Bakar and Amani Ahmed Family

Originally from Sudan, the Bakar Ahmed family lived in Oman for seven years before immigrating to the United States in 2003 “to live the American Dream”.

When they arrived in the States, Bakar, his wife Amani, and their children, Ahmed, Manasik, and Tasabeh, first settled in Philadelphia. Friends of Bakar’s told him that Iowa City was a good place to live a better life with great educational opportunities. So, in 2007, this warm, hospitable, and enthusiastic family trekked west to permanently settle in Iowa City.

Bakar and Amani both work as lab technicians at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. They cheerfully adjusted their work and hectic family schedules in order to make time to fulfill their volunteer commitment to Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Community is important to the Ahmed family. When asked to describe how they felt when they learned they had been accepted as a Partner Family with Iowa Valley Habitat, Ahmed and Tasabeh admitted they were, “Happy, but not too excited at first” because they felt their new home would be “too far from [the Iowa City Sudanese] community.”

Manasik declared she was excited from the very beginning and is so very happy to have her own bedroom. Ahmed and Tasabeh have since caught Manasik’s excitement and now love their “bigger house near our new friends.”

Before moving into their Habitat home in December, 2011, the family currently lived in a small townhome rental unit. Bakar is excited about the financial and familial stability that came with owning his own home. He explained, “It is good to save more money and not have to move every year. I enjoy living in a safe neighborhood with quiet neighbors.”

The question “How did you feel about the volunteers’ support of your homebuilding efforts?” elicited a terrific response from the Ahmed family. “We found that to be awesome, the community support!” The family is impressed that people in this community “care about others” and they were happy for the opportunity to “get to meet lots of nice people who helped.”

Ahmed’s eyes lit up when he was asked what he’d like to say to the volunteers that helped his family build their home. “Thank you,” he heartily responded, “we really appreciate your work! You really have given us a positive view of this community.”