Our Love Foundation and Worship Center care for our neighbors.
Mamas and babies receive our love and help.
Second-term competition
Mathematics Competition Day took place for Primary Level 1 through 6.
School competitions prepare our students. Math is such an important subject. Every facet of life uses math in one form or another. Covered in the competition are addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, whole numbers, and fractions. Both mental and written math were included.
Students gathered to witness and support this competition.
Assembly for competition.
Individual students responded to math questions using their mental capacity. Then a group also answered on the spot.
Written quiz
Computer programs became a part of the testing in this competition.
Our Primary 6 kids did very well. The computers, a gift from our donors, have made a difference in the lives of our students. We can compete.
Young artists
Handprint art by the baby class at the preschool.
My walk-around was well-timed. The three baby classes were doing an art project. Love those little hands.
Secondary School news
Landscaping is in progress. We also are working on the handicapped walkway.
On March 14, the Ministry of Education came to inspect the new building for accreditation. Here’s some of what they saw:
Room ready for lab equipment.
Classroom desks and chairs, which are a gift from the Forest Hills Rotary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The classroom also has shelves, a teacher's desk, and a white board.
Secondary school library. Space for research and study.
The Secondary School girls' uniform was modeled by Primary 6 student Divine. I like the new look.
The Tom Nunnally Sewing Center made this uniform and will continue making uniforms for Urukundo Learning Center students. This is an ongoing program each year. We are blessed to have our Sewing Center and its students.
Landslide problems
This landslide is not on our property but borders our land, as the photo shows. With another heavy rain, the buildings and fence may be on the road. To protect our school, it is up to the Urukundo Foundation to add support to the bank along the road.
Repair in progress. When your land is made up of mountains, you protect your structures. This is an ongoing process.
The stormwater received a passage to the stream (log bridge) at the bottom of the road. Our structures are safe.
Message from Mama
For these many years, Urukundo has expanded one day at a time. With God in charge, our progress has worked well for the children in the Muhanga District.
Now we are working on a five-year plan. OK, we can do that. This plan lets our followers know where we would like to go in the future, not where we will go. God is still and ever will be in charge
Finishing the work started by the team from Hebron Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. We hope to tile the floors and walls as high as 3-year-old hands can reach in the five rooms in the daycare. Three are done; two more to go. Tiles make painting every year no longer necessary. Tile washes. Practical.
Fencing the remaining part of Urukundo’s property.
Electric sewing machines for the Nunnally Sewing Center.
Constructing a gymnasium for indoor sports on the present basketball court.
If you find one of these plans to your liking, you can designate where you would like your gift to be used. Undesignated funds will be used where needed.
Thank you, one and all.
Love,
Mama
February newsletter
I really like February, even though it is very cold in many parts of the world. It is a short month, but a month dedicated to love. Love is what the world needs most. I hope you shared your love.
Music continues to be a theme. Last month, you saw the installation of soundproofing and renovation of Hillside House, the new center for music education.
An additional improvement was racks for students' shoes.
An overhang roof, tiled porch, and shoe racks make a difference. They save on dirt and mud tracking in on the acoustic carpeting.
Socks work. No shoes inside.
Song and poem culture competition
The district level of the culture competition took place on Feb. 21 at St. Joseph Kabgayi, a secondary school. It is held every academic year, prepared by the Ministry of Education to detect and support talented students in sports and culture in both primary and secondary schools. Our school competes in the primary school section. Our students, sponsored by the Urukundo Foundation, participated and performed very well. Our school won first positions in both poem and song. Now we will represent the district at the next level, province, on March 8 in Nyanza.
Everyone attending the competition was happy and excited to see the student band of Urukundo Learning Center on stage performing! We didn’t go with the competitors only but also with the band to entertain the audience. No other school in the Muhanga District can do what Urukundo did. We wish to win again and continue to the national level.
Our school competed in the Muhanga District music and composition competition.
Those competing included the Urukundo chorus.
Another competitor recited an original poem.
A singer and band participated.
The band played for entertainment at the competition.
The Urukundo Foundation salutes all who represented the Urukundo Learning Center in this competition.
Well done.
Urukundo Learning Center
Continuing with the goal of textbooks for all classes, we have purchased textbooks for the new junior high classes. Thank you to those wonderful friends and family whose gifts for my birthday made this goal real.
Textbooks for Senior 1.
Textbooks for Senior 2.
Textbooks for Senior 3.
Never before seen. Not sure why. It does look good
Back view of the retaining wall and Secondary School building.
Visitors
February brought two lovely ladies to Urukundo.
Their travels did not start well. Rosemary Anderson from West Virginia, USA, and her sister, Vicky Perratone, from Pennsylvania, USA, arrived a day late on Feb. 18 after a one-day delay in the USA because of fog.
We were happy to welcome them. The weather in the USA had us worried.
Adventures at the Learning Center.
Greeters at the gate. Taking a hand in welcome.
Time with the preschool top class, which compares with kindergarten in the USA.
Primary 1 classroom.
Our Learning Center students joined Rosemary under the umbrella on the lawn for some photo time.
Wednesday morning found our visitors on the floor, spending time with the under-4-year-olds in Mama’s residence.
The Music Department in Hillside House is an added enjoyment for visitors and students.
Rosemary on the drums.
Teacher Emanuel instructed Vicky on the proper way to hold and play the violin.
We really do need different bells, but they are fun.
Violin concert in the House of Music for visitors
At Akagera National Park, they saw an assortment of African animals.
Up close and personal. Wow!!
Visits to the King's Palace in Nyanza and the Ethnographic Museum in Huye were enlightening as to the history and culture of Rwanda..
Sharing messages
Rosemary and Vicky shared messages from students in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, with students.
Receiving messages and photos of the sender made this experience special for Urukundo students.
With help from Vicky, our students were delighted to write pen pal letters to be shared with students in the USA. Their photos will be added by Rosemary.
This was a project that the Primary 5 kids really enjoyed. Showing their joy. Winding down their visit to Rwanda, they journeyed to Kigali, the nation's capital.
Carfree area
Shopping for crafts in Kigali.
After a busy day, they are ready to return to Urukundo, and an unpleasant surprise. News came that the airspace at Doha, Qatar, was closed. Their departure for Doha was the following day. We were blessed to have them for a few more days while arrangements were made for their return trip. As I pointed out earlier, their arrival was not easy, and their departure was even worse. Have a safe journey home, Rosemary and Vicky.
Message from Mama
Wow, what a month! It is such a pleasure to have guests arrive at Urukundo. Our guests have had many unexpected experiences. All have been enjoyed. Happy times. We control what we can and accept what we can’t.
I am remembering Carol and Covid’s closing of air travel. Now there is this latest Doha air travel closing. Hey, twice in 24 years. Not bad. I hope this newsletter lets others know the many experiences you have to look forward to as a traveler coming to experience Urukundo and Rwanda. We welcome and appreciate our visitors.
Much love,
Mama
January 2026
The New Year started with good news of a facility – Hillside Music House – to be devoted to our music program.
Earlier plans were to build a two-story music house at this lower-level location at the far end of the school campus. I love the views in Rwanda, and this site has a beautiful view.
We are always looking for the expedient alternative, and Hillside House became an option for consideration. This building near my residence is used very little. We need to use what we have before building more. You may remember that Hillside House was the house constructed for a Tom Nunnally Sewing Center classroom. The Sewing Center moved to its permanent location, and the house was available for another use.
Music Director Emmanuel visited the building. Happily, Hillside House met his criteria. It also met mine. It is close to the Urukundo office and Mama’s residence.
The photo above shows, from left, Mama’s house, the main office and Hillside House.
It is even closer to the guest house. Hillside House is on the left; the guest house has the large pillars.
Hillside House is in front of the HMR House, at left, used for dining, weddings, and special events.
Soundproofing needed????
The need for soundproofing is due to its location. We received an estimate for the cost. It was much less than constructing a new complex, and the board approved. So onward and upward, so to speak. Eric, our executive secretary, said, “It is cost-effective.” I agree. It will be less than half what it would have been to build a whole new complex.
Renovation and installation of soundproofing and air conditioning began.
An office and restroom were established by cutting a door in the wall into a room on the other side.
Benjamin's crew opened the wall from the main room.
The door gives the students a toilet and a wash sink, without going outside.
Work began. All windows and ventilators disappeared.
Sure looks different.
The black insulation went on after the blue foam; then came the wood.
I checked on the progress several times a week. Dr. Otto from Austria accompanied me to inspect the work.
The artwork in wood was handcrafted on the project. Notice the air conditioner. There are two units inside.
Outside air conditioning unit
Restroom looking good
Music director’s office
Original music room in another building
Storage space for instruments in the resource house
This room was used for practicing before Hillside Music House was open.
The space available in the new Hillside Music House. We began using it in late January.
Glory be!
Partial Urukundo band
Urukundo chorus