Urukundo with Eva and Mathias and Innocent

It's been a while since the Rauch's have been here

and it was very dry while they were in Rwanda.  But the rainy season officially starts today...and actually it is raining right now. but before all that....This blog is taking us to 

  to visit Urukundo Children's Home.  

The corn was spread over the drying racks right along the side 
of the road.  There were hundreds of feet of corn drying. 

You can tell how dry the ground is and
almost see the dirt in the air.

 

We finally got there and all the little kids had
these new "stocking caps" on...so Innocent had
to try one on!  Dr. Seuss anyone?

It was time for lunch when we arrived so we headed there first.
Just a couple of the little ones were finishing but the
adults had joined them. 

We'd finished eating and Eva and Mathias were talking with Arlene while the kids finished.

 Innocent went to get little Jacob.  He is growing so fast.
This is the little one that was brought to Mama's right after he was born and deserted.  A real doll!

 The furniture in the boys' dorm was getting
a fresh coat of stain.  The kids just watched!

 Mama had 2 guests staying with her...and Liz is pictured in the middle.  She and her daughter will be returning to the US and we are giving them a ride back to the airport for a very late night flight.

On our way to see the school rooms!

The baby dolls were resting.  I've never seen them all tucked in,
They are usually being played with.

And of course, my favorite seat in the house for the little ones.
Maggie likes it , too!

More babies tucked in --in the other preschool room.

The Old building --built in 2012 now connected to the New one
being constructed right now in 2013.

A look at one of the finished classrooms.

Looking out across the valley... so hazy--
This view is looking out from the
classrooms.

The library gets more and more organized each time I visit.

And right next door the floors aren't quite done.

BUT this floor IS done.  A group of CMU students along with Mama's workers, tore the old court out and started putting new concrete down last spring.  But the money just came in to finish the rest andthey did a beautiful job.  Now all the kids plus the  village kids have a great place to play.

A new chicken coop experiment...

A new calf!

 And hundreds of new chicks...that are growing..

and some older ones, too!

Innocent and Jacob in the nursery... trying to rock to sleep.
No go! 

But this little banana fiber table and chairs
are too cute.... but not as cute as when there are
kids in all the chairs.

It was after lunch and most of the kids were down for a snooze! 

So while they napped,  we went down the road a bit to visit
a women's NGO... that had a great banana pit
full of bananas.

And more drying corn!

 Some of the women came to show the Rauch's how 
the baskets are made. 

Even got to see a Classic Rwanda Ladder! 

And TWINS!!!

Eva was inspecting and admiring the cows! 

Then we went off under the trees and this lady proceeded
to teach us how they make the "straw" for the baskets.

She is shredding the aloe-like plant against or on top
of a piece of banana tree trunk.   Stipping it with a knife.

Look how fine she gets it.

It resembles horse hair.

The two women on the left were teaching us and the lady
next to Eva is the manager of the NGO. 

They gave us such a great lesson
on how it all comes together.

They dye the "thread" with coffee and tea leaves! 

 Trying to pick which basket to buy. 

Then the farmer came with the cow grass to feed the cows.....
on his awesome wheel barrel.  We went back to Arlene's and said our goodbyes and then headed back to Kigali.

 Time for dinner before we head to the airport later.
Hedda joined us for the evening so she and Eva and Mathias
had a good time speaking some German together.
We had a good dinner... except for Sylver getting beer spilled all over him by the waiter--and it wasn't even his drink!
But the rest of the evening was enjoyable.

The only thing we were missing at Bruce's favorite
Pizza Place was BRUCE!

love,
margie