Once a week, Mujeebullah and Momena gather their five children for study hour. Together, they choose a topic. Everyone spends an hour learning about it and then the family comes back together to share what they discovered.
Education is important in their home, and not only for the children.
Mujeebullah is a third-year plumbing apprentice at SAIT. Alongside his apprenticeship, he is completing online courses in management and estimating, with the goal of advancing within the company where he works.
Momena stays home with their children, who range in age from a baby to 10 years old. When their youngest is older, she hopes to return to school to become a nurse.
Learning is part of the future they are building together. Soon their Habitat for Humanity home will give them more room to pursue it.
Choosing stability
Since 2022, the family has lived in a three-bedroom, one-bathroom rental.
The eldest girls share one bedroom. The two oldest boys share another. The baby sleeps in Mujeebullah and Momena’s room.
The house is crowded, but the rent is affordable. It has allowed the family to stay in one place rather than moving around a lot.
“We like the community and where we live. They have a lot of friends,” Mujeebullah says. “The only thing they don’t like is the combined space. We don’t have that much space for studying or that much space for company.”
With five growing children, space is becoming harder to manage. There is little room for quiet homework, family gatherings or having friends over. Even the children know what they are most looking forward to in their future home.
When Mujeebullah told them the family had been accepted into Habitat’s affordable homeownership program, their first question was simple: How many bathrooms will it have?
An opportunity that seemed to good to be true
Mujeebullah first came across Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta while searching online for affordable housing options.
At first, he was skeptical.
He read about the affordable homeownership program but wondered whether the opportunity was real. Then, while driving one morning, he heard a CBC News story about Habitat building homes in the community.
“I realized it was true,” he says.
Before applying, Mujeebullah did his research. He read online forums and looked for information from other applicants so he could understand the process and prepare the family’s application.
That preparation paid off. Mujeebullah was sitting in class at SAIT when he received the call telling him his family had been accepted into the program.
It was the call that would change their future.
Learning on the build site
Habitat homeowners contribute 500 volunteer hours before moving into their homes. Mujeebullah and Momena recently completed their hours, balancing the commitment with school, work and caring for five children.
For Mujeebullah, the time he spent on the construction site became another opportunity to learn.
“In construction, I learned how to do the framing,” he says. “Now a garage, small work, I can do by myself.”
Although the family has finished its required hours, Mujeebullah plans to continue volunteering. He wants to learn more about the finishing work that goes into a house and build more skills he can use to on his own home.
“I’m planning to go there again to volunteer,” he says. “I can learn the finishing work and see how to do it.”
That willingness to keep learning is part of how Mujeebullah and Momena approach their family’s future. Their Habitat home will give them more space, but its greatest impact will be what that space allows them to focus on.
More room for the future
For years, the family’s housing decisions have centered on being affordable and avoiding another move.
As homeowners, Mujeebullah and Momena will be able to put more of their energy into their children’s education and wellbeing.
“We have to sacrifice for the kids,” Mujeebullah says. “When we were renting, we were focusing more on housing and how to manage that. Now I will be more focused on the kids’ education and wellbeing.”
Their children will have more room to study, play and grow. They will be able to welcome friends and family into their home. Most importantly, they will have the security of knowing they can stay in their community and build lasting relationships there.
“They will have a bond with the community for a long, long time,” Mujeebullah says. “That’s good for them, as well as for us.”
For Mujeebullah and Momena, home is the foundation for everything they hope to build as a family.
“The word home means security and wellbeing,” Mujeebullah says. “It is where our kids can grow and become educated, and where we build our future. Home is everything.”
