Christmas celebrations

Innocent and his wife and children are long-time friends from Kigali City. Urukundo became acquainted with this family when Innocent worked for Bruce Krogh, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, and then director of Carnegie Mellon University in Rwanda. Bruce and his wife Margie are part of the Urukundo family and are back in Pittsburgh. We are blessed to have this family as a part of our local Urukundo family.

Our community Christmas party has grown. We began with a few, and it grew and grew. The room was full, and it is a big room.

Our community Christmas party began with a few, and it grew and grew. The room was full, and it is a big room.

We ran out of gifts and many just received biscuits and lollipops. Next year we will try to do better.

It is so exciting to see the community kids come to Urukundo to help us celebrate Christmas. This year, the movie was “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” It was in English, so the kids followed the action more than the words. Next year, I think we will try “Frozen.” It is hard when the community kids speak mostly Kinyarwanda and French. We did have a tape with Christmas carols and “Jingle Bells" in Kinyarwanda. The kids sang along and danced a bit. In that crowd, there was not much room for dancing.

Message from Mama

Thank you to all who remembered my birthday with emails and cards.

I extend my thanks to Christmas wishes also. What an honor to be remembered by so many! This ministry owes its success to the many who have taken us into their hearts. I am grateful so I send my love by wishing for all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

That is traditional. Now from the heart: My wish for each of you is to live well, love well, and value every day. May love and caring be important in your everyday life and allow joy to be forevermore in your hearts.

Love and gratitude,

Mama

November Newsletter

A Halloween treat, not a trick

A school in the USA found a way to make a Halloween treat benefitting children in Rwanda.

One teacher and many kids at the Ward L. Myers Elementary School in Muncy, Pennsylvania, USA, conducted a fundraiser to help kids in Rwanda to receive an education. Third-grade teacher Maura and students raised coins for kids, donated by other kids. Not a trick, but a wonderful treat for children in Rwanda. How awesome!

Connections with Myers Elementary School started when my son Jerry, my grandson Tim, and my great-grandson Mason visited Urukundo in 2023 when Mason was a third-grader at that school.

In addition to the fundraising, there also is a Super Girls club that connects girls at Myers and Urukundo. Here are Super Girls in Primary 6 at the Urukundo Learning Center with Urukundo teacher Anuaritta.

Here are their American friends, the Super Girls in Grade 6 at Myers Elementary with teacher Maura.

One day visitors

Guy, who is our tour guide; his wife Olive; and their daughter and Lana came to visit Mama.

Do you remember Olive?  She was Mama’s assistant for many years. She moved to Iowa in the USA. Urukundo’s loss is Iowa’s gain. It was good to see Olive and Lana after a year's absence. Olive moved to Iowa in the USA. Urukundo’s loss is Iowa’s gain.

It was good to see Olive and Lana after a year's absence.

On another day, we had visitors from the USA, Shermann Min, left, of New Jersey, and Michael Kelley, right, of Texas.    

It was a short visit but very enjoyable. Hope both young men can come back when they have more time to explore Urukundo.

Continuing our neighbor-to-neighbor outreach

Jeanine is the mother of eight children. She has four boys and four girls.

Her youngest is his mom’s helper. His name is David.

We are getting to know our neighbors who work the field above our compound. Agnes and three of her four children. Agnes is a good neighbor and friend.

Your gifts make a difference for this family. 

Clementine has four children, each one a blessing.

Rose has three growing kids. Life is not easy.

Beatrice and her twin daughters. Beatrice has seven children and appreciates the gifts.

Sewing Center expanding

This existing building is being renovated to become an active structure at the Tom Nunnally Sewing Center. As more students are enrolled at the sewing school, more space and more machines are needed. One machine costs US$160.

The existing building had been empty, waiting for a need to become apparent. It is part of the Sewing Center complex.

The work to enlarge the sewing center started Nov. 1 with the door being changed.

This is the progress as of Nov 9. New door and window added.

Moving sand and stones used in the construction is done with wheelbarrows and muscle. Outside, the space needs to be secured with a retaining wall and fences for safety.

Inside demolition

New walls, windows, and ceiling.  Painting in process.

This photo is from Nov. 20. What a difference 20 days make!

Finished classroom. Blackboard included. Now for machines and students.

Gift of love

The daycare play area worried our visitor Barbara Campbell, who visited from New Jersey, USA, in September and October. On her return to the USA, she decided to do something about it. The following photos will give testament to what her dream for the children became. Another Hope Made Real.

Change in progress

Using a pick and shovel to remove stones is temporary labor for a permanent improvement.

Making progress

The fence, shown before painting, is designed to protect daycare kids.

Paint does make a difference. Later each section will be a different color to match the benches and equipment.

From this, without the fence, to this, with the fence.

A special thank you to Barbara Campbell. Your gift was so needed and appreciated.

Message from Mama

The parents in our community are not happy that their children at age 12 are separated from their mothers, dads, and siblings when they leave home to live in a boarding school. Secondary schools are boarding schools in most of the country. There also are many children whose education ends at Primary 6 because of the poverty level in their home.

Education should not stop at the 6th grade. Education is important, but in those years from 12 to 15, more important are the love and nurturing of family. A 12-year-old needs to be taught family togetherness and values. These values are not taught in secondary (7, 8, 9 grades) school. Parental supervision is essential in these formative years.

Other primary schools in Rwanda are adding the three grade levels to their educational programs. It has been Urukundo’s plan for many years to open an O-level secondary school (junior high). Of course, first we have to build it. I hope there are many of you willing to help us do that. Thanks to Phelps Chapel United Methodist Church in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, USA, and others, we have a starting fund of US$17,000.The total amount needed is US$150,000  This is the estimated cost of the six classrooms at US$25,000 per room It will be a two-story building, with three classrooms upstairs and three downstairs. There will be two windows per room.

It is our hope and prayer that we will have completed the construction before the 2025-26 school year.  This will not happen without your help.

During this season of giving, please consider adding Urukundo/Hope Made Real to your Christmas gift list. Send that gift to:

Hope Made Real, PO Box 3222, Williamsport, PA 17701 (USA)

Give a small amount or a large amount. Every bit helps.

Much Love,

Mama Arlene