“This will change our lives forever.”

Aker Bol Bol, a refugee from South Sudan and a 2020 Women Build homeowner, is working hard to achieve a dream she never thought possible; to own her own home.

“I’ve always wanted to own my own place. I’ve worked so hard to get to this point and I’m excited to have this opportunity.”

As the sole breadwinner for her family, Aker works full-time as a manager at an Amazon fulfillment center to provide for her six children and to save up money for her mortgage payment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, work at the has become increasingly difficult due to staff shortages and added regulations meant to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Progress on her home has slowed too but Aker continues to work on her sweat equity hours saying that no matter what, she’ll keep working because she knows how much a home will mean to her family.

“We’ve always been crowded because we could never afford more space. But with Habitat, we can afford more and my children will be happy to finally have their own bedrooms.”

The slow down has been frustrating for Aker but she says that the thought of reaching the finish line keeps her motivated.

“I’ll just be happy to own a place that is mine, a place for me and my children to call home. This will change our lives forever.”