A New Life for Ler Htoo,
Lay Htoo and Family

The Htoo family have lived in Hanover County for three years, in a house with a leaky roof, drafty windows and unaffordable heating bills.  Combined with these daily struggles, the Htoo's are also refugees from Burma.  Prior to arriving in America four years ago, the Htoo family and many minority groups in Burma were persecuted, partially because of their Christian beliefs.  A love for and faith in Jesus Christ made the Htoo family a target of the military government in Burma, forcing them to flee into a refugee camp for ten years before coming to America almost five years ago.  Now permanent residents, they have been in Hanover County for three years and in that short period of time have worked hard and become eligible for a Habitat home.  We began their home before Thanksgiving.

Since becoming a Partner Family, the Htoo's have completed over 500 hours of sweat equity, well over the minimum requirement for Habitat homeowners.  Both parents and the children who are old enough to be on the job site come out every day they are available.  The younger family members helped every week during their summer break with our Can Recycling Program, and the youngest even drew Thank You cards for Habitat as their contribution.  The family continues to work tirelessly on the two homes we are just completing, as they wait patiently for us to begin their new home.  When told that it was a blessing, but not mandatory, for them to come to the job site every day, the mother laughed, "The faster we finish this house the faster we start mine!"

The Htoo's have six children, five of whom still live at home and attend Hanover County schools, taking ELS classes.  The Htoo's are an exemplar of hard working, deserving people.  Their eldest son, who now has an apartment of his own, has recently gotten a job utilizing the English he has learned to help other refugee families like his adapt to life in America.  Both parents work full time at jobs they've held since arriving in the community, however limited English skills makes it difficult for the family to get ahead.

For the Htoo family, who are used to a tropical climate and culture different from our own, it has been particularly important to find a rural home site where they can recreate through farming some of the life they left behind in Burma. Hanover Habitat is proud to partner with the Htoo's, who will become naturalized citizens in 2012.  Our Family Services Director says of the family, "The Htoo's seem to be a social hub for the community of refugees from Burma in the Richmond area.  Mr. & Mrs. Htoo are role models for the younger generations; they are an inspiration in maintaining things that are important to their culture such as gardening, looming beautiful fabric and a constant focus on sense of community."  We are thrilled to have begun their home in November 2011.