I read somewhere that March contains the first day of spring. I am glad it happens every year at the same time. Spring marks the rebirth of Mama Nature. So, OK, that is great. Flowers bloom, trees get new leaves, mama bears emerge from a long winter's nap and everywhere the miracles called spring happen. Enjoy spring for summer is close behind.
I miss spring in Pennsylvania.
Love, Mama
Due to our hopes and requests from our visitors, Urukundo is now offering a package to acquaint our visitors with the culture and countryside of Rwanda.
This 3-day package is a good one. One & two-day packages are also available.
| URUKUNDO TOUR MARCH 2023 |
|---|
| Day 1 — Nyanza & Huye Museums visit |
| Day 2 — Kigali city tour + Genocide Memorial |
| Day 3 — Akagera Safari Game Drive |
| INCLUSIONS |
| 3 days 4x4 safari car hire |
| 2 nights 2 rooms b & b |
| All Museums fees + Royal cows |
| All Akagera park permits |
| All Akagera packed lunches |
| Accompanying Guide 3 days |
| All taxes & handling fees |
| TOTAL PRICE = ... |
Some of what you will experience.
Kings Palace
Royal Cows
Animals in their natural habitat
Also available:
Muhanga, zipline drone airport.
Nyungwe Rain Forest - is undoubtedly the most floristically rich forest in Rwanda.
Gorilla Tracking - The unique opportunity to see gorillas in their natural habitat. There is an age limit for this event.
Other safari and excursions are open upon request.
Our greatest loves are the children who come to Urukundo Learning Center and the babies in the daycare. The little ones must be in a pleasant environment. The daycare occupies the former Dental Clinic (which has moved to a new location) and the original girls’ home. We now have more space for very young children (ages 3 months to 3 years). With the added space, we looked at the daycare with new eyes. How could we make it better at a low cost?
A decision was made to make it bright by adding colors and providing more space to play. We needed a more kid-friendly environment. Amazing what a little paint, a roller or a brush, and a willing worker can do!
Brown cribs came outside to be painted.
Now in the crib area are pretty cribs and beautiful children..What a wonderful difference a little color can make for children!
Then came the beds.
Pink, blue, yellow, and lavender are wonderful colors.
Cupboards, tables, and benches have a new personality.
After brightening the furniture, we painted the interior walls and added what we hope will be pleasant to the eye and educational for our young learners.
Then it was time to decorate the walls.
The art on the walls indicates the activity that takes place in the room.
Artists worked freehand. One sketched; the other filled in the pictures. Great teamwork!
The finished products are beautiful walls.
Sleep-inducing – we hope – cribs.
Older children's naptime
The art in the dining room features strawberries, bananas, passion fruit, apple, orange pineapple, papaya, and avocado.
Cabbage, pepper, and cucumbers.
Potatoes, green beans, and corn.
Cup, bowl, spoon, plate with food, glass with juice, children eating, bowl of food, pitcher, fork, spoon, and cooking pot.
Now wander through the door to the play area with me.
I love it all, but the animals are my favorite.
African animals (They joined Winnie the Pooh, already on the door.)
Vehicles
Moto and driver; helicopter; schoolhouse; and children at play.
Awesome kids’ play area.
An added attraction is this beautiful and sturdy doll house.
This month's play-to-learn project is construction. Construction is often thought of as a kind of a guy thing.
I am Kelia. I am going to be a builder when I grow up. My friend Atete also wants to build.
I am Atete. I am a girl. I will be a builder one day.
Someday I will build big buildings. Now we build with Legos, Duplos, and nuts and bolts.
Nuts-and-bolts construction sets are useful to learn how to use tools.
Hard hats are important when you work in construction. Doesn’t matter if they are on wrong; they still cover the head.
Urukundo Foundation is so proud of Deborah, our first law student graduate. Deborah along with others from her class become official by signing the oath of office.
Signing that she has taken the oath.
Sure looks every bit a lawyer. Looks very judicial.
Weddings are not new to Urukundo. The family came to rent the space and found HMR House was not the size they needed. After checking for a larger space, they came back and asked if they could use the soccer field. Management was concerned because we are in the rainy season, but we try to help and permission was granted.
A wedding tent twice the size of the HMR House was erected on the soccer field. The view from the top of the mountain gave a perfect photo of the beautiful countryside. The small tents on the field were used to serve food buffet-style to the bridal party and guests.
These four special chairs in the center of the tent were for the bride, groom, best man, and maid of honor.
This is only half of the seating arrangement in the tent.
This wedding included families from Rwanda and Congo. A very large family. Weddings in Rwanda are usually family reunions, so as many as possible come to meet and greet. Many have not been together for years, making a wedding an especially happy occasion.
Urukundo was pleased we could accommodate this wedding..
Yes, I am pleased as punch. Meet some of my USA family: Tim Brown, Arlene Brown, Mason Brown and Jerry Brown.
We are four generations, Son Jerry, grandson Tim, and great-grandson Mason, age 9. And, of course, me. I am mom, gram and great gram. Jerry is my middle child of five. Father and son look much alike. This was the second visit for both Jerry and Tim. First time for Mason.
Can’t believe how short I am to have such tall kids. Wow!!
Meeting and greeting
Great-grandson Mason being greeted by Urukundo students. The kids took him into their hearts.
Great photo. Can you find all three Muzungus (not Rwandan)?
The three wanted to learn about Rwanda, its culture and its history. Arrangements were made.
The visitors enjoyed a three-day tour.
Replica of the ancient palace, the home of the king and his family.
Royal cows. Mason kept his distance. Understandable.
Touring Kigali City, the capital of Rwanda.
On to Akagera National Park
The safari vehicle comes with a driver and guide.
Guide Guy, Mason, Driver Innocent, Tim and Jerry.
They saw zebra, giraffe, water buffalo, warthogs, and many other animals, but the highlight of the trip was seeing this magnificent male lion.
After returning to Urukundo Village from the tour, Mason had the pleasure of visiting virtually with his third-grade class.
We have fiber optic capability, and Mason was able to meet with his third-grade class on Zoom.
It was great for our third-grade students and for the third-graders at Ward L. Myers Elementary School in Muncy, Pennsylvania, USA.
For a long time, it has been Urukundo’s hope to share the beautiful countryside, culture, and history of Rwanda with our visitors. The time has finally come. It is now possible to volunteer at Urukundo Foundation, have time with the kids and spend some days enjoying the sights and sounds of Rwanda.
More details are forthcoming. The mailing list will receive the update, and others are invited to check the website.
Hope to see you soon.
Much love,
Mama
It is awesome how fast the years go by.The year 2022 is gone, and 2023 has begun. At my age, every year is a gift. Our goals for 2023 are many as we move forward improving the future for so many.
Goal #1 is constructing additional classrooms to accommodate the number of children seeking education.
Goal #2 is completing the renovation of the kitchen.
Goal #3 is making improvements at the daycare. Making the daycare more child friendly is in progress.
Goal #4 is a big one: building an indoor sports arena (gymnasium).
All these projects are included in our five-year plan.
OK, so that is a lot to accomplish but if you do not aim high you do not achieve much. Do we need help? Of course, we do.
In 2022, our Goal #1 was to relocate the Dental Clinic to the original residence.
That has been accomplished.
The clinic name also was changed to UF (Urukundo Foundation) Dental Clinic.
New sign for the Dental Clinic. Visible from the main road at the gate. This shows the sign coming from town.
That’s the sign going to town. Great sign.
My assistant Olive's baby girl Linn Tiana Mwiza Fogang has joined the Urukundo Family. Too many names for this beautiful girl. We call her Linn.
Claudine is joined by her sisters Livine and Sarah at home for a short holiday. Younger brother Prince also made it home for a two-day visit. So happy to have them all home! I can’t believe how tall my little kids have gotten. Claudine is now serving an internship at Urukundo Daycare, Prince is in Primary 5, and Livine and Sarah are in Secondary 2 (eighth grade).
Kenny, one of our twins, made it home for one day, arriving on Jan. 9. His delay was due to the death of his grandfather's younger brother. Kenny is in Secondary 3 (ninth grade).
Hello, I am Amelia. I am 1 year and 1 month old. I attend Urukundo Daycare.
I really like my hat and apron. Dressing up is so much fun.
We do a lot of things at the daycare. Today we are learning to cook. Our first lesson is on a pretend stove. Mama says I must not put my hands on the burner. It would hurt and so I am careful. Do you see my microwave?
I am cooking an egg in a little pan.
A regular chair with a cover is a good stove for me to learn on.
This is my friend, Uwase.
Auntie Josephine is helping us with eating. We use our fingers mostly, but we are learning to use a spoon. Spoons are a bit hard to manage.
We have eggs, vegetables, fruit, pans, dishes and cups for this project. The cooks have hats and aprons.
At the end of the playtime, Mama Zuzu serves us all pretend tea. See the red and blue cups and the teapot.
Unseemly events do happen at Urukundo. I would like to share with you the story of “The Offensive Fence.” This particular day started with a bang. It was a Monday, and Mondays are usually uneventful. To begin my day, I walked out to where I could view the playground and see the children playing. The joy of my day. I was horrified to see an unsightly fence had been placed on the edge of the school play area (soccer field) over the weekend.
I was furious. Urukundo's fences are built well. Not made of trees and sticks.
I thought our neighbor had erected the offensive fence. I was ready to go to see the mayor and complain that the fence was an eyesore and a hazard to the more than 1,100 children who play on our field. Imagine my surprise when I learned that Urukundo and my builder Benjamin had constructed the fence to try to protect the children and be a good neighbor. It would have been humiliating had I gone to the mayor to complain and for her to tell me it was my own fence and built not on Urukundo ground but on private property.
Needless to say, I did not go to the mayor to lodge a complaint. I did have the fence removed. The fence was intended to keep our children from land planted by a neighbor. I understand that. If a fence is needed, it will be built, but it will be a proper fence.
Urukundo Learning Center really needs the land the fence was on to extend our soccer field.
With this additional piece of land, our sports field would meet regulation soccer field requirements. It is our dream to hold soccer competitions at our school. We have already written a letter to the private sector requesting the land to extend the field.
