The month of July started with Soso and the Anne Frank Project visitors from SUNY Buffalo State going on a trip to Nyungwe National Park, which has one of the oldest rainforests in Africa.
Soso has an adventure. Soso on the canopy walk at Nyungwe.
The opportunity to see what few Rwandan children ever experience was a gift from this team to Soso. I thank them for including him in their exploration of Rwanda.
In early July, I welcomed visitors from Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Muhanga. It was my pleasure to host this group to lunch in my home.
The group included Rev. Mrs. Albertine Nyiraneza, president of the Gitarama Presbytery of the Eglise Presbyterienne au Rwanda (EPR), and Samuel Habarurem, both neighbors of Urukundo Foundation.
Also visiting were S, Mark Phoebus, Kay Smith and Fred Mitchell, from Calvary Presbyterian Church in Indiana, Pennsylvania. These three are home folk.
Can you guess what this is all about?
These are pictures from the Primary 6 field study trip for Primary 6 at Urukundo Learning Center.
The P6 field trip was a new experience for our students and faculty.
The students learned a lot at the Umusambi Village and the Kandt House Museum. Umusambi is Kigali’s first wildlife sanctuary and provides a sanctuary for gray crowned cranes. The museum is named after Richard Kant, the first colonial governor of Rwanda.
Headmaster Viateur and teachers accompanied the students.
You can read more about this trip. A special followup will be on the Hope Made Real website, to be published after Tresor, our person in charge of posting, returns from his honeymoon.
Tresor: Handsome groom. Sandra: Beautiful bride.
It’s official: Tresor and Sandra are husband and wife. The wedding took place on July 18, 2023.
Here are the steps to marriage in Rwanda and its culture:
1. Civil ceremony
2. Dowry
3. Religious ceremony and reception
Tresor’s story can be found in my book, “Hope Made Real, the Story of Mama Arlene and the Children of Urukundo,” Pages 85 and 86. I am so very proud of this young man.
These visitors are from Westminster College, a liberal arts college in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.
This happy group was here for only 30 minutes. In that 30 minutes, they visited the daycare and the Urukundo Learning Center. So much of Urukundo they did not see! My thought is that 30 minutes is not enough. However, you use what you have and hope they will return in the future with more time to spend.
Headmaster Viateur, myself, and Global Engagement Institute Coordinator Adeline accompanied them on their visit.
Thanks to generous funding, the needed classrooms are under construction.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 5
Imagine what this will look like when I return in September!
Claudine has been accepted into a special program. The program is sponsored by Masaka Resource Center for the Blind in Kigali. Claudine is an exceptional young woman, and we are so grateful to have this opportunity given to her. The program starts in August.
This was the first graduation ceremony presenting our Karate Club. The basketball court was the perfect place to practice to get ready.
Much ado about graduation.
We rented speakers so all can hear the presentation.
Preparation was a big project and took a lot of manpower. It required a very large space for many guests.
Many tents were erected and chairs placed. This photo shows only the graduates’ side of the field.
Not the best photo, but it gives you an idea of the number of tents needed. There still was not enough seating. More benches and mats had to be placed to accommodate the children and parents. It was so gratifying to see the turnout of families coming to honor our students as they graduated.
Tom Nunnally Sewing Center graduates
Urukundo Learning Center Primary 6 graduates
There were 166 preschool graduates and 61 Primary 6 students. In the center left of the photo are a district education official, National Board President Oswalde, Headmaster Viateur and Mama. What an awesome group!
I’m going home to the USA.
This will be a short trip — just six weeks.
I am preparing to travel to the USA. What better way to prepare than to relax and be pampered? A pedicure and manicure set the tone for my trip to visit family and friends. Such luxury!
Pedicure in progress.The young lady does house calls. I am grateful.
I have a request. Our school band needs musical instruments. Do you have a saxophone, trombone or any musical instrument in good condition gathering dust? If so,Urukundo’s music program could put it to good use.
Please check your attic or storage space. If you find one, dig it out, dust it off, make sure it is in good condition and get in touch with me. brown.arlene30@gmail.com
I will be in the USA in August and would gladly transport your musical gift back to the Urukundo Learning Center and its music program. We need many kinds of musical instruments, not just the two mentioned above.
Visiting friends and family in the USA is a blessing at the age of 92. I can dream of living to 110.
Dreaming new dreams and setting new goals are my renewed priorities. Urukundo prospering is my No. 1 gal and continued good health is No. 2. Hey, I won’t last another 92 years, but I will value every year I am given.
Much love,
Mama
June. What a wonderful month!
The heavy rain has stopped. Just light showers persist, and they are appreciated. More renovation is taking place. With the move of the Tom Nunnally Sewing Center to new quarters, our thoughts turned to the best use for the former building. As you may recall, it was built as a home for boys.
When the government decided we could no longer house our boys, we converted it into a sewing center. With the expansion of the Tom Nunnally Sewing Center and the move to its new location, the former boys’ home became available again as we continue to develop.
The best use of that large facility in the middle of Urukundo Village would be to convert it into a guest house. Good idea. The work has begun. When it is finished, it will have a dorm for girls and a dorm for boys as well as baths and three private rooms with private baths for adult guests. It will sleep 24 visitors. In Mama’s house, there are three guest rooms with space for six guests. We now have lodging for a total number of 30 guests at one time.
The original boys’ home is being transformed into Urukundo’s guest house.
Front view of the Urukundo Guest House
Front entrance opens into what will be a sitting room.
The main room is ready with sleeping room doors visible. Now we need beds for volunteers and visitors.
