So hard to believe. Our kids are really growing up.
Amin, a new husband, and Marie Claire, his lovely wife, are one happy couple.
Amin is Urukundo’s first brother to get married. Wow!! Can this be true? Yes, it sure is.
My first daughter-in-law in Rwanda! Welcome to the family, Marie Claire. Congratulations, Amin. Be the best husband you can be, and know that you and Marie Claire are in our prayers for a long and happy life together.
The project for the month was revamping the library, including adding more educational toys and and supplying more shelf space. Librarian Irene and Olive teamed up with Carol Falke from the USA to make this project a success.
Big question: What belongs in the classroom and what should be in the library available for teachers to borrow and return?
Preschool classrooms also benefited from this project.
Organization was the objective in the library and classrooms.
Preparation before organization
Every 3- and 4-year old enjoys dolls that to play with. Cribs are on the way for these baby dolls. Each preschool classroom will have a crib and hopefully two baby dolls. Never too young to learn about love. With 30 kids in the morning and 30 in the afternoon loving on these baby dolls, they will not last long. But, oh, what fun!
In the library for all to share. African animals to see and read about.
What boy and, yes, girl would not love vehicles of every description? With books to tell the story.
Construction in progress. All ages benefit from the library.
Space travel, futuristic indeed. Carol demonstrates rocket for teachers.
Let's go shopping, Vegetables, fruits, shopping bag, pretend money and a tea set for later. All part of the learning process.
Learning about caterpillars and butterflies was the project for the preschool.
We cover so many aspects of living and sharing.
Alan Lane visited from North Carolina, USA. Alan is a professional photographer working with
Photographers Without Borders. It was our pleasure to have Alan join us for worship, a tour and lunch with the kids.
Urukundo kids are in prayer at worship.
The drum is a vital part of our worship as are the many community children who come to worship with us.
Choir director for the community children in action.
My favorite time in life is watching the precious babies and seeing the many dear faces that mean so much to me.
Thank you, Alan, for sharing your photos with us. Beautiful faces.
In addition to Alan’s photos, here’s another beautiful face. This is Ava Arlene, daughter of executive director Jean Marie and his wife Larrisa. Ava Arlene is my namesake in Rwanda.
And I am so proud of Tresor, our student graduating from Arizona State University in the USA in May.
Kids are getting the full impact of food.
Shopping, vegetables
Cooking aprons and chef’s hats. See the eggs and chickens on the aprons?
Serving. First term in culinary arts. We’re starting them young.
Here it is March 15, and I am in the USA.
Believe it. I slept most of the journey home and was greeted in the USA by friends from Reston, Va. I was taken to breakfast. It’s not unusual for me to have no camera. This time, I left it in Rwanda for assistant Olive to use to send me photos of my kids.
First photo from Olive. My kids waving to me.
Saying “Hello mama.”
Second photo. Love this.
New in Mama’s rock garden.
Awesome!
Here are some kids in my world in the USA. Remember, all under 65 are kids for me.
Thank you friend, Bruce, for sharing. His wife, Margie, took the photo. She’s on the board of Hope Made Real. A wonderful time seeing them, their children, grandchildren and guests at their home in Penn Hills, PA, USA. Hey, how do you like the new haircut???
An evening spent with the Waverly Presbyterian Church mission team from Pittsburgh. Their visit was a memorable one. This one includes our newsletter editor Eleanor standing next to Mama.
It was great to be with this happy group once again.
Happy news
Come join the fun. A gala fundraising event in Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28.
Interested??? Contact Mama or Patricia
Emails are arlene@hopemadereal.org and pdbrown@spiritworks.org .
Or phone 412-522-6450.
Can’t be there? Donations can be sent to:
Hope Made Real
P.O. Box 3222
Williamsport, PA 17701
USA
Now last, but not least, I give you an Urukundo fashion show.
These Urukundo fashion treasures will be part of the celebration in Pittsburgh on April 27 and 28.
Come meet and greet me, Mama Arlene, and learn more about Urukundo, the foundation based on love. Translated, Urukundo is the Rwandan word for love.
Mama Arlene
Ready to support the children???
It seems each month has its own rewards and challenges. February is no exception. Cramming into 28 days what usually takes 31 has not been easy.
Love is what it is all about.
We share our love with Centre Marembo in Kigali by supplying free dental care for their girls.
Love is shared with Benjamin, our maintenance manager, on the birth of his baby girl. Benj has two boys. Now a little girl. How awesome! Congratulations, Papa Benj.
Love is sharing a cookie in worship Sunday morning.
Love is a teacher caring for his student with tenderness.
Love is hugging a little girl and her butterfly.
Love is sharing with Sandy Narayanan and Laurien Sibomana as they work for the welfare of young people with diabetes in Rwanda.
Share your love. Make every day a special day for at least one person. Blessings flow.
First visit to Claude and Luki in secondary school. Visitation is allowed the second Sunday in the month. The St. Bernadette Secondary School is a half hour from Urukundo Village and easy to get to.
Students wait for family and friends.
This month, Luki hurt his shoulder playing sports, and we were able to bring him home for a few days. If he were in a school several hours away, this would not have been possible. His shoulder was only bruised, and he returned to school after three days.
Our boys are growing up.
Big brother Diescor, our medical student, home for a break, visited with the boys.
We are honoring the martial arts this month.
Our karate kids are looking good.
On my right is Eugene, Urukundo’s farm manager and instructor for the karate students.
Black belts are hard to earn. From our karate school, we have eight. I have yet to even be given the proper clothes so I have no belt.
What makes P6 boys happy? Of course, a gift of much needed sports balls. These arrived and are so appreciated.
We are grateful.
Volleyball, basketball and soccer balls.
Early in February, Ray O’Keefe from Seattle, Washington, USA, dropped by. Literally, he did drop by. I did not know he was in Rwanda.
Ray is Chief Nurse Anesthetist at Providence Washington Anesthesia Services, PC, Providence Regional Medical Center, Everett, Washington.
Ray and his wife, Sarah Ketchley, our website manager, have been part of the Urukundo family for 10 years.
Ray was in Rwanda with a team of surgeons and anesthetists on a medical mission. He took time on his rest day to come visit Urukundo and give me a hug from Sarah.
Ray and his family support, love and pray for our own John Paul Nziyumanganya. John Paul just recently returned to Urukundo after furthering his education in Seattle, Washington. Thanks to Ray and Sarah’s devotion, he is now a full time physical education teacher at Urukundo Learning Center.
The Dental Clinic had a real boost in February. We are always happy to welcome a visiting dentist from abroad.
Dr. Troy Michelson and his wife and assistant, Charmaine, are very appreciated. They hail from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This is their third journey to Urukundo Village.
The day care was blessed by their daughter, Alina Michelson, who was accompanying her parents for the first time. She brought her best friend, Kristina Le May.
Alina and friends
Kristina sharing her toys
More fun at Mama’s house
Both girls said they will be back.
After a day of rest and touring Urukundo Village and Learning Center, Troy and Charmaine got down to serious business.
They started by scanning and treating, if necessary, all P5 and P6 students at our school.
Reports were sent home to their parents. Students waited to register. Ishmal, our clerk and recorder, filled in forms.
Dr. Troy and Charmaine are a team worthy of praise.
Dr. Troy and student.
Suction, anyone? Oliver, our full-time therapist, comes to the aid of Dr. Troy.
Serious consultation.
Aline Ishimue, the newest addition to our dental staff, tried something new, thanks to Charmaine.
A fun time was had by all.
