The first time Faribault High School freshman Lul Ahmed steps inside her completed new home on Willow Street, she glows with satisfaction. Her eight brothers — seven of them younger than her — dash from room to room and marvel at everything that makes this dwelling so different from their old house. There’s a laundry unit off the kitchen, three bedrooms on the main level, three more bedrooms in the basement, three bathrooms and a backyard.
Rice County Habitat for Humanity’s Go-To Crew and volunteers worked diligently to build the Ahmed house. At 22-by-60 square feet, the Ahmed house is double the size of the average Habitat home. But for an 11-person family that suffered a major tragedy, the extra space is necessary.
Oct. 17, 2017 was a life-changing day for Lul. At age 13, she was hit by an SUV as she crossed the sidewalk to the bus stop. Thrown 40 feet from the impact, Lul was airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center in critical condition. She sustained a traumatic brain injury and paralysis and spent over three months of her eighth-grade year out of school regaining her strength.
The tragedy put a financial burden on the Ahmed family. Lul’s father, Ali, took three months off of work to drive Lul to her doctor and therapy appointments in Minneapolis while his wife, Fadumo, stayed home to care for their seven younger sons.
In January 2018, Lul returned to her Faribault home and used a wheelchair to get around. While the Ahmed’s old house was handicap accessible on the main floor, Lul needed to climb upstairs to her bedroom with the help of one of her parents.
When Lul uses her wheelchair at her new Habitat home, the three-foot wide doorways and hallways give her plenty of space. In the handicap accessible bathroom on the main floor, she can turn a full circle in her wheelchair. A master bathroom on the main floor is handicap accessible for Lul.
Providing extra space for the large family and Lul’s wheelchair didn’t discourage the Go-To Crew. “For a house this size, we (haven’t had many) major hiccups,” said Larry Narhi, site supervisor for the Ahmed house. “Just a lot of hours.” Even during the snow months, carpenters, plumbers and electricians labored away. Volunteers from the community and St. Olaf College pitched in to help build or provide lunches for workers.
As a Christian affiliated organization, Habitat for Humanity open houses typically include a prayer. For the Ahmed’s open house, Sheikh Hersi, a Muslim imam, led the house blessing. “Habitat for Humanity can bring people together,” said Norvold. “… Everyone wants a better future for their family.” Abdullah Sharif Hared, executive director of Somali Community Resettlement Services, spoke about the beauty of different cultures coming together to make the home possible. “What the Faribault community did was very supportive,” said Hared. “This [project] reflects what the community of Faribault is.”
For more information contact Dayna Norvold, Executive Director, Rice County Habitat for Humanity at habitatricecounty@gmail.com.
Website: http://www.habitatricecounty.org
View the Rice County Habitat for Humanity story of Amy and Sophia’s home and the deep impact on their lives. https://youtu.be/5sY_jHMiGLs