The Nigere family

By the time their home in North Minneapolis is ready, Kitessa and Ebise’s family of three will become four. Kitessa and Ebise, both from Ethiopia, are expecting a second child at the end of July.

For this young and growing family, a home of their own will be a welcome change. At first, the offer to buy the home came as a complete surprise. Kitessa remembers repeating, “Are you serious? What are you saying? We are qualified?”

After first hearing about Habitat for Humanity from a friend, Kitessa kept thinking about the program and all it could offer his family. Though Kitessa has a busy schedule to balance between work at the Minneapolis Hilton and schoolwork for his nursing assistant program, he found time to complete the Habitat homeownership application. Just a few short months later, Kitessa was amazed to learn that his family would have a house of their own in North Minneapolis.

Kitessa has already spent a great deal of time in his new neighborhood volunteering on his family’s home, walking around, and meeting some of his new neighbors. More than anything, Kitessa loves the chance to connect with the volunteers on site. “I like working with volunteers,” he says, “When I talk to them, they’re so supportive and appreciative of me and my family. They’ve encouraged me to be strong and to keep up with school.”

Kitessa’s family also has a great deal of support from his church. “My church friends,” he says with a smile. Just as Kitessa volunteers his time at church by preaching and leading bible study, his friends from the church will volunteer on site to help this rehabbed home become a comfortable space for family and friends.

Beyond the space itself, this new home will give this growing family a great deal to look forward to. Kitessa is eager to settle in and to continue saving for his children’s education. Though he has started a college fund already, he explains laughing, “Only for the first one.”