Village experiences

Tourism options offered to Urukundo volunteers include the opportunity to visit a village in Muhanga near Urukundo village, meet our neighbors, and experience village life.

Juliette and her family invited our volunteers to visit their village to experience village life.

Volunteers Cassi, Ruby, Barb and driver Eric were welcomed in Juliette’s home by Julliette, her three children, and two neighborhood kids.

Arriving from the USA in September and leaving in October, Cassi, Ruby and Barb are featured as volunteers in both newsletters. Ruby is from Maine, her sister Cassi is from Pennsylvania and their cousin Barb is from New Jersey.

Some of what is ordinary village life became real for them.

Neighbors prepared to carry water. Jerrycans full of water weigh about 40 pounds and are carried on the head.

Here are cassava plants in a small field. Farming is a way of life in small villages.

Bananas are grown locally for local use.

These bricks were vulnerable to wind and rain and often collapsed. 

In earlier times in Rwanda, mud bricks were the only available material for building homes. Construction has improved. New homes now use better baked brick. Doors and windows have also improved.

Back home at Urukundo

Kitchen help is always an option.

Ruby learns to peel potatoes, Rwandan style. The kitchen helper laughed a bit but appreciated her assistance.

Volunteers Barb, Cassi and Ruby got a lesson on how Rwandan mamas carry their babies, leaving their hands free to do work. The wrap is unique. Dolls work for teaching.

Epiphanie, Barb, and Ruby.               

Our volunteers picked material and a style of dress, and Epiphanie, head of the Tom Nunnally Sewing Center, turned it into a “hope made real.” Aprons, long jackets, table runners, tablecloths, and bags were also taken home with them. The Sewing Center is versatile.

Safe travels to Ruby, Cassi and Barb!

A new community outreach

What better way to share the the gifts you, our donors, send than this: have the mothers from families who need a bit of help and who know best their children’s needs come and choose an outfit for each of their children. This is a different Christmas outreach. We are reaching out in ministry to the community by sharing clothing and hygiene supplies. From Oct. 1 to Dec. 25, we hope to reach as many as possible God in charge.

Rose has three boys. Boys grow so fast. Undershorts, pants, and shirts for her boys.

Rose, Mama, and Libby

Trying for size

Francoise has three children, two girls and a boy.

Anuaritte is the mother of three, and Diana is mom to two.

We are glad our good neighbor policy is helping them.

Lights, camera, action

A Global Engagement Institute (GEI) team came to make a video. GEI offers education and engagement programs for international students and professionals in Africa and Asia.

Chone Chaowai and Elizabeth Scutchfield talked to Mama in her residence.

Elizabeth interviewed teacher Sylverie at Urukundo Learning Center.

Setting up a photo opp.

Our students love being in videos.

Visitors from Austria and Rwanda

Veterinarian Dr. Otto of Austria paid a short two-hour visit to Urukundo this month. He will return to Rwanda in August 2025 to attend the wedding of one of his Rwandan children. Mama will also attend that wedding, Lord willing. Ollie is front and center as usual. In the photo with Otto and me are his guests, Jophride, left, a business school graduate, and Anitha, right, who just finished law school. Otto has made a difference in so many young lives in Rwanda. Including mine.

Message from Mama

I look forward to our volunteers every month. October was special as students and faculty from the Chinese International School (CIS) were expected. A nasty virus – Marburg virus disease – reared its head in Rwanda, and our October volunteers found it necessary to cancel.  The welfare of all our volunteers is the priority.

Some cases were found in the country, but none in Muhanga where Urukundo is located. According to the World Health Organization’s risk assessment, travel and trade restrictions are ineffective and unnecessary at this time to control the outbreak. The US Centers for Disease Control issued a travel advisory recommending reconsidering nonessential travel to Rwanda.

It is hoped CIS and others who have also canceled because of the virus will reschedule soon.

I miss you guys.

Love to all.

Mama

Adult English classes

It has long been my hope to offer adult classes in reading, writing, and English to our employees (including cleaners, guards, daycare workers) and the community.  Many older citizens did not have the opportunity to go to school. Learning to read and write would make a difference in their lives.

Over the school vacation, we offered an adult English as a second language program as an experiment. The class was offered free to all Urukundo employees who want to learn English. I am so proud of this group. The dedication of the students impressed the Urukundo Foundation and Learning Center. Because of its success, we will continue the program as a permanent project.

Teachers Remy Paul and Desire are the instructors for the English class. You can see Desire behind me, in the white shirt. Remy Paul is more than halfway across the front row, wearing a black leather jacket.

This is our second successful adult education program. The first is the Tom Nunnally Sewing Center. We hope that in the future more adult classes can be added to benefit the foundation staff and the community.

New school year

The first day of the 2024-25 school year was Sept. 9.

School days, school days. Good old Golden Rule days.

There are still too many kids coming to school on motos.

Bicycles are even more dangerous.

The first day was especially hard for our preschool baby class. Three-year-olds have a tough time being left by mama for the first time. Tears and fears. Older sister helps a little.

Who said school would be fun? I want to go home.

I can hide. Maybe they won't see me here.

Not even a porridge drink is better than mama’s love.

The daycare is a safe place.

Hey, mama, the daycare suits me fine. No school for me.

Ok, maybe I will like it here after all. Porridge has always been a staple in our preschool. This year, bread has been added. Nutrition is so very important if the student is to be successful.

Kindergarten graduates are now in Primary 1. This is their first time with a desk and a chair.

A story to tell

Many of you will remember the story of Bruno. His mama, a neighbor of Urukundo, died of covid just hours after his birth. His grandmother was left with an infant she could not care for.

Urukundo, being a good neighbor, stepped up to help the grandmother care for this precious baby boy. Adeline, secretary at the Learning Center and a close neighbor, became a foster parent. Our daycare provided a safe place for him to be during the day while she worked.

Josie O'Reilly, a teacher volunteering at Urukundo from a school in China, the Chinese International School, met Bruno and fell in love with him. She became his support person. It does take a village. That was three years ago.

Now three years later, Bruno had his first day in baby class at preschool. Not a happy camper.

Finding his daycare buddy Ethan made the transition a little better. Good to have a friend.