Alex and Ilene Mutware have always dreamed of having a place to call home.
Being accepted into the Habitat Tucson program has been life-changing!
Prior to partnering with Habitat Tucson, Alex and Illene had never stepped foot on a build site. However, just moments after meeting everyone and working alongside Habitat volunteers, Alex and Illene felt like they were part of a bigger community. “When we build, we are with many people. We help each other,” Alex says.
As they completed their sweat equity hours and saved for their downpayment, Alex and Ilene have learned skills that can directly transfer over to them being responsible homeowners.
“The Habitat volunteers show us how they do everything,” says Alex. “Now if something breaks, we will know how to fix it. We are learning new skills, yeah!”
When homebuyers Alex and Ilene are not working at a Habitat build site, they work as caretakers of elderly and disabled residents. Alex has worked as a caregiver with the Tucson Residence Foundation for three years and his wife works with a similar caregiving company, Desert Horizons. They worked during the COVID-19 pandemic taking care of their elderly residents.
Ilene says she plans on going back to school to become a nurse after moving into their new Habitat home.
Since they joined the program and began saving for their down payment, the future looks bright. Alex and Illene have put in hundreds of hours into their sweat equity and cannot wait to receive the keys to their forever home. The anticipation keeps them eager and hopeful.
“It’s amazing knowing we will own our dream house soon.” says Alex.
