Special Notice

On March 15, 2019, I will arrive in the USA. I am looking forward to spring in Pennsylvania.

March, April and May are special months as it is a time of renewal after a long winter.

This visit is basically for visiting Urukundo and personal friends and my family as well as for telling the continuing story of Urukundo Foundation and encouraging others to become part of our support system for this mission.

My home base will be Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with my daughter, Dr. Patricia Brown.

I hope to see many of you during the two and a half months I will be home in the USA.

More details as plans continue to progress.

Good news

Starting the new year, nine of our children remain in our home.

Three of them -- Claude, Aline and Luki -- are waiting for their national exam results and then will be going to secondary boarding school. They will return to Urukundo for school holidays. As is normal, we will share them with their families.

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Claude, Aline and Luki.

David has been given permission from his foster family to stay home with us and attend Primary 6 here rather than disrupt his education in the last year of primary.

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Of the children who have moved on to other families Jacob, Prince, Kevine, Banita and possible Rebekah will live close enough to be students at Urukundo Learning Center.

Birthday surprise

My 88th birthday turned out to be a total surprise. Who would ever expect a party at 6 am in the morning. When called to the living room that early in the morning I expected one of the children was sick so I quickly put on a cover dress did not comb my hair etc. Imagine this wonderful greeting.

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Not just the children, but teachers and staff were there to sing happy birthday to me.

Sure I cried. Tears of joy. Olive brought my housecoat so I would not be cold, and we toasted my special day with coffee, tea and African donuts

The kids presented me with a lovely card and lots of love.

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My gift from the staff was a new party dress.

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It is beautiful. Too early in the morning for modeling.

Birthday thanks

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to the many friends and family members who sent me birthday wishes on Facebook and especially email (my favorite way of communicating).

To those of you who cared and were willing to help fund my trip home in March, I am so grateful.

My ultimate goal is still living until I am 110 + years. God in charge. A lot to ask, I know.

It will take that many years to be sure the foundation laid here is solid and the children are the unique people God intends them to be.

Much ado about buses

In 2017, Urukundo purchased its first bus. We had money for only a small bus.

It has been our policy to purchase only what we have funding to pay for. We purchased this little bus (minibus).

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Then we were able to purchase a big bus. With the big bus plus the minibus, we are able to plan field trips, sports events and special outings for our school children and staff.

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A third bus was needed.

The news just got better.

Thanks to Rotary Club of Forest Hills, Pennsylvania, USA, and The Rotary Club of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, USA, funding has arrived to purchase another big bus.

Starting the school year in 2019, we will have a minibus and two big buses for transporting our children. The buses also are a source of revenue as rentals on weekends.

The new bus is now in the garage being painted, and we are in the process of hiring another driver. It will be in service for start of school on Jan. 14, 2019.

The parking space at the school for the new bus will have a plaque saying, "In memorandum of Tom Nunnally, donated by the Rotary Clubs of Forest Hills and Willkinsburg, Pa.”

Special staff event

A special event in 2018 was for the Urukundo Village support staff. This included office staff, home mamas, kitchen staff, farmers, guards and cleaners. Two big buses were needed for the trip to the King’s Palace in Nyanza and dinner after the tour. This was the first time for many of the staff to visit this wonderful part of their history.

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Special dancing cows at the palace.

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