“A person is happier when they have a place to call home.”
Originally from Rwanda, Nikuze spent many years in a refugee camp in Tanzania. Both of Nikuze’s first two children were born at this camp. Garison, her oldest son, remembers their years in the refugee camp, saying, “People would rob others if they thought they had money.” It was a challenging time for the entire family.
Nikuze and her family escaped the violence and uncertainty of the refugee camp when they relocated to the U.S. She settled in Tucson, and added two more children to her family. She is extremely proud of all of her children and is hoping to send them all to college one day. The first step to making sure that happens? Providing a safe, stable place to call home.
[mk_image src=”https://habitattucson.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/nikuze-chanteal_0174-scaled.jpg” image_size=”large”]So she attended a Habitat Homebuyer Info Session and applied to the program!
Nikuze wants to provide a stable future for her children. She talks about how owning her own house will give her children a safe home base, somewhere to come home to and unwind. Right now they rent a home from an absentee landlord. “Renting is just making payments,” she says, “but owning my own home is an investment for the future.”
When Nikuze got the call that she was accepted as a Habitat homeubyer, she was thrilled. Garison recalls, “She felt so much joy and was so blessed to have the opportunity.” Finally, she would get to build the future her children deserve!
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All of her children are so excited to be able to customize their rooms, with brightly painted walls and new decorations. Nikuze is especially excited about outdoor customization. She can’t wait to plant a flower garden in the front and back yard. A very colorful garden will make it feel like home.
To Nikuze, home is a safe space for your family. For years she lived never knowing how she would survive or what her future would hold. Now, she will finally have a place to call home and build that future–not only for herself, but for her family.
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