The Habitat Homeownership program is a hands-on experience and both Uwizeyumuhosa and Cooper — along with members of the Habitat for Humanity Women Build Program and other volunteers — will participate in the construction of their homes, from start to finish.
“It’s such a blessing and an overwhelming joy,” Cooper said Saturday, adding that she was surprised to learn the construction team would be comprised of nearly all women.
“That is what I wasn’t expecting,” she said. “I was informed right before we started today and I just feel empowered by that.”
As part of the homeownership program, candidates participate in “sweat equity” requirements, volunteering at the Dayton ReStore and assisting in the construction of other Habitat homes.
Uwizeyumuhosa said the prospect of working to build her own home is one she’ll always treasure.
“It’s exciting; I’m the one who put the first nail in the wall,” she said, adding that she signed a piece of wood with her and her son’s names, a memento of the hard work that led her to where she is now.
Uwizeyumuhosa was born in Rwanda but fled because of turmoil caused by war. Leaving her family behind, she temporarily moved to Kenya where she applied for, and won, a lottery that allowed her to legally enter the United States.
Uwizeyumuhosa arrived in Dayton in 2015, along with her oldest son Oliver, who is now 20 and a student at the University of Dayton. Here in the U.S., Uwizeyumuhosa welcomed a second son, Olis, who is four.
Since arriving in Dayton, money has been tight and Uwizeyumuhosa is seeking a safer place to live for her sons.
“I’m excited to move to Kettering, which has good schools and it’s a good neighborhood,” she said.
Cooper had already witnessed firsthand how the Habitat Homeownership program can benefit the lives of recipients, as her mother has lived in a Habitat home for 22 years.
Cooper said she’s worked hard to get to this point, highlighting that her daughter Aa’sjayla, now 13, was a driving force in her perseverance.
“When I became homeless after I had my daughter, I decided that I was going to do what my mom did and have a forever home with my kids,” she said.
While making that decision was easy, the journey to get here was not. Cooper said she’d worked for a decade to meet all the program requirements and complete all the necessary steps.
By the time she and Aa’sjayla move in, Cooper said her daughter will be around the same age she was when her own mother received a Habitat home.
“I wanted it to happen a long time ago, but at least this way, she’ll be able to go off to college and have that safe place to go to and not have to worry about paying bills,” Cooper said. “I can send her off into the world and she’ll be stabilized.”
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