Visitors

Yes we do get visitors from Rwanda. These are transplants like me from the US.

Dad Lance, Mom Jen, Grace, Adam and Miles came to help with acoustics in our school rooms. The panels are colorful and muffle the sound somewhat. We love the improvement. Pictures later if I remember!

We are hoping for a closer relationship with this family in the future.

Project: Basketball Court Renewal

This team of 16 students, a team leader and advisor visited Urukundo In March. Their goal was to refinish the basketball court. It was in need of redoing. The basketball court is used hard by the Urukundo Learning Center, the Community and our Urukundo Kids for exercise, basketball,  volleyball and other play activities. It is an asset to our Village.

Our guys started the demolition in preparation for the team's visit.

Although the project was not completed the team worked very hard. Time was not enough to complete everything. Added financing is needed for cement to finish the work.

While they were here they visited Akagere National game Park, The Genocide Memorial and The Campus of Carnagie Mellon - Rwanda. It was our pleasure to have these wonderful young people even though the time was short.

The team worked hard and did a very good job.

About 2/3 of the playing field is finished. We need to get it finished ASAP. It is not useable as it stands now.

We thank CMU for the wonderful gift of work on the field and the time they spent with our children.

Visitors

After two months Kirsten had become a welcome fixture at the nurses office in Urukundo Village. Her leaving was as hard on her as it was the kids and mama.

Visitors for October

Dr Kathy Kelley and Mary Jackson from Reston VA, USA.
Otto Fischer and a team of 9 from Austria paid a short visit.
Tom McGreagor and the Hutchinson family from UK spent a few hours visiting the kids and getting the grand tour.

Communication with the Kids

It is awesome how much jow a simple birthday card can bring. This beautiful card came to Claude from his support person in the US.  He is one happy little boy.

The kids show our visitor Clare and her niece Jessica from England how to build with Legos. The Legos remain the favorite play time activity for the kids.

Jessica.

Some of the Legos the kids have decided to keep built.  Well, for now anyway.

Amy, our volunteer at the school, brought her sister Ann to see where she was working during her holiday from another school in Rwanda.  We so appreciate Ann and her willingness to give up her holiday to help out at Urukundo Learning Center.

Kirsten our volunteer nurse from the Netherlands.

Kirsten is a such hit with the kids. So much better than this more aged person! She is learning much about medicine in Rwanda and will visit the Medical Center below our compound to get a first hand experience in Rwanda Government Health Care.

Visitors for August

Team from State College, PA.

Greg, Kevin, Dan

Pastor Lee, Dave

Robin, Kira and team leader Carol

Some of the challenges they helped with while they were here. The teen's head of household benefitted. Remera 5 boys get some help. Dan & Kevin carry water from a long distance to mix cement for the floor in the house of the boys.

Greg setting bricks in home of the boys.

Finished floor. Job well done!

Preschool Teachers Encouraged

Robin and Carol do teacher training.

Pastor Lee working with Sunday School teachers.  The flannel board concept is new to our teachers. 

Cows Get their Share of Attention

Dave, farm manager Sam and our cow boy putting the chopper into action.

It works!

Kira applying oil to the dry skin of the pig. We do not have mud for the pigs to roll in.  I learn more about farming every day.  

Our Farm Reaped Blessings

Dave & Kira taught us farming from a new perspective. Mangers for feeding the cows is a big help in food consumption. Along with the chopper we are feeding our cows in a better way.

The manger works also for the goats.

Papa goat now has a home of his own for entertaining. Helping us keep better records.

Water and feeders for the rabbits were ingenious and a simple solution

Awesome what an inventor like Kevin can do with a plastic glass, a saucer, a nail and a block of wood. Thank you Kevin.

Our Visitors from SMU

Mary Evelyn.

After visiting with the SMU team these three decided to stay on for more time with the Urukundo kids.

Yvonne and Samantha

Hope House - Our All-Purpose Center

From 9am to 11am, Monday through Saturday, Hope House is full of activity. Legos, puzzles, hot potato, memory game, dominos, coloring, trucks, cars, airplanes etc inside.  Football, tag, running matches and parachute outside.

Come join in the fun! Volunteers are welcome. 

Present visitors work at Hope House.

Talia from Bloomsburg, PA and the kids do legos.

Soso teaching Meredith from Seattle, WA how to play picture dominoes.

Volunteer Rob James from California on his knees. Floor puzzles are great and this one is a map of the world. Educational as well as fun.

Claude and Rob joining forces to pick avocado.

Keenen James, Rob's son, plays with Becca & Claudine in Hope House.

Dad returned to the US after 8 days. Keenen remains with us for another 3 weeks.

Prince has a new best friend in Kyle. Kyle returned for the second time in this year. He is special for the kids.

The Ambassador from the USA

We were delighted to welcome US Ambassador Donald Koran and Secretary Mary Metzger to Urukundo Village, Farm and Urukundo Learning Center. After taking a tour, the Ambassador had lunch with the children.

It was a special visit.