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Climate change

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The violent storms we are experiencing are beyond any I have witnessed in the 20 odd years I have been in Rwanda.Tropical storms are expected, but wind and rain, mixed with lightning, rumbling claps of thunder, and hailstones big enough to dent your car are a little much. The storms are truly testing my new residence and the hilly land around the Learning Center.


Damage in front of the preschool.

Rwanda’s flag is no longer surrounded by mud.

Benjamin and his crew went to work, and the mud is no longer a problem. Safer for the kids. Now the children can run and play without mud. I am happy.

Living on a mountain is always exciting. Rwanda is all mountains. There is no choice.

Watching a mountain erode in the form of a mudslide behind the primary school. Retaining walls are a must. We cleaned up the mud, but it will take some time to build the retaining wall to prevent further damage. We know each storm will make it worse. The ground is so soft.

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Sports Day

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Feb. 19 was Sports Day at Urukundo Foundation.

Volleyball and footeball (soccer) were the games to be played. The teams were made up of teachers and parents.

Teachers’ volleyball team

Parents’ volleyball team

To play on the parents’ team you must have a child enrolled in Urukundo Learning Center.

Teachers in black, parents in yellow. Notice the referee standing on a chair. It was a close match. The parents were the winners.

A group photo. I got to pose with both teams.

Teachers’ soccer team.

Parents’ soccer team.

This game ended in a tie. That was good for me. No winner. No loser. Just good exercise.

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Special event

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Sharing it with you but with no pictures of the event.

For the first time, I gave a group a tour inside my house using Zoom. I think FaceTime and Skype also would work. When I was in the USA, this wonderful and supportive group asked me if it would be possible to have a virtual tour of the house they helped to build. I really wasn’t sure I could do it as I had never tried it before, but I was willing to try. Well, it worked. It was not perfect, but for a first try I think it was OK.

Thank you, We Are Women Helping Others (WAWHO), in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA, for giving me a chance to prove you are never too old to learn new tricks. That changes the old saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Who are the ladies of WAWHO? Here’s a photo of them:

Closing thoughts

My thoughts for February are in line with Margie Krogh’s thinking about music.

I finish the February newsletter with this quote from Lou Rawls, American record producer, singer, composer and actor.

“Music is the greatest communication in the world. Even if people don't understand the language that you're singing in, they still know good music when they hear it.”

Mama

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January Newsletter

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The highlight of 2022: Mama has a new home. Its completion was a very special event. This building will be the home of all future directors of Urukundo and the guest house for visitors and volunteers who wish to spend quality time at Urukundo Village and Learning Center.

Here’s what I could see looking out the window of my old residence. Yes, it was rather bleak. This was the view from my old residence.

Compare this with what I now am able to see from my new residence.

Sliding board, swings, merry-go-round in play area

Basketball court

Basketball

Volleyball

Soccer field

I can view all of the activities, and I am a happy Mama.

Awesome. I feel less isolated and, more importantly, I have contact with the children. I no longer have to climb the mountain to see the kids at play and visit the school.

Here’s a tour of my new home. Small door is my office entrance. Double doors are the entrance to the living quarters. In all the years I’ve been at Urukundo, this is the first time my bedroom is totally private. Wow! What an accomplishment! The shape of the home is a tribute to Rwandan history and culture. It's the shape of the King’s Palace Museum, which is a reconstruction of the 19th century traditional royal residence.

A beautiful art canvas by a local artist, a gift from Urukundo cleaners. Look for it hanging in my new office.

The moving week began on Jan. 4.

Installing kitchen cabinets

Kitchen completed

The dining room drapes open

The dining room drapes closed

Dining area and kitchen. I love the openness of this floor plan.

Relax and enjoy our living area. Great place to greet friends.

Wide-open space includes living area, dining area and kitchen with cathedral ceiling.

Looking straight up.

My greatest joy: zebra, birds and paintings are all Rwandan culture art.

Guest room. The beds are comfortable and the covers will keep you warm.

My office. Imagine an office that does not have a bed in it!

Thank you for touring Urukundo’s new residence with me. I hope soon you can come to Urukundo Village and spend some time enjoying what so many of you have helped build.

New headmaster

The New Year has started off with changes at Urukundo Learning Center.

It is with regret and best wishes that Urukundo bids farewell to Headmaster Irene Dushimimana as he moves on to another position, advancing in his career of choice.

We welcome the new headmaster and his administrative staff: Dean of Education Theogene Niyonshima, Dean of Discipline Anuirite Mukeshimana, Headmaster Viateur Ngiruwonsanga and Secretary Adeline Mutuyimama.

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A gift that keeps on giving

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Carol Falke, our Hope Made Real Board International president, is at work. Her love of books and the Urukundo Learning Center library reaches out to others who have like passion.

A book sponsorship was held at Park Forest Village United Methodist Church in State College, Pennsylvania, USA. Children and adults selected a book or two and wrote a message inside for Urukundo Learning Center’s children’s library.

Continuing in the spirit of Christmas giving, a book sponsorship was an event at Trinity Lutheran Church in State College. (L-R) Pastor Ron Miller, Vicar Ted Williams, Linda Leslie and Lacey Sheaffer represented the congregation in this worthy project. What better gifts than books to open young minds to new adventures?

Side note: Carol chooses appropriate books, and others sponsor the books chosen. She then ships them by UPS to the Urukundo Foundation. You can do your part as well. Help is always needed and appreciated to cover the cost of shipping.

School news

Secondary kids (junior high school) enjoyed time together during the January school break: Claude, Livine, Kenny, Kenilla, John, Sarah and Lucky.

Primary started the second term.

This month the competition was in math in grades 1-6 and science in grades 4-6.

I was honored to give out the awards.The science projects had to do with water and electricity. How we can purify water for drinking and how the earth recycles water to care for our environment and our bodies. Another group dealt with creating electricity using water power. Math needs some work, but the science projects were awesome.