Brenda and Anastasia Mugala draw together in their house in Lusaka, Zambia.

Homeowner Stories

Chrisler Olibrice’s Story

Chrisler Olibrice lost his home on January 12th 2010 when an earthquake devastated his native Haiti.

“I thought I lost two of my boys. They were inside when our house collapsed,” says Chrisler, 40, father of five children: Chrislanda, 14; Blondy, 6; Bettina, 5; Féguer, 3; and Frantzo, 18 months.

“My wife and I were preparing something for dinner. Chrislanda, Blondy and Bettina were playing outside. When the earthquake struck, I grabbed my wife, and we jumped outside without having time to take Féguer and Frantzo.” Thankfully, both boys survived the earthquake. Read more here.

Marie Léa Fredlin’s Story

Marie Léa Fredlin lost her home on January 12th 2010 when an earthquake devastated her native Haiti.

“We were outside when the earthquake struck,” says Marie Léa . “Thank God nobody was inside the house, because it was completely destroyed.”

For nearly 18 months, Marie Léa , 30, her husband and their three children took refuge in a small, dark and humid tent which did little to protect them from heavy rains and heat. Habitat for Humanity visited the family and recognised them as being in desperate need of better shelter. Read more here.

Tibakombole Ngulube’s Story

Tibakombole Ngulube is the Homeowner that Brent Pope and Malcolm O’Kelly built alongside during their recent trip to Zambia.

Tibakombole is 56 years old. She looks after her three orphaned grandchildren Matthew (10), Vicky (7) and Lucy (6). Tibakombole has seven children of her own too, three of whom have died. Since her husband, the main income provider, died in 1996, she has depended on financial support from one of her daughters who works as a maid in Olympia. Read more here.

Grace Mwale’s Story

Grace Mwale is a Habitat homeowner whom Brent Pope and Malcolm O’Kelly visited on their recent trip to Zambia.

Grace Mwale (47) lives in the Chazanga compound in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital city.

In 2003, while she was pregnant with her sixth child, her husband died of a chest condition. That same year, the family’s house collapsed due to heavy rains. Grace had no means to rebuild it, and no husband to help her. Grace and her children had no choice but to move in with her sister and her two nieces in Chazanga. Read more here.

Aisling Smith’s Story

Aisling Smith and her mother recently moved into a Habitat home in Ballyfermot, Dublin, which was renovated as part of Habitat for Humanity Ireland’s Local Programme.

Until recently 18-year-old Aisling Smith was living in a one-bedroom council flat with her mother Marie, in Ballyfermot, Dublin. Aisling and Marie had been sharing one bedroom for fourteen years. The flat was so cramped that there was no room for a kitchen table and all meals were eaten on the couch. Read more here.

 Valentina and Grace Pareira’s Story

Valentia and Grace Pareira live in one of the first Habitat Homes ever built in Chile.

Sisters, 14-year-old Valentina and 12-year-old Grace Pareira, live in the Los Andes region of Chile. The two girls live with their parents Edwardo and Patricia and their younger brothers Edwardo (5) and Elias (8 months). Their house was one of the first Habitat for Humanity homes ever built, constructed next to their uncle Wilson’s Habitat house. Read more here.

Volunteer Stories

Michael Reaney’s Story 

Michael Reaney reflects on his trip to Ethiopia during last year.

If you enjoy foreign travel, experiencing new cultures, physical work or volunteering, then a trip with HFH is just the ticket. I spent 10 days in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia with HFH and the trip was much more than what I had ever hoped for. I had previously travelled independently but never before did I get a chance to experience local culture as much as I did during the trip. Read more here.

Ciara O’Connor’s experience

Read our profile of Ciara O’Connor, last year’s Women Build team leader!

How did you first become involved with Habitat for Humanity Ireland?

I always wanted to volunteer abroad and came across the Habitat for Humanity Ireland website after a suggestion from someone I worked with. After reading up about Habitat online I found their ethos of providing simple, decent, affordable housing appealed to me. The length of the trips they offered was also a factor in helping me to decide to get involved as it can be hard to get extended time off work and one to two weeks trips are perfect. Read more here