Building a life, starting over
Seble has been building a life in Canada since 2003.
She arrived with her husband, like many newcomers, searching for something more stable and full of opportunity. In the years that followed, she built her life and raised her three children, all born in Canada.
But life didn’t unfold the way she expected. After her marriage ended, Seble found herself raising her children on her own—starting over again, this time as a single mother.
“I’ve been renting for 22, almost 23 years,” she says. “Homeownership was my dream. But I didn’t think it would happen.”
Working full time as a healthcare aide, Seble supported her children through school while building a life rooted in community and care. Today, her oldest daughter is studying Law and Society at university. Her son, Kiduse, is preparing to start university in the fall, and her youngest is in middle school and part of a club soccer team.
Living with uncertainty
For years, renting meant living without a sense of permanence.
Every move required her to adjust what furniture would fit, how to share space, how long they would be able to stay. Decisions were often short-term, shaped by leases instead of long-term plans.
“I’m always thinking, what happens next year?” she says. “What about the lease?”
But Seble has kept going.
She raised her children, supported them through school, and built a sense of stability wherever she could. What she couldn’t control in her housing, she made up for in consistency, care, and determination at home.
Kiduse has seen that up close.
“She’s been talking about owning a home for as long as I can remember,” he says. “She went through a lot to get here. I’m really proud of her.”
A chance that changed everything
Everything shifted when a friend, a Habitat Southern Alberta homeowner, encouraged Seble to apply for affordable homeownership.
“I asked, how can they approve me?” she says. “But she told me, you’re working full time. You should try.”
After some encouragement from her friend, she took the chance and started her application.
When the call came to tell her she had been accepted into the program, Seble could hardly believe it. Her children were with her when she got the news.
“All of us, me and my kids were jumping and happy,” she says.
For her son Kiduse, that moment carried years of meaning, “After everything she’s been through, it finally worked out. Doing this as a single mom… that’s really cool.”
Building their future together
Seble is completing 500 volunteer hours, helping to build her future community and prepare for homeownership. Through the program, she is gaining experience across construction, ReStore, and financial and home education classes.
After one shift on site, she reflected on how much she had already learned—the pace of construction, how quickly the homes come together, and how teams work side by side to move things forward.
Her son Kiduse has joined her, learning new skills and helping build the home they will soon move into. It is a chance not just to prepare for what’s ahead, but to be part of bringing it to life.
“Being on site has been really exciting,” he says. “Getting to build our own home, and other people’s homes too—it’s something I’ve never experienced before. Just being part of creating something like that has been really meaningful. I’m learning a lot, and overall, it’s been a life-changing opportunity.”
At home, the excitement shows up in different ways.
Her youngest daughter is always asking questions—when will it be ready, what will it look like, is that one ours when they drive by.
It makes Seble laugh.
For the first time in more than two decades, she is no longer thinking about what might happen next year.
“I’m not worried anymore,” she says. “Now I can plan my life.”
A home of her own
Homeownership means more than having a place to live. For years, Seble has been paying rent without gaining anything in return. That is about to change.
“Now I am the owner. I don’t have to think about housing the same way anymore. Yes, I have my mortgage, and I’m happy to pay it. Before, my money was always going to someone else. Now, it’s going toward my own home.
It makes me excited because I can finally make plans. For my life, for my future, even for things like a vacation. I have things I want to do, and now it feels possible.”
After years of starting over, Seble is finally building something that will last.
