Displaced by civil unrest in 1992, Lal and Radha barely knew their birthplace of Bhutan. Most of their memories were made in a refugee camp in eastern Nepal, where they grew up together as classmates and friends. After 23 years as refugees, they were given the opportunity to relocate to Des Moines in 2015.
Radha said, “We know people in other places that are unhappy with where they live, but we like Des Moines because there is a strong Nepali community that helps each other, the schools are good, and we feel safe.”
Many of their friends and neighbors from the refugee camp have moved to Des Moines. Several purchased their homes from Habitat for Humanity and told Lal and Radha about the program. They applied and were accepted in 2018. Since then, they’ve worked toward meeting financial goals and completing 400 sweat equity hours.
Since they selected their lot, Lal and Radha drive by their future property once a week. “There are hundreds of things that we want to do in the house that we can’t in our apartment,” said Radha, “but there are two big things. We need space to practice, observe, and celebrate our religion – we don’t have that in our apartment. The second thing is that our family comes from an agricultural background, and growing food is a part of life.”
Lal and Radha are looking forward to having the space to live. The space for food to grow, for people to celebrate, and for their children to play without disturbing neighbors that share a wall or ceiling. They’re looking forward to finally walking through the doors of their own home.