On the honor roll. John, Senior 3, and Aline, Senior 5, are in different secondary schools and both are number 1 in their class. They were both home at Urukundo during summer vacation in September 2023.
Jacob visits
It was a great surprise when Jacob, a very welcome visitor to Urukundo, came home for the first time since he went to live with his foster family five years ago. He is now 10. It is so great that our babies are now old enough to come home for school breaks. We are so happy to receive them.
Jacob was Benjamin’s buddy.
The reunion of Jacob and Benjamin was heartwarming.
Wedding of the month
Bride and groom Deborah and Amily are in the center with their best man and maid of honor. Deborah is one of my Urukundo daughters.
The wedding was in Kigali City at Sunday Park. The dowry was great fun. I never did find out how many cows were given as a dowry for her. I would think a whole barnyard full.
As is customary in Rwandan culture, the bride and groom give gifts to special people. This gift was given to Urukundo Foundation and handed to Director Jean Marie Ntwari.
Mama also received a gift.
Urukundo was well represented among the guests.
Oliver, Jean Marie and yours truly.
Aunty Betty
Others present were Josephine, Delphine, Oswald, Sarah, Lucky, Claude and John.
Sandra, part of the Urukundo family and Tresor's bride in July, attended the bride.
Urukundo was there!
Sandra, Mama and Oliver
An extra special wedding event
Have you ever heard of a white wedding? I believe this is a first. In Rwanda, I know it is. I was honored when my Rwandan daughter chose to not only have a traditional Rwandan wedding but also, as a tribute to me, to have what she called “a white wedding.”
I was surprised when late the evening before Deborah’s wedding, I received a text from Deborah. All it said was, “Hi Mom.”
This disturbed me no end. All sorts of things went off in my head. I stewed for a bit and then to ease my mind, I called her. Texting was not enough. “Are you ok?” I asked. “Yes, I am ok. I forgot to ask you if you would be a part of my white wedding,” she said. I had no idea what a white wedding was and said to her, “Of course, I will. You can tell me what you want me to do when I get there in the morning.” With that, we said goodnight and I went off to lalaland. During the night, I woke up thinking, "I wonder if she is planning a wedding like Solange had in the US. She might call that a white wedding".
Sure enough, that was the plan. To honor me, her white mom, Deborah and Amily had arranged to have a white wedding so that I could walk her down the aisle. Walk with me.
Tresor officiated and did an excellent job.
Although it was not her custom, her mother agreed to do that. Walk with me.
Deborah’s mother and I walked our shared daughter down the aisle. The white carpet served as the walkway. Very inventive and beautiful.
Her Urukundo brother Tresor had the honor of pronouncing them husband and wife.
I share with you a message from Deborah’s Urukundo sister Solange in the USA. It made my day.
“That is a first for me, too. I have never heard of a 'white wedding.' It may have been created just for you. 😊 This just made my morning. But it sounds like it was a beautiful event, and I'm sure she was as thrilled as I was to have you be a part of the wedding.”
The end of a beautiful day and an eventful month! Wonder what October will bring?
Message from Mama
Dear Readers,
My heart is full. I feel renewed after spending time in the USA with friends and family and returning to Urukundo to such a warm welcome home, Thank you all. My purpose for the visit was to get my ducks in a row.. Mission accomplished. On my next visit (in about two years), I will reach out to more of you and I will share more stories of Hope Made Real and Urukundo Foundation.
Mama
August newsletter
The August newsletter will be part Urukundo and part USA coverage.
Classroom construction
Construction is progressing on the four classrooms.
July 28
Aug. 2
Aug. 10. Ready for adding a roof. What an awesome view!
Aug. 14. Metal structures for the roof are in place. Waiting for roofing sheets.
Roofing sheets have arrived.
Aug. 25. It should be ready for the September school start date. Photos are by Jean Marie, director. The roof in the background is the library. The first new room will be part of the library expansion. We have needed it for some time as the library is so essential in our teaching program.
Claudine on her way
Last month I shared with you that Claudine was leaving Urukundo for a six-month program in Kigali. The program's goal is to help those with sight problems to learn to live independently.
The organization is the Rwanda Union of the Blind. The program is called “Independent Living Skills Training.” This training will enable her to have a brighter future and give her the independence she wants.
Did we let her go alone? Of course not. Juliette and Delphine accompanied her. We needed to know she was in a good place.
Urukundo Guest House
The guest house building once housed the home for boys and then for the Sewing Center. Now it welcomes and houses visitors to Urukundo. It went into operation in June.
A glimpse of the social gathering room. Notice the small refrigerator and white cabinets for supplies and a table to hold purified water, an important element for our guests.
One of the private rooms. There are three of them. There are also three with twin beds in Mama’s home.
Each of the six rooms and the dorm rooms have their own bathroom facilities.
Wedding in New Mexico
I was honored when my Rwandan daughter Solange asked me to walk her down the aisle at her wedding in August. The wedding took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
My beautiful daughter in her new home. Wedding preparations are in progress. I am so pleased to be with her at this very special event in her life.
Solange and one of her moms. Yep, it’s me. Her Rwanda mom.
Solange’s two moms: Pastor Sharon Landis from McAllen, Texas, and, of course, me from Rwanda, Africa. Pastor Sharon and her late husband Tom brought Solange to the USA for health reasons and legally adopted her.
When asked, “Who gives this woman to be wed?” I responded, “Her other mother and I do.”
Dressed and ready to walk my girl down the aisle.
Mark and Solange in Rwandan cultural wedding attire. She desired to include her Rwandan culture in her wedding. Getting the traditional groom's walking stick to the USA was a challenge. I had to walk it in as it would not fit in any suitcase. Got lots of comments on my black and white cane.
My beautiful daughter Solange, the bride.
My new son-in-law Mark, the groom.
Exploring Albuquerque
After the wedding, my daughter Patricia and I became tourists for two days in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The pink mountain. Beautiful to see. The mountains get their famous pink color from potassium-feldspar (K-spar) crystals within the Sandia granite. Sandia is a Spanish word for watermelon.
View of the same mountain from the balcony at Solange and Mark's lovely home.
Old city Albuquerque
Sawmill Market has many food courts. The market is a great place for breakfast waffles.
I don’t know her name, but this lovely Navaho lady took the time to talk with me. I so appreciated her kindness.
Adobe buildings are beautiful.
Old church building in Old Town. San Felipe de Neri Catholic Church has been the spiritual heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The structure is largely the same as it was in 1793.
This adobe structure is fantastic. It reminds me a lot of the mud brick structures in Rwanda.
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Traditional dancers
Traditional dance clothing is very colorful and different. Our cultures are not so different.
Urukundo traditional dancers are a bit less colorful. Just as impressive.
The forests and mountains in New Mexico are not a bit like those in Rwanda. Huge boulders rest in place waiting to be freed.
Up, up and away. Flying high. Ears popping.
The tram is about the size of a small bus and takes passengers to the top of the mountain for a spectacular view of Albuquerque below.
The tram goes to the 10,378-foot crest of the Sandia Mountains. From there, there is a panoramic view covering 11,000 square miles.
Awesome.
It looks like a giant bird on top of this mountain.
A closer picture. Nope, it is a giant rock.
Close-up of the teetering boulder.
Rio Grande River. With this body of water so much in the news, we deemed it necessary for us to actually see the river. I must say, it is not as majestic as the Susquehanna in Pennsylvania, my home state.
Touring with Patricia
Back in Pennsylvania
My journey continued with a wedding in Penllyn, Pennsylvania.
The wedding of Valli and Clyde was unique. At the end of the ceremony they “jumped the broom.” This is a treasured tradition in the lives of my friends — something I had not witnessed before.
Valli Meeks, DDS, has long been a family member of Urukundo and was a guiding light in establishing the dental practice at Urukundo Foundation.
Word from home
My boarding roommate, Oliver, sent me a sweet note about my dog, Ollie. She is caring for him while I am away. “Ollie misses you. When a car comes around she runs fast thinking that you are back home, but she is fine.”
Message from Mama
During my visit to the USA, I have been asked, “Where can I get your book?”
My book is “Hope Made Real: The Story of Mama Arlene and the Children of Urukundo.”
So I am sending the information again to those who do not have a copy and want to own one.
The book can be ordered from Amazon as a Kindle ebook and a paperback. Remember all revenue from the book benefits the children at Urukundo Learning Center.
Thanks to those who bought the book and those who will buy the book.
Much Love: Mama