Aimable Twagilimana, a Rwandan living in Buffalo, New York, USA, and a professor at Buffalo State College, paid us a visit. It was another very short visit, but he toured our campus and met the teachers and students here. Thank you, Drew, for suggesting he visit us while he was home visiting his family.
Goodbye to Special Friends
On June 4, Bob and Amy Dove returned to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, after seven months of living and working with us at Urukundo Learning Center.
Before leaving, a new outfit “made in Muhanga” at the Urukundo Sewing Center needed to be modeled. We like.
The day before they left, Amy read the Scriptures at worship, and Bob gave the sermon. Olive translated.
Sorry to see them go.
Event worth much ado
We were so honored to host the Anne Frank Project out of SUNY Buffalo State in New York, USA. The city of Buffalo is sister city to the city of Muhanga in Rwanda. The project uses drama to help children learn.
This lovely painting was presented to the Urukundo Foundation as a special gift from the group.
The work the visitors did is so interesting and productive and so appreciated. The Anne Frank Project conducted two full days of teacher training in drama-based education at Urukundo Village. About 30 teachers from the Urukundo Learning Center as well as more than 50 teachers from various schools in Muhanga received professional development on how to use storytelling in their classrooms. On a third day, the teachers used it in their own classrooms. The results were outstanding! Plans are underway to define the partnership among the District of Muhunga, Urukundo Village and the SUNY Buffalo State’s Anne Frank Project to make Urukundo a center for innovative teaching and learning.
Here are some pictures from the training for the adults:
The next photo is special for John Latone, Claude's best friend. Claude and John met when the group was here about three years ago.
The kids had fun with the visitors.
Dinner with the kids
Blowing bubbles and relaxing in the front yard at Mama’s house
Claudine and the bubble wand
Always foote ball(soccer)
The Anne Frank Project group presented “Jack and the Beanstalk.”
The storyteller wore the orange-dotted shirt. All did a great job.
The tale includes the chicken who laid the golden egg.
And don’t forget the monster giant.
The children participated in the presentation. All had a wonderful time.
Now there is a new stone on the path. It shows where the heart is.
Visitors
Lauren Wright from South Carolina, USA, first came to Urukundo when she was with the Peace Corps and returned after finishing a degree in nutrition to visit her friends, the village and Urukundo. Love having her.
Lauren and her best friend Benita
Peter Zittel and his mom, Kim Zittel, came the middle of June. Mom stayed for a short time; Peter stayed longer as a volunteer helping out at the preschool. They are from Buffalo, New York, USA. Peter starts university in the fall. 
Didn’t get mom’s photo. Sorry, Kim.
Big kids challenge Peter in foote ball (soccer) match.
Come back soon, Lauren, Peter and Kim.
Time for cake
Mistakes are edible.
We ordered a cake from a shop in Kigali. The cake was delicious.
However, the writing on the cake had a mistake. It should have said, “New Family
Meredith, Alex & David.” Instead, it said, “New Family Marydith, David.” Alex didn’t make it to the top of the cake.
We did not have time to do the icing over, so there were no changes.The ice cream was melting. Sorry, Alex. We love you -- Mama, kids and especially David.
Meredith Lu first came to Rwanda more than eight years ago with the Peace Corps and has been David’s sponsor since he was a baby. She since has graduated from the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. The newcomer to the family is Alex Nachis. Meredith and Alex visited Urukundo in 2017 so he could meet David. The cake celebrated their wedding on June 16, 2018.
Ice cream, cake and Fanta
Baby Jenny licked the bowl clean.
May visitor
Visitor Hannah-Nicole Crombie – better known as Nicole by our kids – is from Scotland and volunteered at Urukundo for two wonderful weeks with special art projects.
This one was awesome. The kids cut out their masks, decorated them and went around scaring everyone.
Such fun.
Nicole with one of her art projects with preschoolers.
Nicole’s Aunt Terri made and sent flowers for the Urukundo kids.
The children loved the colorful flowers and could pick their favorite color.
Thank you, Aunt Terri. Love you, Nicole.
Nicole also was on hand to meet a new mama and baby on Urukundo’s front porch.
Sad to say goodbye
Saying goodbye as Kyle Jerro returns to his home base in the United Kingdom was hard for him and the kids. Kyle was on his seventh visit and is a member of the Hope Made Real International Board of Directors.
Primary 4 kids learn chess
Volunteer Bob Dove is doing a great job while he is here with us. Along with his other projects, he is teaching four of our Primary 4 kids to play chess.
Sarah, Johnny, Agide and Claude are having fun learning.
Sarah gets some one-on-one instruction from the master teacher.
Home at last
We are so happy to have Kyle Jerro home for even a short time. It’s the seventh visit for Kyle, who is from Nevada, USA, and is a lecturer of language and linguistics at the University of Essex in England. After so many visits, Urukundo feels like home, and it’s great he could return to spend time with the family. Kyle also is a member of the Hope Made Real International Board of Directors.
Welcome home, Kyle.
