Falling in love with Canada
When he first came to Canada, Teklemichael joined his three siblings in Manitoba. He worked for a year at a bakery from May 2014 until June of the following year. In 2015, he vacationed in Calgary and fell in love with the city during Stampede. He promptly packed up and moved to Calgary, taking English lessons in the evenings while working full-time during the days.
“I was so excited to see the parade, it was my first time seeing a horse.”
The growing family has become too big for their current accommodations. They live in a 2-bedroom Calgary Housing apartment, with the rooms being too cramped for the boys to grow and play.
After learning about Habitat from Teklemichael’s sister, a Habitat homeowner in Manitoba, they worked hard on their application and were so happy to be accepted into the program.
“It’s not easy to buy a house. It’s very expensive right now and not easy to make a down payment. When I got the call I was very excited.”
Dream of a peaceful future
Every day, Teklemichael and Ruta can’t help but think about how owning their own home will change their lives and the lives of their boys. Naod and Yosief are excited to have separate rooms, a backyard, and a basement, spaces to make their own and to play as only young boys can.
Their home will bring a sense of peace and quiet not found in their current living situation, where they are surrounded by the noise and bustle of inner-city surrounded by bars, restaurants, and traffic. Both parents speak about how much comfort they hope to have in a quiet neighbourhood. Most importantly, the family cannot wait to join a community of similar families for the boys to have friends to play with and the families to understand what each other has been through and how life-changing their homes are in their community.
