Before We Begin, A Simple Request

We have some wonderful stories and updates to share for everything that happened in October, but before we get started, I have a simple request.

I know the economy in the United States and much of the world is hurting.  It is clearly affecting our donations.  If you can, please continue to contribute to our work as best you can.  As an all-volunteer project, every dollar you donate has a very real impact.

If you can't help us financially, we have a different request: help us find more supporters.  A little goes a long long way out here in Rwanda.  If we can find more people who can give just a little each, it will quickly add up to make sure we can take care of our wonderful children.

And remember, donations are tax deductable.  So, if you know anyone who makes end-of-year contributions to charities that help them with their taxes, please tell them about Hope Made Real.

A Perfect Example of a Little Going a Long Long Way


It only costs $15 to send a child to school for an entire year.  Last year, we sent 250 needy children to school.  This year, we would like to raise that number to 300.  To support an entire year of a child's education, simply put "education" as a note on your donation.



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Donations can be made online or sent to:

Hope Made Real
Dr Patricia Brown, Tres.
301 Overdale Road
Pittsburgh, Pa 15221

Education-specific donations need to be made by December 15th in order to reach Rwanda before Jan 1st 2009.

A Storm and a Mud Slide

The weather here has been exciting if you call unpredictable exciting.

In the last month, we have had a severe wind storm, an earthquake, and now a rain storm too severe to comprehend.

We do not have streams or rivers on our mountains, but mud slides are a problem.  Especially where new development is taking place as older developments are properly terraced.  If you are in the way of the path the water wants to travel, there is no contest. The water pouring downhill will find its own path. Move or be buried.

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Our homes are built strong to withstand the winds and the earthquakes but not the devastating rain and mud slides.  So retaining walls need to be built to protect the houses.  Stones and cement are very expensive but necessary to protect our homes.  We need stone, sand and cement, but we know that god will provide.

The American Garden

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The radishes serve two purposes. I get to eat them and the chickens get the greens.  This gives the egg yolks a healthy gold color.  Most egg yolks in Rwanda are a pasty white.  Our eggs are special and when our chickens are in full production they should pay for their own food and feed our kids.

We are planting every inch of land available. This should help with food for the kids. The lettuce and radishes and spring onions are for me. I remember my mom planting onion sets but never onion seeds. Different, No?

David at 4 Months Old



David is now 4 months old. His eyes are bright and he now weight 14 lbs. When he was found he only weighed 7 lbs so it's wonderful to see he has doubled his weight in only 2 months. He loves to be talked to and responds with baby noises.  He is not yet learned to sit on his own.


Davids bed was a gift from Linda Wise. We purchased it here and it is Rwandan. He will soon out grow out of it, but we will use it for other babies yet to come.

David's Motor Car


Crossing the lines. Crossing the lines.

David is no longer on Pascazee’s back but has transportation of his own. He loves the new found freedom and so do those who no longer have to work with this big boy on their backs. He is pushing it with his feet and getting all kinds of help from his brothers and sisters.

Wanted: A Real Farmer

Opportunity for employment
Farmer needed
Must love animals and kids
Especially
Chickens, cows, turkeys, dogs and in the future goats and rabbits. Planting is a must.
The Children are a bonus.
This job pays no wages, has lots of side benefits and the retirement plan is a home in heaven if you have done a good job.
Kidding aside, our farm will one day be an asset. For now it is in process.

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Blossom should deliver a calf in November and then we will have milk for David and all our kids.
We'll have an update on the chicken farm next month.

Kids at Play

Our boys surprised us with a project of their own. Holiday from school has started and the boys are working on the farm, playing soccer and basketball and are building a house.

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The construction tells us they are learning a lot from watching the girls house being built.  We will have one of our technicians work with the boys and teach them some techniques.  We will one day have our own builders. Their house is of mud bricks with mud as cement.  It sure beats a fort made of snow and will not go away when the sun shines, but will only get stronger.

A Note About Future Donations

September was a glorious month, but before we dive in to some great stories, I should let you know of some changes.

All donation checks should now be made out to "Hope Made Real". Please make a note of it.  You were previously making them out to Spiritworks, but we now have our own completely separate non-profit to call our own.

You can now donate online. It is now possible to donate to Hope Made Real online using any credit or debit card.  It's safe and secure, and the funds are available to us faster than traditional paper checks.  The best part is that Google is covering all of the fees usually associated with credit cards, so Hope Made Real receives 100% of your donation.  Just go to HopeMadeReal.org/donate to learn how.

Now read on for this month's adventures, goals and the good work we are all doing.

We Sent 250 Children to School in 2008Can We Send 300 Children in 2009?


(Aline and Natete enjoying biscuits and tea outside the office in the morning.)

It only costs $15 to send a child to school in Rwanda. No matter how many times I hear that, it is always staggering to me. $15 is so little compared to the impact of an education on a child.

We fund the education of children both inside Urukundo Village and in the larger community. In late 2007, you proudly gave scholarships to 250 children who otherwise would not have been able to go to school and those children have had the benefit of schooling. If you sponsored a child last year, please think about renewing your scholarship gift again this year and perhaps an additional child if you can afford it. For 2009, let's aim for 300 children, 50 more than last year.

Please make sure your scholarship reaches Hope Made Real by December 1st. Thank you again for all you have done.

Vision Made Real: A Roof is on the Girl's Home



The roof is now on the girls home, with face boards still to come. It is an interesting roof. During the morning and evening it is bright red. At other times it has silver stripes running through it that reflect the sunlight, making it all the more beautiful.

We hope to finish the inside, the wiring and the plumbing, and move the girls into their new home before Christmas. Our vision is to have all the children in one place by December.

It is incredibly exciting to say the least and I thank you all for making this idea an incredible reality. There is so much left to do, but it's great to see the results of all our efforts so far.

The Bricks that Build Our Homes, Also Build Our Community

Building homes for our children takes a lot of bricks for the walls and tiles for the roof and we have been buying many of these supplies from the Women's Tile and Brick Association. Many widows of the genocide have been working hard to build a new and better life and this small business is a great example of that.

John received a call from a woman at the Association offering to bring us a load of bricks and she came to meet me herself. She said:
"You have done so much for me and my business. Your work has lifted us up and we have been able to care for our families and buy a bigger truck. We will always be grateful to you. We will deliver to you all the bricks you need and you can pay us whenever you have the money. God bless you for what you do for us."

It was a wonderful surprise and it's great to see such hard work along with such a strong sense of community. It's at moments like this that we know we are having a real impact in this struggling part of the world.