Mama and the Visiting Dentist

About two years ago I broke a front tooth. Many of you know my passion for hard pretzels. A kind friend sent me a bag of them and yes, that is how the tooth was broken. With 45 kids needing dental care there was just not enough financing for me to go to the dentist.
"Well, I thought that was a good excuse for not going".
Again, God did not agree so the dentist came to me - Dr. Rickmeyer from Arizona, Dr. Drew Cahoon from Canada, Dr. Moses from Rwanda, dental students Eulaude and Kizito, Misty Reberger and Pam Nichols and finally Dr. Bryan Murray.
So you see dentists just kept popping up! Claude was treated and healed. Cecelia received two root canals, Anett had two teeth removed in preparation for dental work for a severe overbite and others were treated. Still I continued to ignore my need to visit the dentist. 
Seems dentistry was in my future, like it or not. I am one of those people who break out in a cold sweat at the mention of the dentist if it applies to me. I send the kids and tell them how wonderful the dentist is and how we must not eat too much candy and brush our teeth and they love Dr. Rick and Dr. Drew who come to visit us on a regular basis. Well, at least once a year.
Dr. Drew brought two special visitors to Urukundo, Dr. Byron Murray and his wife Janet from Alberta, Canada. The two doctors decided I needed to have some dental care as a good example for the kids. Sure, they knew how to maneuver me into the dentist chair at a local clinic where my tooth could be repaired. Like so many things "for my own good" I was not happy but I kept the appointment. Either dentistry has come a long way or I have matured because there was absolutely no pain and the tooth is beautiful and repaired and I can smile again. It is wonderful.

Janet Murray is a seamstress by vocation and is coming back to Urukundo to help teach in our sewing Center.

February Greetings from Urukundo

Hello from Urukundo Village, Mama and The Urukundo Kids.

Please take note: the date on the camera has been fixed AGAIN. Hope it stays correct this time. February is the month of LOVE and this fits well with our program.  Urukundo translated means LOVE.
Our mission here is to share love. Our village and our Learning Center are built on love. Thank you all for the love you have shown to me and all the vulnerable children in Rwanda. You are making such a difference in the lives not just of the children but also of their families.  
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Deogratios Mugisha

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Urukundo was blessed, thanks to the Ingoboka Fund, to be able to give the help needed when a little four year old boy, Deogratios Mugisha, accidentally fell into boiling water and was scalded over the left side of his  body. Remember cooking is done in the home of our families with charcoal pots sitting on the floor. The little boy is a student at our preschool and so when this happened his parents brought him to us.

The guards knocked on the window at our house saying there was a problem and asked for help. The parents were at the gate with their child. The guard said the boy was burned.  How, he was not sure. We went directly to the clinic where I thought I had medicine used for burns. There was very little. The parents brought the boy in. He was in shock and  just looked at me with scared eyes.  Cold water would have been best treatment at the point when the scalding took place, but water is not available. After getting the hot clothes off and calming him down, his mother dressed him again covering all his skin to bring him to us. "Not the best idea."  No burns were visible until he was undressed. Water blisters were extensive and many were broken exposing raw scalded pink skin. His clothes kept him warm but did damage to his little body.
Much of the skin was pulled away because of the clothes.

I had medicated wrap used by fireman to protect the burn area until transport to a hospital takes place. Removing the clothes carefully we gently placed the protective medicated wrap over the burned area,  called our driver to come and transport the boy and his parents to the hospital. We are also blessed to have a vehicle always available.  
We did what we could but now I know we need burn medicine for early first aid treatment. 
We are able to give the parents financial help to have him treated and admitted at the local hospital. Financially we will continue caring for this little one while he is in the hospital. I am so grateful to have the Ingaboka Fund available. IT IS NOW DEPLETED. More and more we are blessed because others care and lend a helping hand.
Please pray for the child. Secondary infections are the real danger in this kind of burn. Thanks to all who gave a gift for emergency treatment.

 

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Visit from Teachers Training College, Muhanga

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Wednesday the 20th of February saw much activity at Cyakabiri Preschool. 38 students and 4 teachers from TEACHERS TRAINING COLLEGE, MUHANGA came to spend the day observing at our school. These are young people preparing to be the teachers of tomorrow.
A very handsome group.
Our little students teach the the bigger students. Every one learns.
Our teachers answered questions.
They learned about lesson plans.
Lesson plans - the teachers guide for the week.
Sitting on the mat for a reading session. It was good to see these young people become interested in education for 3 and 4 year olds.
The students finished their day by joining with our teachers for question and answer session. It was a full day.  The students learned there is more to teaching young children than play. This early teaching sets the pattern for all future education. Their impact is so important for students of tomorrow. 
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Help Make Joy : Guest Post by Carol Falke, State College, PA

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Sunday School children, book clubs, alternative Christmas, preschool global giving projects. What do they have in common? Marc, 11yrs old, says it best, "I got to help make joy for the people of Rwanda. We gave money for a pig and desks. It was really cool."
The end of 2012 brought many joys and examples of giving that I knew God was smiling and blessing all the hands and feet serving. One little boy gave at Sunday School to purchase a pig for the farm and said it was “Special. Heart soaking.” Barb said with a smile, “For the past several years, I've given a donation as an alternative to purchasing a Christmas gift for my parents. This year I chose to honor them by giving a gift of desks and chairs to the new primary school. My parents were so touched! They have always valued education, and this seemed like the perfect way to show our love for and support of the children of Rwanda.”

Two women’s book clubs were inspired to give towards desks, bookshelves and books. Gail shared, “Learning and loving to read is one of the most wonderful gifts given to us all. It opens the world around us. We chose having bookshelves for your classroom to enable you to fill the world around you with books, books and more books!” And Darlene’s book club said, “All children deserve the chance to receive an education. It is the building block for a nation.”

A partnership was formed a year ago with a preschool. Classes at each school in Rwanda and the US are learning what is the same and what is different. They are learning about each other’s countries and to appreciate their culture. This school selected Urukundo as their Global Giving Project for 2012. Almost $400 was raised for desks, bookshelves and teacher materials.

So for 2013, be creative, think BIG and connect people, schools, organizations to the Urukundo Children’s Home and Learning Center. They will fall in love with the children, understand how something small can mean something big in Rwanda and KNOW they are truly making a difference. Share the stories of Urukundo with others to give them the opportunity to Help Make Joy all year long!!!

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Congratulations are in Order

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Urukundo was honored by an invitation to the graduation celebration of an amazing school: ESTHER'S CULINARY ARTS SCHOOL, RWANDA. Check out their website.
Esther's Aid trains Rwandan youngsters in the culinary arts at their Heavenly Bread Bakery. I visited this school and was surprised to find as many young men students as young women. Several of our young girls are interested in attending these classes after finishing Senior School.
Urukundo is hoping to build a connection with this amazing organization. It is much more than a bakery. Its director Claire Effiong is doing a great job and is dedicated to making life better for Rwandan young people.  

Serephina is looking forward to being accepted as a student in 2 years.

Urukundo Faith Primary School

Our library is slowly taking shape. Volunteers are coming in March for a few days to give us advice and a helping hand. We still need a long term volunteer.  

Music & Art section

Memory Learning Games and Craft supplies
We want the library to be the focal point for the school.
Teaching children that learning can be fun is our purpose.

Videos available. More National Geographic would add a lot to this collection.

Class room #1                                            

Class room #2                                    
56 children attend Faith School
Our Primary teachers

-Salome Ayigihugu

-Marie MUKANDOLI

The Farm

Rework was done on the protective fences this month which you can see in the pictures.
 
When does one cow equal two cows?
Well, I found out it is better to feed one cow giving 22 liters of milk a day, than to feed two cows, one giving 8 liters a day and the other giving none since insemination did not seem to work for her.  Not even a visit from a male friend worked. Yes, the manure is more for Bio-gas production but the food is also much more costly.
The new farm manager Eugene is very aware, and wants our animal farm to become a successful source of revenue. And so it was decided to sell the 2 unproductive cows and with the money buy a single productive cow.  We now have two cows instead of three.
Making sure you are getting what you are paying for is interesting. Our manager visited the prospective cow when least expected and sat through the milking in order to verify that she did give 22 liters of good milk every day. Only after several weeks of checking did he OK the purchase. She is a much bigger cow and provides the milk needed for our kids with 5 liters of milk available for sale.   

Our milk provider. No name. I find it better not to name the anmals so I greet her in the morning with a pat on the white spot and a "Hello Cow". She doessn't seem to mind one bit.
Mama cow # 1 gave birth in February to a female calf.
So even though two cows are gone we still have two cows and a calf.
News to come: report on the chicken part of our farm next month.
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Memorial Stone Added to the Path of Learning

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In Memory and With Love
Elma was one of the very first to take this mission to heart.
She was an amazing gift giver. You see she decided to handle her estate while she yet lived.
I received word of her gift and assumed she had gone to her reward so sent my condolences to her son Larry.
His reply surprised me: 'My mother is still with us. It was her wish to give her gift while she could see the benefits it gave.'
In 2011 at age 95 Elma went to her rest. She indeed had a loving heart and we celebrate her life.