April 2021 Newsletter

Greetings from Mama Arlene

April is the month of new beginnings. Well, for Urukundo, it is a month of developing a new system for our kitchen. Thanks to some early gifts, we were able to start. We will continue as funding becomes available. After much discussion, the decision was made. Considering the health problems for our employees breathing smoke and the environmental effects of destroying our forests for firewood, we decided to go ahead with installing the propane gas for cooking.

We will rebuild the kitchen when funds are available. Yes, it truly is a new beginning. For months, I have been anticipating what changing from wood to propane gas might be like. Well, dear friends and family, here in pictures is the answer. In capital letters, I declare: ANOTHER HOPE MADE REAL.

Propane tank arrives.

It takes a lot of men to lift such a heavy object.

OK. Job well done. Tank off of the truck.

Celebration of another Hope Made Real.

A platform was built. The tank now has a permanent resting place.

We must protect our neighbor and secure the land where the propane tank rests. It would not be good to one day find our tank sitting on our neighbor’s property. Yes, a retaining wall and a fence to protect the tank for safety reasons are necessary.

Tanker arrives for the first time to fill our tank.

We have gas.

Protection for the tank.

The tank has its protective house. Painted blue, of course.

Inside the kitchen

Changes took place to welcome the new cookers and pans.

Gone are these wood-burning, smoke-producing fire pits and the platform they were on.

They are replaced by a lower and workable platform.

A new way of cooking requires teaching and learning. Cooking with gas is much different than with wood. The Standard Gas Company provided an instructor to supervise the installation and to teach the safety measures necessary to cook with gas.

A technician gives instructions on using gas safely to cook.

Gas line, platform, cookers and pans.

More positive changes.

Removing smoke-blackened ceiling

Fresh paint makes for a brighter work area. Panels make a big improvement.

Better working space and shelving. The metal table is an asset.

Our construction crew replaced the old platform to accommodate the new cookers. They also added an open window for better ventilation.

A happy kitchen crew.

The new kitchen is still needed. For now, we are happy to work with the changes made to the old kitchen.

Mama and Baby project

The Mama and Baby Project continues to serve the community.

Precious

Urukundo Learning Center news

The school bus drivers have uniforms. The government now requires all school bus drivers to wear uniforms. We aim to please.

Transportation manager Oswald

Looking good. Left to right, Xavier, Oswald and Eric, all good drivers.

Any shade of blue is favored by me. This is modeled by the same three men.

An event called David

Having read my book ”Hope Made Real," you may remember David. He’s on Page 117. He was our first baby and was the reason we started a preschool in 2010.

At times David, like all kids, doesn’t consider the consequences of his actions.

In April the secondary students had a two-week break before starting the last term of the school year.

Rather than having the parents travel to the school to pick up their kids, the school transports the students by bus to the stadium in Muhanga town.

It is then up to the parents to pick up the kids and get them home.

David made a bad decision. Coming off the bus he headed straight home to Urukundo. That’s a long walk from the stadium to Urukundo Village.

The walk was not a problem. The problem was David needed permission from his parents to come home.

Yep, you got it. He did not get permission.

I was happy to see him and assumed he had permission. Hugs were exchanged, and he showed me his report card with pride.

Being the mom, I asked Olive to call and let David’s family know he had arrived safely and was OK. When Olive called, they were not happy. The moto driver had called them to say he could not find David at the stadium. David had come home to his mom and Urukundo, causing worry for his foster family.

I had to talk to him about obeying rules and respecting his foster family and his school and send him back to his foster family.

David's tears broke my heart. I do wish he had asked for permission before coming.

After returning to his foster family David was given permission to spend three days with his Urukundo family.

David home for a short visit. His foster family has shared time off from school with us. Welcome home, David.

Closing thoughts

A thought as we leave the month of April.

I share with you these wise words that are often repeated. “It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”

My dear friends and family, live your life each day as best you can.

Much love,

Mama Arlene

March 2021 Newsletter

Vaccinations!

Urukundo certainly marched into March with gusto. What an exciting month!

The first week in March will live in my memory. This was the week Rwanda received the Covid-19 vaccine. The first vaccine was to be distributed to health centers on March 5, with the first vaccinations to be given on March 6.

Not being a Rwandan with just my passport for ID, I was not on any listing to receive it. I understood that I would have to make contact, I then would be added, and it would take weeks or maybe months before I would receive notice to go to a health center to be vaccinated.

I had no problem with that. There are so many who are in greater danger.

Much to my surprise at 6 a.m. the very next morning, I received a text telling me I should appear at the Kivumu Health Center that very day (March 6) and the vaccine would be given to me. As is normal, I was being given special treatment. This time, I was grateful for it. Most times, I resent being shown preferential treatment.

Covid-19 vaccine administered in Kivumu in the Cyeza sector on March 6.

Sorry to say I had a very bad reaction to the vaccine two weeks to the day, but knowing travel will never be possible unless you have the vaccine, I am glad I received it and I encourage others to receive it also. It is time to return to sharing hugs and kisses. The vaccine, masks and love make that possible.

Kids shop

New backpacks were the order of the day.

Backpacks and school shoes all in one shopping trip. A successful trip for Diane, Benita and Joyce.

Feature of the Month: The Day Care

Many months in the process, thanks to so many, we celebrate the day care project as completed. God is good. In our five-year plan, we hoped to complete the day care project in 2020. Our plan was good but not the best plan. The Covid-19 pandemic changed the plans of many, Urukundo included. The need for wages for our employees, more classrooms for distancing, handicap-accessible walkways, a central wash station and a larger dining room took precedence, and the day care was put on hold.

The completion of the dining room project let us expand the day care space. We were able to transform the original dining room into a play area for the day care, thus enlarging the space for day care. Mama’s house no longer needs to be used for play space. This means that the day care, which is in the original home for girls, is in one building. The day care serves 15 to 30 children from birth to kindergarten.

As I said, “God’s plan works best.”

The expanded space will be used on weekends for weddings, meetings and special celebrations. Thanks to a special gift, a rod was installed and a curtain made and put in place. The curtain allows a hiding place for toys etc. so that weddings and meetings can take place. This area is also used for the younger children to have Sunday School. It is a great place with lots of space for teaching our younger children the good news.

Toddlers and older children now have a new play area. Kids can run a bit, stretch their little legs and enjoy being kids.

Lunch at the day care. Notice the little guy under the table.

A safe environment and safe toys along with children learning to play together and to share are big parts of the day care’s agenda.

Babies still take first place in the heart and on the back.

Even if the baby is a bear.

Little ones under 18 months have their play area with much loving care.

Our little ones sleep. It is time for a rest.

Naptime for babies.

Our staff does a great job. Delphine, Betty, manager Anitha, Josephine and Francoise.

In our hearts

Our kids are always in our hearts.

Olive and Oswald visited Jason this month. He is doing well in his new home and new school. Growing so tall!

His smile is still the best.

Visit from our princess

Baby Chloe is 11 weeks old and finally came to visit her muzungu grandmother. Covid-19 has had control for too long. It was such a blessing to finally be holding this precious baby girl.

She was born Jan. 3. Her papa, my Rwandan son Amin, and his lovely wife Claire were delighted when, thanks to the prayers of so many, a healthy baby girl was born. Olive visited her at home, but because of Covid-19, it was not safe until recently to visit Mama at Urukundo Village.

In closing, sharing a laugh

Everyone needs a chuckle from time to time. Happy laughter is good medicine.

Having a sense of humor is an essential requirement when living in Rwanda.

I have found a small shop in town where small cups of ice cream can be purchased. I love ice cream. Especially vanilla.

Did you know that if you go shopping in Rwanda and you buy small cups of ice cream for Mom, then proceed to stop at several markets for other items before going home, you will not have ice cream an hour later? You will have a flavor-of-the-month container of milk? My secretary, Eric, found that out this month. Well, now he knows that you purchase the ice cream last, then go straight home.

I didn’t have ice cream, but I did have a good laugh.

Mama Arlene