanks for everyone who helped make this possible. Your gifts really do make a difference.

Sewing Center Update

We were thrilled to see the sewing center open and beginning operation. Five treadle sewing machines were purchased by donors in State College and at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. They were set up and being used when we arrived.

Aprons for the kitchen staff, uniforms for the farmers, dresses for the primary school dedication, skirts and shoulder bags. It was fully operational but needed the many supplies we were bringing. Two huge suitcases full.

Therese the sewing instructor and I are meeting for the first time. She was smiling as she received the many gifts of sewing supplies.

Women and men will come daily to sew as well as learn to sew. Orders are coming in, so many hands are needed.

Connections

ABC art created for the nursery that team and kids created.

Donated medical and burn supplies for the clinic

Pen pal letters

Loving the kids

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.

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.

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.

Walkway Stones

This stone in memory of Pastor Marge Glascow is very special. She was a dear friend and served in mission in Africa after the Genocide. I first met Pastor Marge when she returned from a mission trip to the refugee camps caring for Rwandan citizens in 1995. She was very influential in my desire to do something for the
children, survivors of the genocide. At that time Marge was pastor of Oval United Methodist Church, Oval, Pennsylvania. Oval UMC still supports this ministry. I know Marge supported that during her life. Marge retired because of ill health but continued supporting the Urukundo Home for Children through Hope Made Real ministry. I was touched when, through her family, she requested in lieu of flowers that donations be sent in her memory to Urukundo Home for Children, Hope Made Real.

I will miss my friend as will many others. She rests in the Lord.

And our second stone this month is in memory of Susan Cacko. This stone was placed by friends and family and is a tribute to education.