Halwa and her son after receiving the keys to their home.

Nurse, Mother of 5 Buys Home in Bluestem Prairie Development

Growing up in Kenya, Halwa had a vision for her future.

“I wanted to have a nice house the way I imagined it,” she said.

The Somalian-born woman immigrated to the United States in 2004 at the age of 16. She joined her two older siblings living in Las Vegas, Nev. After a few months, she relocated to Reno and eventually moved to Omaha.

“My older sister was here,” Halwa said. “At the time, I had a child, and it was expensive to live in Nevada. Nebraska was more affordable.”

In Omaha, Halwa attended College of Saint Mary to earn her bachelor’s degree in nursing. After working at two different hospitals, she “found her calling” as a nurse in the psychiatric residential treatment center at CHI Health Immanuel Hospital, helping children and adolescents with psychological disorders.

With her career established, Halwa focused on achieving her goal of becoming a homeowner. At the time, she and her five children — four daughters and a son, ranging in age from 1 1/2 to 15 – were living in a three-bedroom townhome.

“The space was not big enough,” she said.

A coworker recommended she reach out to Habitat for Humanity of Omaha.

Halwa, her sister and her sister-in-law all applied to purchase houses through Habitat Omaha. Halwa was the first to close on her home, a five-bedroom, two-bath house in the new Bluestem Prairie development near 51st Street and Sorensen Parkway. She and her children were elated.

“I always wanted something different than what I had growing up for my kids. When we got the keys, I was so happy,” she said. “I always told my kids, one day we’re going to buy a house. Then, that one day came.”

Halwa, who was without debt or credit, purchased her home with an affordable mortgage through Habitat Omaha. A financial partner then purchased the loan, allowing the organization to build more homes. It’s a collaboration for which Halwa is grateful.

“This partnership gives everyone an equal opportunity to have a home,” she said. “If not, I’m sure the opportunity wouldn’t be there. It’s not just my family, but so many more families.”

This house, Halwa said, offers her family safety, security and hope for the future.

“A home is the bare minimum of where a child’s future is determined,” Halwa said. “My son now says he wants to buy a house when he grows up. It teaches them to invest in life early on. Being given that opportunity I feel it is fair and highly appreciated.”