Habitat For Humanity of Omaha

by Phillip Jordan

The future homeowner of Habitat Omaha's 2010 Women Build house, Omjuma at the Wall Raising held in May 2010. (Photo by James Nedresky)

When Omjuma Dut decided to leave Sudan in 1999, she did so with her family's safety and future in mind.

"I just wanted a better life for me and my children," Dut says simply.

Dut dreamed of moving to the United States but that wasn't possible from Sudan then. Egypt was an option, however. Between 1994 and 2005, more than 58,000 Sudanese refuges sought asylum in Egypt, registering with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to escape the violent military conflicts festering in Sudan. In 1999, the Dut family joined those numbers traveling north to Egypt.

For three years, Dut worked toward gaining passage to the United States while also looking after four of her children. Her fifth and oldest child, Margaret Akol, was 12 years old when the family moved to Cairo. It fell to her to support the family. While her mother looked after the other siblings, Akol worked the next three years as a housekeeper for a wealthy family.

"Here's the thing," Akol says. "When you are a housekeeper, you have to stay with the people you work with. So I did that, which meant I could only visit my family for a day or two each week. I was happy to support my family, but it was very tough not being with them."

In 2002, Dut secured entry to the United States for her and her children. Three more years of uncertainty followed before the family finally settled in Omaha, Nebraska, where a new Sudanese-American community is growing. A decade ago, just over 1,000 Sudanese immigrants had moved to the Midwestern city. Estimates vary, but at least 10,000 Sudanese-Americans live in Omaha today, giving it one of the largest Sudanese populations in the United States.

Omaha offered the Dut family a supportive community, jobs and a stable feeling. However, even with both Dut and Akol working, the family didn't make enough money to live together.

Akol, now 22 and with a young daughter of her own, once again lives separately, in a small apartment. Her mother lives in a separate apartment, crowded with her five other children who range in age from 6 to 18.

Soon, the family will be reunited once again.

Late in 2008, on the advice of a friend at work, Dut applied to partner with Habitat for Humanity of Omaha. For the past year, she has been attending financial classes and putting in sweat equity hours working on other Habitat houses.

This past Saturday, May 8, work began on Dut's own home. Her family's house will be the 13th Women Build home constructed by Habitat of Omaha's women volunteers. Saturday's event took place during National Women Build Week 2010, which included more than 225 Women Builds across the United States.

Amelia O'Donnell is an AmeriCorps member serving with Habitat of Omaha. She will help at this house throughout the summer and is excited to have the chance to get to know Dut better.

"She's a single mom with six kids, and she's had her struggles coming from Sudan and living as a refugee," O'Donnell says.

Future Habitat Omaha homeowner Omjuma working on her Sweat Equity hours alongside AmeriCorps*National Service Member Amelia.

"But it's really inspiring all that she's done for her family and that she chose to work with Habitat to do even more. She'll soon have a nice, new home that lots of other women will help her build. I think that's pretty cool."

This will be the first home that Dut has ever built.As she watched the frames of her house rise Saturday she said she was surprised that somany volunteers-about 30-came to help on a cold, damp and blustery morning.

"I was surprised about the Women Build, too," Dut said. "I have never seen something like that, especially where I came from.

But it is good to see. I am very excited and I glad to be with so many women."

For her part, Akol said she is most excited about the prospect of moving back in with her mother and the rest of her siblings in a home that is big enough for them all. She is also happy that-with newfound stability-she can again look toward dreams deferred.

"I have a lot of dreams that I want to accomplish," Akol says. "First, I want to go back to school and get my nursing degree. I want to support my daughter and do the best I can."

Phillip Jordan is a writer/editor for Habitat for Humanity International, based in Americus. (Photos by James Nedresky)

"Habitat homes are different from other homes because the owners are involved in the construction," said Saw Soe, Habitat Omaha homeowner. But few are as "involved" with the enthusiasm that Saw brought to work every day. 

Each Habitat family must complete 350 hours of "Sweat Equity" which include hours spent learning construction on the worksite as well as educational workshops and classes. Saw, however, signed his final closing papers on his house with a grand total of 391.5 hours worked that he, his wife, Naw Paw, and his brother, Htee Wah, had compiled in just four months.

Saw's family is part of Omaha's growing population of Karen people; a group that has been persecuted in Burma (Myanmar) and forced to flee to refugee camps in Thailand and surrounding areas. Born in Burma, Saw lived in a refugee camp in Thailand for a few years. In 2007, Saw and his family immigrated to the United States and settled in Omaha.

Saw's enthusiasm was infectious and his cheerfulness quickly drew other homeowners, Habitat Omaha construction staff, and volunteers to him. "I like to think about making my favorite dinners with my family and new friends in the new kitchen...."

With each house that Habitat finishes in Omaha, a tithe amount is sent to support house construction for Habitat for Humanity in another country. Saw's influence on the teams of homeowners and volunteers was never more evident than during the house dedication ceremony of a fellow Habitat Omaha homeowner, Lisa. She had decided to honor her new friend, Saw, and called on him during the dedication to accept the tithe for her designated country: Thailand. (Photos by James Nedresky)

Mustafa H. works on his Habitat home with a volunteer. (Photo by James Nedresky)

It's something every Habitat Omaha Family Partner must do; work 350 sweat equity hours before they can purchase their home. But little did Mustafa know just how much he would get out of this Habitat philosophy. Not long ago Mustafa and his family, originally from Somalia, were living in a refugee camp in Kenya. Today he, his wife, and their sixteen year old daughter are helping to build their new Habitat Omaha home.

"When I look back on this year it's amazing to see how far we've come," Mustafa says. "Before I started doing my sweat equity, I barely knew how to use a hammer."

Now Mustafa can patch drywall, repair doors and install windows. But Mustafa's training started long before the construction site. He participated in Habitat Omaha's Introduction to Construction classes for homeowners, where he learned about the tools of the trade. He and his wife also attended a financial management class where homeowners learn how to manage their money and pay their bills.

The best part, Mustafa says, is that "Habitat has given us a chance to make a hands-on investment in our community."

He now feels his family has made significant progress toward obtaining the American Dream. "Each time I pay my mortgage," he says, "I will be making an investment in my family's future."

But Mustafa's investment doesn't stop there. Every mortgage payment he makes helps build more houses, which secures the future of even more Habitat Partner Families.

After going above and beyond by completing many more than the required 350 Sweat Equity hours, Mustafa H. receives the keys to his new home at the dedication ceremony. (Photo by James Nedresky)