For more than two decades, Jacques and Dinah carried the dream of home -- a place of safety, stability, and belonging. But that dream was far from easy to reach. Their journey began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“My wife and I were born in the Congo. When war came, we left for Rwanda to stay in a refugee camp. We lived there for twenty-something years. All of our children you see here today were born in the refugee camp. We read about the U.S. in books, but that’s all we knew about it until God helped us. He gave us a road to arrive here in the United States.”
Arriving in North Carolina was a turning point. For the first time in decades, Jacques and Dinah’s family had stability. “When we arrived, we were well received. Our children were also well received,” Jacques shared.
They worked hard to build their lives in a new country, but the dream of homeownership still felt out of reach -- until Jacques got in touch with Habitat Wake.
“I looked into it and was given an application. We started working together, and they were with me for any questions I had.”
The road to homeownership required commitment: 200 hours of sweat equity spent at the construction site, ReStores, and homeownership classes. Jacques embraced the process, working tirelessly for the future of his family. And then, last July, the long wait was over.
“The home was completed, and we were able to move in. I wanted to say thank you so much to Habitat. We know that having a house in the U.S. is extremely expensive, so we really thank you for this avenue to own one. I want to thank everyone who worked alongside us and answered our questions, thank you for what you do.”
For Jacques, Dinah, and their children, home is more than a place -- it is security, it is belonging, it is the culmination of a journey that began long ago. Their story is a testament to perseverance and the transformative power of a community that embraces its neighbors, no matter how far they have journeyed.
We are honored that their path led them here and even more honored to have walked beside them in this chapter.