Hug Movement Honors Urukundo Foundation

Hug Movement's founder Ornella.

Ornella and her father and mother.

Our kids and employees were present for the recognition. Other guests included Donald W. Koran, US Ambassador to Rwanda, Bruce Korgh, Director of Carnegie Mellon Rwanda, Christine Whitekettle PA and Tom Macgreager, of the UK NGO Food for the Hungry.

Tresor giving speech with Urukundo kids looking on.

The kids choose Tresor to speak for them and this is what he wrote:

"I am by the names of Cyubahiro Tresor speaking on behalf of Urukundo Foundation children. For us children, this is a family which has a lot of meaning to us that we can not get enough words to express it.

Among all that this family means to us, we can now speak about some of them. First of all, Urukundo Foundation means a family to us children as we have parents who are close to us and who knows our needs and provide us with the needs. From the first day that we became a part of this family till today, this family does all it can trying to make each of our new days brighter according to its financial capacity and we really do appreciate that.

We are given love by our guardians for everyone is not living for herself or himself but rather lives for all of us children in the family. A first and a good example to this was set by Mama Arlene, who left her country, her kindred and all she could get from her family and came here in Rwanda to live with us, people she had not known, but because of the love she has, she came all the way to our country to be an answer to some of our prayers that we always said to God. And right now our eyes can show us how powerful the decision she made was.

On behalf of the children of this family, I’d like to say that it means more than anyone can think of. We know and we hope that our Mama and all others who help to make this family that they wish and plan a better and a brighter future and more for it is a family driven by love as we all know. Love does it all.

I can say a lot about this family and how important it is to us children and the country at large but even if I don’t say more to this, our eyes can show everyone that this is a great family that the Lord God has made and blessed.

I can not end this speech without thanking Mama Arlene for all she did, all she does, and all she plans to do for her children and the country at large, may the Almighty God bless her very much. I’d like also to thank all other people who try their best to help this family to go on with the work it does, may the Almighty Father bless them so much.

I can not also end this speech without thanking our Government which gave her a place in our country, which believed she can contribute a lot to this extent and allowed her to be here doing all this work she is doing. May our heavenly Father bless you so much.

Once again organizers thank you for your invitation, and for all attendants thank you for your attention.

Visitors for August

Team from State College, PA.

Greg, Kevin, Dan

Pastor Lee, Dave

Robin, Kira and team leader Carol

Some of the challenges they helped with while they were here. The teen's head of household benefitted. Remera 5 boys get some help. Dan & Kevin carry water from a long distance to mix cement for the floor in the house of the boys.

Greg setting bricks in home of the boys.
Finished floor. Job well done!

Our Farm Reaped Blessings

Dave & Kira taught us farming from a new perspective. Mangers for feeding the cows is a big help in food consumption. Along with the chopper we are feeding our cows in a better way.
The manger works also for the goats.
Papa goat now has a home of his own for entertaining. Helping us keep better records.
Water and feeders for the rabbits were ingenious and a simple solution
Awesome what an inventor like Kevin can do with a plastic glass, a saucer, a nail and a block of wood. Thank you Kevin.

Greetings from Mama Arlene and the Urukundo Family for July 2012

Hello again from Urukundo Village and Learning Center.
Where does the time go? I have found the older you get the faster time flies. I have watched the little girls who came to Urukundo Home for Children in 2006 become young women and the little boys are now young men. They were aged 10 to 13 when they came to Urukundo and they are now 16 to 19. All are taller than me and indeed more beautiful. 
I am well and except for minor scrapes and bruises the children are also fine. Even our nursery has a new look - very few babies. There are only 2 babies, 1 toddler and 13 preschoolers. These 13 were infants when we received them. Now they go to school, which you have helped us establish. Yes, time is flying. 

Surprise and Joy

 It is easy to see yet hard to put into words when hope becomes a reality.
I sat in worship holding Claudine, our special child. Claudine is nearly blind and is 6 years old. My reading glasses hung in the front of my blouse. To my amazement I watched as Claudine took one lens of the glasses and put it to her eye. She reached out and took the glasses from me and put them on her little face. Holding the glasses with both hands against her head she began to giggle and jumped from my lap looking in all directions running to and fro swinging her head from side to side looking at every thing with her new eyes. Worship stopped as every eye watched this little girl discover a new world.
Claudine now has her own glasses.  Thank you Ingoboka fund.
Praise God. Hope Made Real.

Another Story

The local police stopped our vehicle and condemned it because of its bad, unsafe tires. We had just a few days to get a new set. For us this was impossible. We knew funds were coming but that did not help now. It would have to be parked. We already had to push the car to get it started, because the battery was not good. And since the vehicle has two batteries, both would have to be replaced. Nancy Ehrig and her husband Gary were here at the time. That very day they took the vehicle to Kigali City, had 4 new tires put on it and replaced both batteries. When I was concerned, they said the money spent should be considered as part of the Ingoboka Fund. How very blessed we are. Thank you Nancy and Gary. Urukundo is ever grateful as the vehicle is critical for our safe travel and that of our Volunteers coming from other parts of the world.