Adventures In Rwanda

Back to School

The end of April means sending the big kids off to Boarding School. The “stay at home” younger kids are a big help.

One-year-old Jacob finds a job just his size.

Many hands make a job easy.

Kinella carries necessary supplies.

Gathering the troops.

No more room for a big mattress.

Hmm...how do we solve this problem?

Make it smaller if possible!

Everything fits and is ready to go.

We really will miss these kids. Ok, they come home again in 3 months for a brief holiday!

Greetings from Urukundo for February 2014

February was full of exciting events at Urukundo Home & Learning Center.

On February 1st an event that seemed impossible took place. Imagine being able to be fitted for a custom garment, and then have a photo op in the finished gift - for all 23 children at Urukundo!

The kids were thrilled and had a great time when Janet  and Angela Murray, seamstresses from Canada came to visit. They bought material at the market and worked with the staff at the sewing Center to complete their project.

A dress for each girl and shorts for each boy. The kids saw the process from start to finish.

The day started sunny and bright. Janet and Angela worked to finish their project as today was their last day to be with the kids.

They were due to leave at 3 PM. Most important they wanted photos. The morning was perfect for photo taking. This is Rwanda!

About 1:30 the sun left and the rain came. This was not on our schedule! Photos would have to be taken on the front porch. The lawn would have been so great and the rain would not last long but their timetable was set.  Mama's front room became a room of activity as last minute adjustments took place and play clothes were chucked and finishing touches and modeling of handiwork took place. Such fun for Janet, Angela, the mamas, myself and the kids.

Boys model shorts!

while the girls modeled sun dresses. (with boys in the back ground being boys).  In the photo: 

Janet, Angela, myself & four of our wonderful mamas : Chantel, Delphine, Betty, Francois & the kids.


Greetings from Mama Arlene and the Urukundo Kids for December 2013

December has been a month of memories. I am not sure how Facebook works but it does work. My birthday was filled with many surprises as I heard from so many wonderful people in my life and in the life of Urukundo and its special kids.

The birthday gifts for me that were sent to Hope Made Real were the perfect gift. Thank you. How to choose what to put in this newsletter is going to be difficult.

Kevin my first son in Rwanda ( 2006) adopted me and I adopted him. It was a mutual love relationship that has not changed with time.Solange, my precious girl, is now living in Texas and going to University. She is such a blessing and I am so proud of her. I miss them both at Urukundo but I know children grow up and move on. Having them wish me a HAPPY BIRTHDAY was a bonus in counting my blessings.

A trip on a bus to Kigali. How exciting.  It was all the kids talked about a week before the trip.  Most of our kids had not been out of our home village and Kigali proved to be as exciting as they thought. So many cars, and people and big buildings and police and soldiers and big buses. Little eyes could not take it all in.
The bus trip was only the beginning of this Christmas event.
The Green Hills Nursery had decided to honor Urukundo Home and Learning Center by making our kids "SECRET FRIENDS"  for their kids. Staff, parents and children participated to make our Christmas. The children at GHA were as excited as our kids to finally meet their secret friends. They shared play time and exchanged gifts and had lunch together.
It was a wonderful day.  Green Hills Academy furnished transportation for this trip. We thank them for the love. 
At devotions that evening our kids thanked God for their new friends at Green Hills Academy and for the many gifts given to them by other children
We were welcomed by Shamira the Principal.
The playground for tots was wonderful.
The Day Care Preschool team.
In the afternoon the Secondary (high school) students presented Urukundo with a check to support our school and home as well as many gifts of clothes, shoes and other necessities.
All the gifts under the tree were for Urukundo.

The whole team from the High School came to see us off.  Lucie, Anitha and I got in the picture.

A very tired but happy bunch of kids are ready to board the bus for the trip home.

Christmas at Urukundo

Sharing Christmas with the kids from the neighborhood was awesome.
I had the usual qualms. What if nobody comes?  I need not have worried. Over 150 kids from the very youngest up to secondary school age arrived. The little ones learned to play HOT POTATO & DROP THE HANDKERCHIEF and the big kids played football, basketball and volley ball. 
Cookies and juice were served, lolly pops and a small gift was given to every child under 12. A chocolate was given to the older kids after cookies and juice. Chocolate is a special treat here.
From the youngest to the oldest all had a good time.
Gifts for the children from the community.  Not enough so many received a packet of cookies. Next year we will
prepare more.

Greetings from Urukundo Village and Learning Center - August 2013

The big event for August was an invitation from TEDx to be a speaker at their first ever event in Rwanda.
Such an honor. I accepted the invitation and the fun began. There were several meetings for this event to happen. Meeting the staff was a highlight. They are an amazing group of young people.
Preparing a written talk was a challenge. I am an "off the top of your head" speaker and I found it difficult to write what I would say. The TEDx committee worked with me and accepted a brief of what I wanted to say and let me do my thing. I think it went well. August 9 it happened on a roof top in Kigali City. It was awesome. 
Check out this website.
Some of the cast and crew of the TEDx event.

Playground

The play ground is getting used a lot.  It serves 3 groups of kids, our children, the school children and children from the community. It is such a blessing.
The kids still need a sliding board of sorts and some kind of merry-go-round.

Volunteer Bella from California looking out for Diane. Swings can be a hazard to your health but fun.

Homecoming

I arrived home in Urukundo Village on June 12, 2013.  It was a very happy day for me as I was homesick for the children. Now I will be homesick for family and friends at home in the US!  Seems that is the way it will be.
I have recovered from jetlag and am catching up here.
The homecoming was awesome. When we arrived the gate was wide open with banana trees on both sides of the road. (this is a traditional indication of celebration.) The children, including Jacob and all the staff with Pastor Antoine, were in the yard at the steps waving and cheering. 
Johnny brought me a special flower.
The school children were in school uniforms and very handsome. They sang songs for me and were so excited. 
We did a group hug.
Hard to keep my balance but it was great!
                                                          
The staff gave hugs. There was colored ribbon and balloons around the door and a ribbon to cut to go in. Claude #2 held a wooden plate with scissors on it. I cut the ribbon and we went inside. More songs were sung by all and Pastor Antoine prayed thanking God for my safe return. It was truly a wonderful welcome. The kids each had a lollipop and the staff had chocolate, and know that treat was sent by family in America. 
Later in the afternoon visitors from the village stopped by to say welcome home.
Then it was back to business as usual on Thursday.