This is for the kids more than for us. They need a place to play, a place that feels like home." |
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There are a lot of students in this household—five to be exact, counting the parents who take college classes and their three eldest children, ages 7 to 14—and not enough room to study around the small table in the cramped living and dining area in their apartment.
Hatim and Sayeda, who are scheduled to move from their small three-bedroom apartment into a Habitat for Humanity home in August, look forward to having quiet spaces where they can all study and work. In fact, when Hatim needs a quiet place to study, he will often go to the public library. Originally from Sudan, the couple has five children: two boys, Mohamed (14) and Nadir (11), and three girls, Elaf (7), Elan (4), and Eileen who was born in January 2019. They are very familiar with the Habitat program, having volunteered to help build other homes. Hatim says the family would never have the cash or capital for a down payment on a traditional mortgage. “When I got the letter saying our family was accepted, it changed my life,” he says. "It is a big, big opportunity for our kids to have a good foundation for their future.”
In 2003 the political situation in Sudan forced Hatim to flee to Egypt with only the clothes he was wearing and his passport. Sayeda joined him later. The couple came to the U.S. through a United Nations Resettlement Program in 2006. They moved to Iowa City in 2009 after more than a year in Dallas where Hatim worked at the airport, and some time in Fargo, North Dakota, where he attended school and worked at a Smucker's factory. “Then a friend suggested Iowa City, and when we came to look, we loved it,” Hatim says. “The neighbors are good people. You can just walk out the door and if you need help, there will be someone to help. The town is also quiet, safe, good for kids.” Hatim now works at a social services organization in Iowa City and drives a cab on weekends. Sayeda is employed at a childcare center in Iowa City. After Hatim finishes his program in aviation maintenance, Sayeda plans to complete her B. A. program in early childhood education.
They are excited about the advantages the Habitat home will offer their children. Two of their current three bedrooms are barely large enough for a bed and the family of seven shares one bathroom. Sisters Elaf and Elan talk excitedly about how they plan to paint their new bedroom in rainbow colors with a garden scene including grass, plants and a sun, and they look forward to having a backyard.
“This is for the kids more than for us,” says Hatim. They need a place to play, a place that feels like home. When I told them about the house, they said ‘No way. You’re kidding. No lie!’” Construction of the Habitat home will likely be done by August of this year and the family will move in shortly after.
-Story written by Diana Russo
Hatim and Sayeda, who are scheduled to move from their small three-bedroom apartment into a Habitat for Humanity home in August, look forward to having quiet spaces where they can all study and work. In fact, when Hatim needs a quiet place to study, he will often go to the public library. Originally from Sudan, the couple has five children: two boys, Mohamed (14) and Nadir (11), and three girls, Elaf (7), Elan (4), and Eileen who was born in January 2019. They are very familiar with the Habitat program, having volunteered to help build other homes. Hatim says the family would never have the cash or capital for a down payment on a traditional mortgage. “When I got the letter saying our family was accepted, it changed my life,” he says. "It is a big, big opportunity for our kids to have a good foundation for their future.”
In 2003 the political situation in Sudan forced Hatim to flee to Egypt with only the clothes he was wearing and his passport. Sayeda joined him later. The couple came to the U.S. through a United Nations Resettlement Program in 2006. They moved to Iowa City in 2009 after more than a year in Dallas where Hatim worked at the airport, and some time in Fargo, North Dakota, where he attended school and worked at a Smucker's factory. “Then a friend suggested Iowa City, and when we came to look, we loved it,” Hatim says. “The neighbors are good people. You can just walk out the door and if you need help, there will be someone to help. The town is also quiet, safe, good for kids.” Hatim now works at a social services organization in Iowa City and drives a cab on weekends. Sayeda is employed at a childcare center in Iowa City. After Hatim finishes his program in aviation maintenance, Sayeda plans to complete her B. A. program in early childhood education.
They are excited about the advantages the Habitat home will offer their children. Two of their current three bedrooms are barely large enough for a bed and the family of seven shares one bathroom. Sisters Elaf and Elan talk excitedly about how they plan to paint their new bedroom in rainbow colors with a garden scene including grass, plants and a sun, and they look forward to having a backyard.
“This is for the kids more than for us,” says Hatim. They need a place to play, a place that feels like home. When I told them about the house, they said ‘No way. You’re kidding. No lie!’” Construction of the Habitat home will likely be done by August of this year and the family will move in shortly after.
-Story written by Diana Russo
