With Mother’s Day approaching, many people ponder what to get for their mothers.
How can you show appreciation for someone who gave you life?
There is no real way to do that — no matter how much money you spend.
If you are lucky enough to still have a mother, what she probably wants is your love and some of your time.
Arlene Brown, or Mama Arlene as she is known at the Urukundo Home in Rwanda, is mother to 54 children.
Brown grew up in Clearfield, Pennsylvania and spent her early career in nursing. For 18 years she stayed home with her children and then worked at GTE Sylvania.
At the age of 65 and looking for something more meaningful to do with her remaining years, Brown traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo and worked for a non-profit, helping in a refugee camp.
A volcano eruption forced the group to flee to Rwanda and there she felt a calling for new work. Brown is dedicated to making the lives of orphaned and abandoned children better.
The non-profit Brown started in 2004 after moving permanently to Rwanda is called Hope Made Real. Little by little she managed to build The Urukundo Home for Children to care for orphans. As she got the money, she expanded the home and now 54 children live there. Others attend boarding school for high school and college years with the support of Hope Made Real. Three hundred children from the community attend a nursery school that Arlene also manages.
The teachers at the Urukundo School either have teaching degrees or are attending university to receive one. The head teacher, Irene, is in the process of gaining a certificate in school administration. The school is receiving many inquiries about when the school will be hiring because it has become recognized for its excellence.
In an interview, Mama Arlene, now 80 years old, says, “My strong points are my faith and my bossiness. My awareness of the community serves me well in dealing with the needs of my children and the local population. The school was built room by room as the funds came. We now have three rooms of preschool and kindergarten and two each grade level through grade three.”
“Children are the victims and suffer the most,” Brown says. “It is important to give them a home and a chance. The children at the home are not “thrown away” children — they are thrown to us for care and an opportunity to thrive.”
In March the construction crew broke ground for two grade four rooms and one fifth grade room. Brown is well on her way to reaching her goal of having schoolrooms through grade six.
As the school continues to grow Brown is busy with her latest project — the Mama and Baby Love Center.
“About four years ago we got little Hildebrandt, or So-So, as the children named him,” Brown says.
His mother, three to four hours after giving birth, rode home on a motorbike and hemorrhaged to death. There were no places for the mothers to rest after giving birth and some died as a result. This was intolerable to Mama Arlene. Soon she had obtained a building that had previously served as a guesthouse. Although complete, it needed to be renovated for its new purpose. There are now five rooms and one isolation room where the new moms can rest and recuperate for two or three days before going home.
To operate a house for mothers and babies requires hiring midwives or nurses. They will provide information on baby care and hygiene to the women.
Carol Falke, from State College, who has taken seven trips to Rwanda as a volunteer, has been key in the success of the Urukundo School and now — as a part of the fundraising efforts for the Mama and Baby Love Home. She has worked tirelessly to involve churches, community groups, friends and Girl Scouts in her work.
Local teachers have reciprocal programs and lessons with teachers in Rwanda and the kids have sent messages and projects back and forth across the globe. Sewing and knitting groups from local churches and others have knitted dozens of blankets, washcloths and collected onesies to be given to the newborns. Young girl scouts have had a ball assembling layette kits, matching colors of blankets and caps and organizing them.
Falke returned recently from three weeks in Rwanda, but another group will go this summer. They will carry more supplies to the school and the new home for mothers. The thought of a new mother not even having a day to rest before traveling touches the heart strings of many. The hope this Mother’s Day is that even more people will respond with their time, their talents, their prayers, and support. What better way to honor your own mother than to make a donation in her name to a project like the Mother and Baby Love Center?
For a chance to hear more about the Urukundo Children’s Home or the Mama and Baby Love Center contact Carol Falke at falkes@verizon.net. You may also go to the Hope Made Real website see pictures of the home and the children.
POPULAR STORIES:
Board of Trustees Undergoes Radical Change in Membership
Penn State Hockey: Gadowsky Gets Plenty Of Attention On Tour As Program Grows
Judge Orders Freeh’s Law Firm to Turn Over Documents to Paterno Estate
Judge Rules County Was Wrong to Release Phone Records
Why It’s James and Not Jim Franklin: The Roots of the Story
The World May Change, but a Mother’s Love Doesn’t
Food Bank to ‘Go Postal’ With Letter Carrier Food Drive
Public Comment Reveals Divide Between Public and Board of Trustees
