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Partners Needed

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...to build this school. It is our goal to have 2 classrooms ready by January 2013. Our school year starts in January for Primary and Secondary students. For University the school year starts in September. 

The classrooms are needed to accept the first graduates of Cyakabiri Preschool. With your help this is possible. Education is so vital here in Rwanda and everywhere. It is the key to a brighter future for our world.  Consider becoming a partner on the pathway to learning and make another HOPE BECOME REAL.

This is an invitation to educators reading this newsletter.

If you want a new experience and want to make a difference in the lives of children it is possible. Please consider coming to Rwanda and working with our teachers at Urukundo Learning Center.

Whatever your expertise we can use you.

ANOTHER WAY TO PARTNER

For a gift of $100 or more a stone can be added to the path to learning. The proceeds go to further education in our village and the community. A gift in honor of, in memory of or just because you want to make a difference would be appreciated.  

Path to Learning adds 2 new stones

Valerie and her mom from Canada visited Urukundo Village for a short time in May and sister Charley is coming in June for a month of volunteer work. Mom Diane placed the stone to honor her two older daughters.

Thank you Diane.


Project in Progress for May

Biogas

Wood has become a problem in Rwanda. It is scarce and expensive. We cook with wood because that is what is available.

Now that we have the farm Biogas has become an option. Biogas is a product of manure. With goats, pigs, cows and chickens we now have manure enough to install a biogas tank and  also make our kitchen a safer place for those who prepare our meals. Wood smoke may smell good outdoors but the smoke is not so good in a confined area. 

Getting ready to run the pipeline to the kitchen and the farm.  I am told we will have gas for cooking and some way this project will supply electricity to the kitchen and farm. I don't understand how this is possible and so I leave it to the experts. To be able to supply our own gas for cooking and a constant source of electricity is our hope.  Saving the environment, our resources and producing our own baby chicks is a plus.  Imagine the benefits.

Traveler

Vincent our school Administrator is home after a month in the US finetuning his expertise in school administration.
We are very happy to have him home and thank all who took part in his positive experience in State College, Pennsylvaina. State College is the home of Penn State University.  Urukundo Learning Center is the beneficery of his time working with Carol Falke and her team.

Some more of Vincent's experiences in the US:

Vincent is sharing the basket with Nina's 3-4 year old class.  This class is picture pals with Andrew's class at Urukundo.

Nona Nina and Vincent working with children at the water table on the science of water.

Welcome Home, Vincent!

Thank you to all who made this learning experience possible!

Greetings from Mama Arlene and the Urukundo Family for April 2012

Greetings from Urukundo Foundation and Urukundo Learning Center. We continue to grow into a brighter future through education and love.
Remember to purchase your stone on the path to learning. Education is that path.
April 1st came and went with no one playing a joke on me. Guess it really is a US tradition.  The three weeks with all our kids home was a very busy time. Seventeen High School kids keep us busy and 12 toddlers and 3 babies kept them busy. It is nice to have so much help - and the kids do help.
Washing hands before and after meals is routine.
Claude and Johnny washing while Becca and Agide wait their turn.
Laundry is on going and a big part of the work day.
Our rain harvest tanks are a blessing. This tank outside the boys' house provides a lot of water. It cannot be used for drinking or cooking  but it can be used for clothes and flushing. This cuts down on our water costs as laundry for 43 kids and staff takes a lot of water.

The kids also cook. Chapati Saturday is a pleasure but peeling potatoes, green bananas, avocados, carrots, snapping beans and preparing other vegetables is just plain hard work. The peelings are kept and served to the animals. Nothing goes to waste.
 
Serving food in the dining room to kids and visitors who choose to eat with us is a delight and considered an honor. You have to be older to have this opportunity. Our visitors and kids help serve food for the little ones at meal time.
 
So you see being an older brother or sister in a big family is no easy task.

News From Cyakabiri School

It has been a wonderful month for Urukundo Learning Center.

April 7, 2012 was a great day as it marked the final day of the first term of Cyakabiri School for the year 2012.

Parents and children came to pick up reports, this was their opportunity to visit the new classrooms. These classrooms will be used for the first time when the second term of the year begins on April 23, 2012 takes place.  
This newsletter will show the closing pictures of the first term and the opening pictures of the second term and they are only 3 weeks apart.   The parents came to pick up the kids and we were able to let them see the inside of the new classrooms. They did not have equipment yet but would be ready for the second term. We rejoice in knowing and preparing for that event.
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Project for April

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The on-going project for Urukundo Farm to be a major producer of broilers and eggs is getting close to being accomplished.  We just need more space and the building project will give us this. The building project in the pictures below shows the progress made so far. We have a market for the broilers with MR CHIPS RESTAURANT in Kigali City. He would like for us to deliver at least 200 broilers a month. Now, that is reaching but with God all things are possible. 
Broilers
Construction in progress.
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Vincent's Journey to the USA

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April 19th saw the start of Vincent's trip to the USA.
The kids helped load his luggage.

Last minute instructions 
Vincent is presently business administrator at Urukundo Foundation working with Felicitie, our home administrator.
Oscar in the picture is helping out while Vincent seeks further training in school administration in the USA.
Trip in trouble already! The car would not start so our guys came to the rescue and they pushed.  It started.  I think we need a new battery.

Nice down hill grade pushing worked this time.   Vincent is on his way.
We received word that Vincent arrived safely and is staying with his hosts Carol & Steve Falke in State College, Pa. 
Vincent's journey is to better equip him as administrator for our Urukundo Learning Center of which Cyakabiri Preschool is the beginning phase. The next phase is the Primary School. With help we hope to open the first class rooms in the primary school for the January 2013 term. God in Charge.
Please notice the lovely Snap Dragons along the wall. These seeds were sent to us by flower lovers in the US. Once planted they continue to grow and spread. We have no killing winter frost. Thank you flower people. You make our land more beautiful.

Other seeds needed:
Romaine lettuce, pickle cucumbers (I'm not sure about these - is there a special cucumber for pickling??).
Snow peas

Visitors for April

Lycee and his family paid us a visit. Many of you will remember this young man as the bicycle champion with one leg.
Lycee lost his leg as a young boy to a land mine. He is amazing as he competes in bicycle races on a regular bike against others with two legs and wins the competitions. I've been proud to call him my friend since 2002, and he is a true friend to all of us here at Urukundo.
We welcomed Dr. Otto Fischer from Austria and the children from Verein Future for Kids – Zukunft für Kinder in Ruanda.
We had a wonderful time and his kids challenged our kids to a dance competition next time we get together.
Mama with Vincent (l) and Otto (r).
Visitors from Canada
Valeria Gagne and her mom Diane came for a day and returned to spend two more days at Urukundo and its kids.
Charlotte, another daughter, is coming to volunteer at Urukundo Foundation for an month starting June 8 and Mama was checking us out. We got a 5 star rating I think.
They bought a stone to be added to  the PATH TO LEARNING. while they were here.
During the school break from where she works, Amy Milkus, who is a very special person, came to work with us at Cyakabiri School. She worked very hard helping us prepare the new classrooms for the new students. Amy Milkus  is a tutor at Maranyundo Girls School in Nyamata, Rwanda. During the two weeks she was here she taught English as a second language to our Primary students and helped our teachers improve their English. After doing all this she found time to play with the toddlers in the nursery. Thank you Amy. The children miss you!