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April Challenge

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A message from the Board of Hope Made Real
You can help by eating dinner!  That's right.  If you live in an area where a Denny's restaurant is located, you can set up a fundraiser for the month of April 2012.  Just contact you local Denny's for details - meet with the manager and then invite others to join you at Denny's for dinner.  Let's make April a fantastic month for Urukundo Village and Education Center.  Then, let us know the results of your efforts.  Denny's will donate 20% of profits from not only your group but everyone eating at their restaurant during the time your group is there. 
Please join us!  
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From the Nursery

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Kavine and Diane continue to grow and be the center of attention.
Kavine is a happy, healthy little girl. She is trying to sit up alone. That's a big job! She laughs out loud, gurgles and reaches for my finger.  Real progress.
Diane's arm is healing, thanks to Nancy, our in-house Nurse. She has done the physical therapy necessary to save the arm from becoming a disability.
The wound on Diane's face is filling in quite well but there may be a small scar. Only time and Nancy's special attention will tell. 

Nancy has been a volunteer with Urukundo Foundation since 2008. She comes from New Hampshire, USA. Nancy is a retired Army nurse and Nurse Practitioner. 
We are doubly blessed to have her as she is acting coordinator for Urukundo Learning Center working with two Early Childhood teachers in the US with the necessary credentials.

Farm News

The big news is that mama pig has 9 babies, and the second mama has 5 - our pig population is exploding!

Mama and five babies.  I just learned that baby pigs snuggle when they are cold. It seems animals have many Instincts attributed to people.
Our animals have all been tagged and records will be kept for each animal. This gives us a history for our animal. 
More news
Daisy and two of the young heifers are pregnant and soon will deliver,  increasing our cows count to 8.  We're hoping for all female offspring.
This will also increase our milk production. At this time, only one of our cows is producing milk and so we have to buy milk from a local farmer. Of course that also helps the economy but I will be glad when we have all the milk we need and can offer the excess for sale.
Our baby.  Her mama is supplying the milk for her and our kids.

Chicken Farm News

The incubator is ready and we will start hatching our own baby chicks. The design is simple and I hope it will add to the assets at our farm.
We still need some kind of thermostat for it. Any ideas?
Our farm now has about 300 layers (for eggs) and 100 broilers (for meat). Our children have eggs twice a week. Eggs have been named as an important food to aid in learning, so we provide eggs to the preschool once a week and we sell eggs to the community for a lesser price making it possible for them to purchase for their families. We also have a market for extra eggs. We do not expect to make a big profit but it would be good if the income from eggs and chickens paid for the food to keep them.  Might not be the best business practice but it makes good sense to me!

 

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Urukundo Learning Center

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A gift was given to Urukundo Foundation designated for the much-needed classrooms for our Learning Center.  Additional funds are needed for cement and bricks.  
Work began January 20, 2012 on the new classrooms. 
This shows construction after 1 day.
Progress to January 28, 2012
The construction in progress will have two classrooms, an office and toilet.

 

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Meet our Students at Urukundo Learning Center

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A new morning class. These children are meeting in HOPE HOUSE until their classroom is finished. 

Bricks and cement are needed for completion of the classroom. The children inspect the progress of construction each day. They know it will be for them and it is surprising how interested they are seeing the work being done. We may have some engineers in the group!
A new afternoon class in Hope House.
The kids in the next two pictures will be our first graduates from preschool in 2 years.  We must have a Primary School built by then to receive the graduates. In Rwanda the age for starting Primary school is 6 years. They will be ready.  But will we?
Cyakabiri Class second term, afternoon class - 5 year olds who graduate in 2013.
Second term morning class in Cyakabiri classroom - 3 and 4 year olds.

 

Water and Solar Pump Project

In February the final dedication of the project will take place. It has been in operation for over 2 months and is serving the community very well.
I have been remiss in thanking all who made this project possible.
Water Project:
Caring UMC groups from State College, Pennsylvania.
Park Forest Village UMC
St. Paul's UMC 
Woodycrest UMC
Centre Hall UMC
Houserville UMC
AND Runville UMC in Bellefonte
Trinity UMC in Jersey Shore
Penbrook Trinity UMC in Harrisburg

A special thank you to: 

The International Service Team at Rotary Club of St John's Northwest District 7820, Canada

Solar Pump Power Project:

Rotary International

Spearheaded by: Forest Hills Rotary, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

On site management: Kigali-Virunga Rotary Club Kigali City, Rwanda.

Thank you to all who made this project a success and gave gifts from the heart so that clean water would make life better for our community.

 

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Urukundo Five Year Report

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2006 - 2011

Urukundo Children's Village as of this date has 46 orphans and abandoned children.

18 of our children are in secondary School. 12 are in Primary School.

11 of our children are in Preschool.

5 are in our Nursery (Safe Haven).

6 former young staff members in University. (Designated funds).

First graduate  We are very proud of Diane.

We are giving employment to 34 local citizens.  All employees are covered by medical insurance upon providing proof they have covered their own children with medical coverage from a local hospital.

Urukundo Foundation provides 329 children of very poor families with supplies required in order for them to attend primary school.

Urukundo Foundation cares for 2 families with teen head-of-households with a total of 14 children (several missing when photo taken).

At the same time we need to develop the general infrastructure and create sustainable long-term business.

We can be the first orphanage/NGO ever reaching self-sufficiency and economic independency.

It is an incredible task and challenge.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE

2006. Rented first Urukundo Home for Girls with 15 girls. Today's total is now 21.

2006: Rented first house for guests. Some little income.

2006: purchased four wheel drive vehicle (directors funds).

2007: Rented first Urukundo Home for Boys with 7 boys. Today's total is 24.

2007: First purchase of land to start chicken industry and safe area for kids to play outside of town.

First Chicken House

Deed of first ownership

2007 through 2011: Purchased, registered and paid for 14 joining small properties using (missionary gifts and Arlene's SS income) to establish Urukundo Village.

Claiming the top of the mountain.

2008:  Built a Home for Boys, a soccer field and a basket ball court. 

 

2008: Built a Home for Girls.  (Director's personal funds)

2008-2009: Constructed buildings for kitchen, offices, and storage.


2009: Built Multipurpose House. This house includes a Library, classrooms, meeting room, worship center, celebration house and dorm for teams with more than 4 people.

2009: constructed a shed for the 1 cow and 1 calf.

2009: Purchased another cow and her calf.  (Designated Money from People to People).  Milk for babies and HIV kids.

2009: purchased home for Guesthouse on adjourning property, resident for director, clinic, office.  Now Cyakabiri School for Young Children.

Increased chicken industries to include broilers and layers.  (Producing eggs for income and meat).

Broilers                                        

Layers

2010: started JR Saving’s accounts for kids.  Fina bank

2010: Built a "SAFE HAVEN" Nursery for throw-away babies.  We have 15 Under 5 years.

Established Cyber Café for community and income producing nonprofit business. (Rental property) Purchased 5 PC and a copier.

We planted 7 kitchen gardens and all available land. Veg for children and excess for sale.

Purchased 3 Sheep (designated money). Total now 8 and expecting.  Meat for kids.

Started rabbit hutches purchased 2 rabbits and a gift of 2. 

At present total 64. Sell and use for meat for children.

2011: Director purchased large home and guesthouse. (Personal funds savings for old age. Might be now.)

2011: Purchased house and land (Loan from Fina Bank) protection of children, larger clinic in better location, closer to children. Additional guest rooms to accommodate teams coming as volunteers.   Work not completed.

Received 3 cows from District a gift. Total cows now 5.  Two milk cows and 3 yet to breed. 

Constructed larger housing for number of cows (designated funds) and fenced in pastureland with barbed wire.Fenced in all Urukundo land to protect our children and animals. (Barbed wire)

2011: Purchased 5 pigs a gift from visitors.  (Designated money) Meat and marketing.

2011: Built pig housing.  

2011: Increased goat herd by 12 new goats (designated money) Meat for kids (total 18 at present).

Renovated first cow barn to accommodate goats and sheep.

2011: With support of Park Forest and devoted people Urukundo built a water system for the Binunga Community. In time it will also benefit our schools. (Designated funds)

2011:  Solar pumps and power were added to the water project thanks to Rotary International. (Designated funds). The project will benefit over 3000 people plus Urukundo Village when schools are constructed.

2011: Added 3 tanks for harvesting rainwater. (Designated funds)

Purchased truck for farm. (Designated funds).

Cyakabiri School opened. The first step in the planned URUKUNDO LEARNING CENTER.

The Next Five to Ten Years

Projections

1. Finish renovation on house already purchased for guest rooms for volunteers.

2. Purchase land to house Cyber Café along main road.

3. Start up a day care center for young children and babies of working parents.

4. Add another classroom for Preschool.  (Already have land).

5. Construct a Primary School adding to our school system (starting small) 2 rooms

We own land for this purpose.

6. Construct a secondary school to the system. (Starting small) 2 rooms. (Have land). Growing as required.

7. Construct a Clinic for mothers giving birth requiring post delivery care.

8. Have a well baby clinic for those babies born in the prenatal clinic.

9. Open a dental clinic for the poor.

10. Resurface the basketball court.

11. Purchase house in middle of our property after Government has declared it eminent domain for benefit of community. It can be used as the primary school after purchase.

12. Purchase a lawn mower.

Pick a project and help us reach our goal!

HAPPY NEW YEAR