Mbalou Kaba understands the value
of hard work. She loves her job as a Certified Nursing
Assistant at Orchard Park Health Care Center in Littleton, but with four daughters to raise on
her own, it’s a struggle to provide comfortable housing for
her family.
Mbalou lives in a southwest
Denver
apartment with her daughters, Diamilatou, Fanta, Minatagbe
and Fatoumata. The family is cramped in their two-bedroom
apartment that has multiple maintenance problems. The
neighborhood is unsafe and Mbalou has heard gun shots
nearby. The complex also lacks a safe area for her children
to play outdoors. The current rent is high for Mbalou’s
salary and she has been forced to move in the past in order
to try and find a more acceptable home for her children.
Mbalou heard about Habitat for
Humanity from a friend at work and decided to apply for a
new home. She has lived in the
Denver
area for 14 years and is ready to make the commitment to
becoming a home owner. “I want a better life for my kids,
and I know I can do this”, she said.
Mbalou speaks five languages (English, French,
Mondando, Susu and Pluar) and plans to continue supporting
Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver as a translator for future
interviews and orientation. She will begin her sweat equity
work in the summer of 2014 and looks forward to providing a
larger, more stable and affordable home for her daughters.