The Confidence to Succeed

American flags fly proudly over several homes in the neighborhood and Ma Mu and Maw Chu’s yard is well kept. Next to the driveway, a child’s scooter waits in the grass as its young owner watches out the front window. A boot tray on the front porch indicates shoes are not worn inside this house.

The interior is sparsely furnished; there’s a table and four chairs in the dining area with a few extra folding chairs propped in one corner. The family has lived here for about a month and doesn’t have a lot of material possessions.

In fact, most of their belongings seem to relate to cooking. A freezer sits in a corner and a microwave is on the counter, next to a well-used dome shaped clay pot.

The other children are in school, and the little boy plays with a friend as his mother listens closely as an interpreter translates for Habitat for Humanity of Omaha’s Family Service team as they explain the proper care and use of the garbage disposal.

For someone who grew up in a refugee camp this has to be a strange concept, but it isn’t new material; it was covered during one of the classes she was required to attend as part of her 350 hours of Sweat Equity. Hearing it in a classroom and again inside her home strengthens the message.

Today, they are doing an educational walk through, making certain the new homeowners understand the basics of home maintenance. Clearly determined to do everything she can to protect her investment, she listens intently as he goes through a checklist explaining things in Situ, covering everything from resetting a GFI switch to replacing the furnace filter.

Starting with the exterior they go through the entire home, finishing in the basement approximately an hour later. The interpreter, a Habitat  Omaha homeowner himself, prompts the Habitat Omaha team few times. Their goal is to make certain every possible topic is covered and understood, giving this young family the confidence to succeed as new homeowners.