Visitors for September

International team at Urukundo Village.

Front row : Shona, Scotland; Katrina, Australia.  Second row : Nancy, Texas; Kathleen, Australia.  Top row : Caroline, UK;  Mary Ann, UK.

This team arrived about 10 am and moved a ton of bricks. They worked very hard.
Troy from Australia, Stephanie, France and Deborah from Cyprus had been here two days ago but could not come on photo day and so are not in the picture.  It is unusual for a team of 9 to be from 6 different countries!  The afternoon was spent at Hope House with the children.
David and Sam.
Sam Buck from UK spent 7 weeks at Urukundo and returned home Sept 9th. The boys come down in the mornings asking 'Where is Sam?'. They think he should be back at Urukundo by now.
Presbyterian delegation from Pa visited Urukundo for a day.

Good friends Marilyn Ely from Trout Run, Pa and Meredith Bakke from Madison, Wisconsin came to share in the activities at Urukundo Village.
Their time here included a visit to see the Gorillas up close and personal (a bit scary!) and to experience Rwanda's ancient history before, during and after the Kings.

Greetings from Mama Arlene in Rwanda for August 2011

Greetings from Urukundo Village and all who abide there.  August has been a very busy month with a houseful of volunteers -  11 in total. All 16 of our kids in Secondary School were home, There was a spelling bee, a debate, a fashion show and a birthday party all organized by the Urukundo Kids.  Painting the trim in all houses was a project accomplished. Pigs were added to our farm. The barn was finished and a pen for the pigs is now under construction. Look out for a picture next month. Except for colds caused mainly by the rains that are out of season, we are fine. Our school opened on schedule for the second 3 month term.

Further Developments

We were able with a loan from Fina Bank to purchase one of the problem properties (there were two) and we have eliminated a real danger to our kids. The property sat in the path between the kids' homes and the house where mama lives and was being used as a garage to repair moto bikes, bicycles and trucks. Fear that a toddler might wander trying to find mama and get hit by a vehicle is now a thing of the past.

We plan to close the road at this end of the wall with no access for traffic.

The brown gate on the left goes directly into the Kids' homes and the blue one on the right to my residence and guesthouse.  You can see the danger for visitors and kids. 

This is a view inside the new property. There is a second house behind the front one that is not visible.

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Cyakabiri School Report

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It is for sure we need to have more rooms for students. There are many more 3 to 5 year olds waiting to enroll. We need the space and teachers.  Volunteer teachers interested in being a part of this adventure in education in Rwanda, Africa are welcome to inquire and learn more about the goals of the school. This may be just the opportunity you have been waiting for. You will make a difference in the lives of small children.
Learning to match. Learning through doing.
Sun glasses and a worker's helmet. What fun! Morning snack is also good.
Claude from Urukundo Home for Children. We now have 7 children from our Home enrolled in our school for small children.
Dress up and pretend. Imagination is a new nation for the students.
Morning greeting.
Different expressions in one photo - I wonder what their thoughts are.
It is in the eyes.
The toy pig gets a house...then a wall so he cannot run away.  It's amazing how quickly the pighouse becomes a garage for moto cars!

Quilt Tales

Pastor Sunny from Christ Church, McKeansburg, PA.
Megan Bensinger second time visitor to Urukundo.  Megan is a dancer and brought her toe shoes and a costume to dance for the kids.
Quilts arrived from the quilters at McKeansburg.
Miracles do happen - the quilts arrived two days after the team came. God is good and the team were able to give the children each their very own quilt. The kids call them SLEEPERS.
Mama has the honor of fitting the quilts to the babies.. Notice the babies on the backs of the little mamas!
Then the toddlers got theirs.
The whole Nursery in sleepers.
The quilts are beautiful!
The older children also received quilts and there was one for me. Thank you quilters!
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Performing Arts at Urukundo

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The arts are a big part of our program and this month our children were introduced to Ballet.
Megan Bensinger, a volunteer from PA, has been dancing since age 4 and did a fantastic performance for the children.
We have suggested when she returns she teach ballet to our kids. We would need slippers. If you have used slippers contact Megan walkingbyfaith5@aim.com
or send them to 
Urukundo Foundation
BP 179 Muhanga
South Province
Rwanda
Megan and the dance. Our kids were so impressed as were the adults.
Visitors and girls in a fashion show at the August birthday party :  our visitors wore traditional Rwandan dress while the girls wore fashions from everywhere!
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Umugunda

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Umugunda is a very important event in Rwanda. Every last Saturday of the month the government has set aside the morning hours for all citizens to work together in their neighborhood to make it look good. We at Urukundo are a part of that and as a team the work is done well and is fun.
This month was special because four of out toddlers became a part of the team. Vincent and Grace supervised them in their work.

The guards pitch in.

Serephine, Belise & Aline clean up trimmings.

The toddlers join in for their first Umugunda day.

Kenny, Kinela, Agid and Claude part of the team.

Vincent, Grace, Agide, Kinela, Claude, Luki, Neli & another Claude.

Piling trimmings Claude in red and Agide in yellow shirt and tan pants

Filling the bag.

Job finished.

Moving to next clean up area. Can you pick out the toddlers and name them?!

 

Volunteers in August

Volunteers were a blessing this month of August
Nathan and Anna from Puyallup, Washington spent two weeks with us. This was Nathan's second trip to Rwanda and first trip to Urukundo. His first trip was while he was a university student and he is now a teacher. His bride Anna came with him. We enjoyed their visit and the work they did for us.
Liz and Keenen - mom and son - are volunteers from California.
The team from Christ Church McKeansburg, PA:
One team member is missing. Sorry Bri. 
Sam Buck from the UK is a long term visitor. He is training to be a youth leader and is involved in sports, projects, English classes. devotions.  Sam arrived July 16th and goes home September 9th.
While they were here our August volunteers traveled to Inyanza, the capital of South Province, to the historic Kings' Palaces.  The three palaces range from the ancient to the present day.  They also visited the Art Museum, The Museum of Natural History at Butare and the Twa Pottery Center at Gatagara.  The visit to the Genocide Memorial in Kigali City gave them a realistic view of the happenings in 1994.

Greetings from Mama Arlene in Rwanda for July 2011

Hello from Mama Arlene, Urukundo Village and all its 42 kids. At the end of July all 16 of the kids from King David Academy, Shogwe & Lysee are home and it is a busy place. 
We now have children in three secondary schools. As they finish Senior 3 they move to a school more in keeping with their goals and ambitions.  Birthdays will be honored for July and August with Sumbosa and Fanta. The babies have cake and juice with candles to blow out. Such fun.
July has been blessed with visitors from the US and England and the weather has been wonderful.