Changes at the library and Activity Room. Forgot to take before photos. So this will have to do.
On the left is the door into the Library. On the right is the door to the activity Room. Space between the buildings will no longer exist, connecting the two buildings into one.
A large window will fit in this wall.
Work has progressed.
Rear wall.
Waiting to see the finished expansion.
Our Primary 6 field trip to Nyanza is an exciting time — graduation is on the horizon. Oh, to be a student taking this trip!
Seeing the royal cows.
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in State College, Pennsylvania, USA, shares outreach efforts with Urukundo Foundation. Their outreach is to the State College community and a global outreach that includes Urukundo Foundation. This time, our families received shoes. Thank you, St Paul's UMC.
Children coming in hopes a pair will fit. Children arrive anticipating lollipops and shoes.
A day of sharing shoes for little feet.
A variety of sizes
Footwear for adults: flip-flops, sneakers, and dress shoes.
Checking out their good shoes.
A young man needing a residence in Rwanda for a research project in linguistics contacted Urukundo for living quarters while he pursued his career goals. It helped that he was recommended by a former board member, Kyle Jerro. We were happy to welcome him. His stay has been different but delightful.
His name is Patrick Kinchsular. Patrick is from Canada. At present he is attending New York University.
Patrick arrived while Tim and Mason were here.
Friendships are made at Urukundo.
He joined the village tour.
He met our neighbors, explored Muhanga town, had meals with Mama and beat her playing Uno.
He spent time at the Learning Center connecting with students and studying Kinyarwanda, the spoken language here.
Best of all, he will be here for graduation and has volunteered to be Urukundo’s photographer.
Wow, what a month! Each time I think things are winding down, I am reminded there is more to be done. Summer has arrived, vacations started, and many are traveling. Enjoy whatever you are doing and stay safe.
Urukundo students are busy preparing for graduation. They like sharing their accomplishments with family and friends. The week of July 1, Primary 6 students will take National Exams. Prayers for success are requested. Graduation exercises are on July 11.
Would love to see you there.
Mama
The end of April was a busy time for our visitors, who arrived in April: Carol Falke, from State College, Pennsylvania, USA, and Marilyn and Ward Yorks from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA. Carol and Marilyn are members of the International Board of Hope Made Real. Ward is a retired teacher.
They made a visit to a local village, and a driving tour of Muhanga town and the super highways (tongue in cheek) in rural Muhanga.
Our HR person Juliette greeted them at the gate to her home.
Juliette entertained Carol (left), Marilyn and Ward at her home and in her village. Fanta and peanuts were a treat.
The village
Village children ran to greet our volunteers.
Children
Adults did their part.
Carol is a hiker. On one of her hikes, she visited the water source at the bottom of the mountain.
Forest Hills Rotary in the United States, Kigali Virunga Rotary in Rwanda, and Rotary International made this water source possible.
The vehicle of the tour group Let's Go There Africa was the transportation to Akagera National Park and a big animal safari.
Too close for comfort. Wow!
On his last day, the little boy in Ward wanted to sit on a moto bike and dream of younger days. Motos are our main source of local transportation. Wish granted.
Marilyn and Ward, who visited for nearly two weeks, and Carol, who stayed a few days longer, got ready for their journey back to the USA. We bid them a fond farewell.
We continued to make progress on the construction of the new Secondary O Level School that will serve grades 7, 8, and 9.
May 1
While we were watching the progress on the first classrooms, the other four were being constructed. Now paying attention, we are seeing the progress already made. Astonishing.
Front view of all four classrooms and the inside stairway on May 1.
May 19, front view, lower floor.
May 19, top view.
May 26, general view as to where the Secondary School is located. The library and school office are on the left in the photo.
May 26
Why the Mama & Baby Project is so needed.
This little one came into the world at about 6 pounds. She is wrapped in her mama’s shirt.
She is tiny and beautiful. “Thank you” to the many for the newborn clothes shared with Urukundo (love).
Carol also visited a newborn and her mama at the birthing center.
Valli Meeks and Clyde Santana arrived on May 6 for 11 days. Dr. Valli is a clinical professor in the School of Dentistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, in the United States. Her husband, Clyde, is a man of many talents, including serving as an adjunct instructor at Norfolk State University in Virginia, USA. (Put his name in the search bar and learn more about this remarkable man.)
They brought disassembled chairs in boxes for the daycare.
At the top of their agenda was putting these chairs for the daycare back together. Dr. Valli commented, “Taking them apart was easier than putting them back together.”
Benjamin gets an assist.
The chairs are great and a welcome addition to the daycare.
Happy smiles.
Urukundo's dear friend and donor in Germany, Angelique Westmark, started a puppet ministry at Urukundo many years ago. So we had puppets, but we needed a puppeteer to make them productive. Prayers are answered if you are patient.
Working with children to create hope and encourage imagination, Clyde shared so much with the children at the Urukundo Learning Center. During his time with us, “Hope Imagination Theater” – HIT – became real for our students and our teachers.
He even included the daycare kids in his sharing.
Dr. Valli acted as the photographer at the daycare play area.
While Clyde volunteered with the school, Dr Valli spent precious time at the dental clinic.
They did take a bit of time to visit Akagera National Park.
Richard and the tour group Let’s Go There Africa were the perfect hosts for the safari.
Their volunteer time was too short, but so appreciated
Another school year is coming to an end. The graduation ceremony will be on July 9. Urukundo celebrates its graduates (kindergarten, Primary 6, and the Tom Nunnally Sewing Center) with a full day of activities. If you want to experience the Urukundo Foundation and Urukundo Learning Center, Graduation Day is the day to see the many talents of our students and teaching staff. The guest house is inviting. Make your reservation ASAP.
I would be delighted to welcome you.
Love,
Mama
April is a time of new birth in nature. I love the beauty and smell of flowering trees. That is, of course, my thought as I remember my childhood in Pennsylvania, USA.
That awakens thoughts and memories in Rwanda and the history of the stones. Please remember with me.
Things do get set aside as time moves on. The stone project was one of those things. The project was started as a fundraiser called “A Path to Learning.” It was started as an actual path of stones on the ground in the middle of the school play area. However, when kids played and walked on the stones, the writing was soon destroyed. The stones were then moved to a bank outside of where I thought kids would venture. Not so. We have moved them temporarily several times since. There has been no permanent place for them. As Urukundo grew, so did the number of stone requests.
The suggested donation to have a stone placed in honor or memory of someone loved and lost is US$100. My kids in the USA and I started the fundraiser along with the donor of our first stone, Ellen Galloway, who was a visitor at the time.
This fundraiser continues today. At present, there are more than 100 stones.Through the stones, US$1,000 was raised in support of education in Rwanda.
You, too, can be included on the wall of your choice if you send a donation of US$100 and what you want written on your stone. The donation can be sent to Hope Made Real, PO Box 3222, Williamsport, PA, USA. Send what you would like to have written on your stone to brown.arlene30@gmail.com. A photo of your stone will be sent to you.
Now, with retaining walls in different areas of the compound, we can place them on the appropriate wall. In March, the patron stones were placed on the wall leading to my house. There is space to add more when that honor is designated.
In April, we placed the “Path to Learning” stones on the wall at the preschool. That is where the first stones of Mama and her USA children are located. The main wall at the Urukundo Learning Center is dedicated to education.
Here are a few samples:
“In honor of” or “in memory of” will go on a special wall. There are retaining walls at the Dental Clinic, school playground, library, daycare, and Secondary School. Stones are being refreshed and will be placed on the appropriate walls. These are cemented to the wall and secured to a base on the ground. No more moves will be necessary. They have a permanent home.
Here’s this month’s progress on construction of the new Secondary O Level School that will serve grades 7, 8, and 9.
April 1
This photo shows the preparation for laying the floor for the second floor and the ceiling for the first floor. Love the view. My beautiful land of a thousand hills.
April 5
April 6
Visitors Margie and Bruce Krogh from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, visit the building site along with Pastor Yves.
The bridge to the second level. Looks a bit iffy, but it is a bridge for workers to transport cement and bricks from the ground level to the second level. Not permanent but necessary.
April 19
Many hands and a cement mixer prepared to start the second level of the two-story building.
Now we’re ready. The cement mixer was moved to the top side of the building. Yep, that's me. I am not supervising, just observing.
The cement for the floor of the second level is being poured. How glorious!
April 23
Bricks being laid on the second level.
April 26
Walls are going up. The bricks are beautiful. Watch for the next update in the May newsletter.
