In March, Tonya Harper (in back) and her family broke ground on Habitat's 200,000th house worldwide. Pictured also are her husband Koffi Kouassi and children, from left: Jeminata Harper, N'Dah Kouassi, A'Yah Kouassi and Koffi Kouassi. They will dedicate their house in August.

A Decent Home to Call My Own

by Tonya Harper

Editor's note: Habitat's 200,000th homeowner Tonya Harper shared with Habitat World her own thoughts as she and her family prepare to build, buy and move into their Habitat home in Knoxville ,Tenn. A related story is in Nuts & Bolts.

Until now, a home has always been something other people had. As a kid, and throughout most of my adult life, I had places to store my things and lay my head, but I never had a home. Never had a place where, just by having a key on my ring, I felt like a real part of my community. Before, I never felt like my voice mattered. That my payments mattered. That I mattered.

I grew up in Section 8 (federally subsidized) housing, otherwise known as the projects. But my mother did the best she could for our family. As a mother now myself, I have respect for what it takes to raise a family when you're struggling paycheck to paycheck.

Wanting to provide a better, more stable life is one thing. Having the means to do it is another.

At 16, I got married and moved with my husband into a small apartment. I was 28 years old when my first marriage ended and I--along with my three children--moved back to Knoxville to live with my mom.

After returning to Knoxville, I met Koffi, a man from the Ivory Coast, and we were married three months later. We've been married 10 years, and what seemed like a quick decision to many of my friends and family has now become one of the best things I've ever done. We lived with my mom while we paid off our debt, and then moved into a series of apartments. Over the next few years, I gave birth to three more children, Koffi, a girl, and the twins, N'Dah and A'Yah, a boy and a girl.

Getting rid of bad habits is not easy, especially when you have no idea where to begin. My family found ourselves again unable to manage our money, and the strain of it all eventually led to our losing everything and moving into the Salvation Army shelter. My kids didn't want the school bus picking them up in front of the shelter, so they walked a few blocks to another stop. It was a turning point for me. Something had to change. I had to change.

After our stay at the Salvation Army, we moved into the Section 8 apartments we're in now. We were at church when a fellow member told me about her Habitat home. I knew I had to apply and was sure we'd be accepted into the program. Koffi works 15-plus hours a day as a cook for two restaurants and is only off work on Sundays. I am a receptionist for Goodwill Industries and am making more money than I have in a long time. But with six kids, it's still difficult to cover all our bases.

The Habitat program has changed our lives--and not just because we'll get to buy a house. In my lifetime, I've had a series of ups and downs, but no one to help me change the negative patterns in my life. Habitat classes have taught me skills I did not have before. I can save money now and keep a budget. I'm not rich, but I know what I have to do to pay my bills. I actually have money left over! I have a chance to learn about planting in my yard and how to handle minor maintenance issues. I was surprised it takes about a year to finish the program before we could buy our home, but I understand why. The classes make sure we're equipped to handle owning our home and that we're successful in doing so.

I can't wait to cook for my family in our new kitchen. I love to feed my family and come together over meals. I'll also be looking for the perfect spot to sit and read my Bible. I'll enjoy planting flowers in my yard, telling Koffi where to hang mirrors and pictures, pulling into our driveway and sliding that key into the front door.

When Habitat for Humanity told us we would be moving into the 200,000th house built worldwide by the organization, we were speechless. What an honor to represent homeowners around the world who, like us, just needed a little bit of assistance. It's a testament that, with God's help, and if you live right, you can do anything you put your mind to.

I've always believed the only limits you have are the ones you put on yourself. I am lucky to be married to a man like Koffi. As a young boy, his parents couldn't afford to send him to school, and he really wanted to go. At 4 years old, he cut wood, hauled it to the town square, and raised his own money so he could get an education. Neither of us is afraid of hard work; we just needed a bit of help planning and managing our money and time. Without Habitat, I'm not sure we'd have ever gotten there.

May God bless this organization and keep it always.