LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Baraka family is prearing to move into their very own Habitat House.
"Right now, I have a place that I can call home you know? It's something, it's something . It's amazing," said Ibrahim Baraka.
Ibrahim's parents and their seven children will soon move into their home on Russell Cave Road, but the journey to get there was a long one. The family fled the Democratic Republic of Congo to a refugee camp in Uganda where they lived for 12 years.
"Life was really hard in there, it was tough. You eat one time a day, if you don't have food you don't eat," Ibrahim told LEX 18's Kylen Mills. "Growing up as a kid I never know where is home. Because I grew up in refugee camp I don't know home. I get a chance with the United States government to come here in America in this beautiful country."
Once in Lexington, they were accepted into the Habitat for Humanity Home Owner Program, putting in 500 hours of "sweat equity" to build their house on Russell Cave Road sponsored by Valvoline. Their home is the 52nd home Habitat has built in the area.
"They give us hope now we have somewhere we can call home. And we really pray for them to continue all they're doing," said Ibrahim.
This summer, LEX 18 is partnering with Lexington Habitat for Humanity to build a home for Mona Ashby. You can keep track of that home's progress here.
