Nusret and Adina Kraina Family

“Life goes too fast,” says Nusret Kraina, “it is important to be near family, to share the bad times and to celebrate the good times together.”

He continues, “I believed, but I could not believe. I was so surprised, so happy, when I was asked if I would like my house to be built next door to Esad’s house.”

Esad is Nusret’s older brother. In May 2011 Esad and his family moved into a house sponsored and built by volunteers from the Tippie College of Business.

Nusret’s house, a product of the Dottie Ray Build, was the third Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity Women Build project in Iowa City. It was completed in August 2011.

Family is everything to the Krainas. Adina, Nusret’s wife, works days and Nusret works nights so that one of them is always at home to care for their two children, Haris and Sheila.

In 1999, Nusret Kraina joined his two older brothers, Ejad and Esad, in America, leaving their war-torn, newly-created country of Kosovo. Two years later, Nusret was finally able to reunite with his family and bring Adina and Haris home to Iowa City. Clearly preferring to focus on the future, Nusret provided a little bit of insight into what life was like in Kosovo. “Nothing changed for the better after the war. There was too much corruption, too much greed and selfishness. Many people emigrated.”

In comparison, the Krainas remain in awe of their new homeland, the United States. “We are so happy to start new life in a truly free and democratic country. People are very respectful here. No one stops you on the street and asks who you are and where you are going and what you are doing.” Nusret proclaims, “My life, my dream is full and complete. Tomorrow, nothing bad; only better for my family now.”

Esad encouraged Nusret to apply to become a Partner Family with Habitat for Humanity. Putting aside their concerns that they may not be selected, the Nusret Kraina family applied and went through the selection process in April/May, 2010. Now the Kraina family lives in their new Habitat home. “This is my dream for my family.”

Nusret and Adina completed the required 500 hours of “sweat equity” towards the construction of their new home. They arranged time off with their employers in order to fulfill this obligation, and coordinated with Esad and his wife Mika for the care of their children. Nusret explained, “When Esad and Mika volunteered at Habitat, we took care of their children; when we were volunteering, they took care of Haris and Sheila.”

Nusret was greatly impressed with the Habitat volunteers he met while working on Esad’s house. “I thought only pros could build a house, but that is not correct,” he admits. Nusret and Adina are amazed that people so willingly help others. They were surprised to see so many young people on the build, “all happy and so powerful,” cheerfully following the direction of construction manager Christy Shipley. “Only in the USA!” exclaimed Adina.

When asked what he’d like to say to the volunteers who helped build his house, Nusret responded, “What can I say to somebody who gave us a new life? Thank you and God bless!” He further offers, “Habitat is a chain of goodness. I will not break that chain. I enjoy meeting new people and helping others. If somebody helps me, I want to help others. Maybe even the volunteers who helped build my house. Maybe not help them build a house - maybe so - but maybe in other ways we can help them.”