Stories

Emal and Wajma’s Story

At the time they moved into their Habitat home, Silvia only had a middle school education.

There is nothing more important to Emal and Wajma tha their children’s future. They will be able to give their children the best gift of all: a stable and safe home. By partnering with Habitat Metro Denver, Emal and Wajma are looking towards a bright future for their children, where they can grow up in a safe and affordable home.

To show his and his family’s gratitude, Emal has written a letter of appreciation.

My name is Emal, and my family and I are from Afghanistan. In my home country, I worked for the U.S. Army for 9 years as an interpreter. Our family’s big dream was always to live in the United States, and that dream came true in 2016 when we moved to Colorado on a special immigration visa.

“We love this country and are proud to call it our home. It is here that we finally feel safe.”

I work hard to provide a good life for my family. My wife and I want to make sure our children can have a stable foundation, including a good education. Our next dream is for our children to go college and be able to give back and help others someday.

Our current apartment is a challenge for our family of five.  It’s in an extremely unsafe neighborhood with a high crime rate and drug activity. The building itself is also falling apart. When we moved in, we had an infestation of bed bugs and cockroaches. The apartment was sprayed but we had to get rid of most of our furniture and clothing to eliminate the bugs. We now don’t have bed bugs, but we still have a lot of cockroaches. The ongoing pests force us out of our apartment every Monday so it can be sprayed with poison. My children’s health and safety are my biggest concern. My daughter has developed marks on her skin from the pests and an irritation to the poison.

We are so happy to partner with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver to purchase and build our new home. My wife and I admire that Habitat Metro Denver assists hardworking families so that we can become homeowners. Thank you to everyone who supports, volunteers and donates to Habitat Metro Denver. You are helping make my dreams come true.”