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It will be good to have a place where we can stay long-term, where we can feel stable. It’s a feeling of comfort.” |
Nasr and Rasha, who will move into their new Habitat home this year, say they never imagined they would be building their own home. "It will be good to have a place where we can stay long-term, where we can feel stable," says Rasha. "It’s a feeling of comfort." The couple, originally from Sudan, has had to move four times in the six years they have lived in Iowa City because of rent increases or space issues. Their current small two-bedroom home is crowded for a family of five and utilities are very expensive.
Nasr and Rasha have three sons: Obada (6), Awab (4), and Yassin (18 months). Nasr has a degree in software development from Kirkwood Community College
and works for a firm in Cedar Rapids, while Rasha is now studying software development at Kirkwood. Both Nasr and Rasha have bachelor's degrees in computer science from Sudan.
The couple was able to migrate from Sudan in 2011 through a Diversity Visa program as they were in pursuit of better academic and economic opportunities. They lived in Des Moines for over a year before coming to Iowa City to further their educations. The couple says Iowa City now feels like home to them. "Iowa City is a friendly community and a safe city," says Nasr. "For us, the Habitat home means we can stay here."
Nasr and Rasha are excited about what they will learn in the home maintenance courses they will take before moving into their new home. "It is good to learn how to fix things in our own home," says Nasr. "And it will be nice to be able to make the kind of improvements you can’t make in an apartment."
The family likes to go swimming at the Iowa City Rec Center once a week. Obada says he helps his parents clean house and Awab excitedly shares stories about his run-ins with dinosaurs. They have friends in the neighborhood where their home will be built and they attend social gatherings of the Sudanese community in the area. Though they say entertaining in their new larger home will be great, they add that the size of the home does not keep Sudanese family and friends from gathering: "The space does not matter, being together matters most," says Rasha.
Nasr and Rasha have three sons: Obada (6), Awab (4), and Yassin (18 months). Nasr has a degree in software development from Kirkwood Community College
and works for a firm in Cedar Rapids, while Rasha is now studying software development at Kirkwood. Both Nasr and Rasha have bachelor's degrees in computer science from Sudan.
The couple was able to migrate from Sudan in 2011 through a Diversity Visa program as they were in pursuit of better academic and economic opportunities. They lived in Des Moines for over a year before coming to Iowa City to further their educations. The couple says Iowa City now feels like home to them. "Iowa City is a friendly community and a safe city," says Nasr. "For us, the Habitat home means we can stay here."
Nasr and Rasha are excited about what they will learn in the home maintenance courses they will take before moving into their new home. "It is good to learn how to fix things in our own home," says Nasr. "And it will be nice to be able to make the kind of improvements you can’t make in an apartment."
The family likes to go swimming at the Iowa City Rec Center once a week. Obada says he helps his parents clean house and Awab excitedly shares stories about his run-ins with dinosaurs. They have friends in the neighborhood where their home will be built and they attend social gatherings of the Sudanese community in the area. Though they say entertaining in their new larger home will be great, they add that the size of the home does not keep Sudanese family and friends from gathering: "The space does not matter, being together matters most," says Rasha.
