By DENAE BYBEE

Menou Tchako's home in Zaire is far from her home in Provo.

Her unsure journey for a better life - a better home - began almost two decades ago, and will come to an end in almost two months, thanks, in large part, to Habitat for Humanity.

"More Than A Hammer" is not just this year's theme for Utah County's Habitat for Humanity, but reflects the spirit of those involved with changing the lives of deserving families.

At the annual meeting Tuesday at UVSC, donors and volunteers were recognized for their support and new officials were elected.

Tara Riddle, departing board president, said the affiliate built more homes in the past year than ever before because it has a more active board than in the past.

"Before this, the affiliate was completely run by volunteers - we didn't have an executive director or office staff," Riddle said. "Over the last couple of years, some substantial Utah County residents' donations have afforded the ability to hire staff."

Now the organization can do more than ever before.

"Mathews, our paid executive director, has taken this affiliate to a whole new level," Riddle said.

This year, a five-bedroom, two-bathroom home was finished, with three more homes to be completed by the end of the year - the most they have ever completed in one year.

The Utah County affiliate is fortunate to have a large number of volunteers willing to spend a few hours on a Saturday, but what they really need are volunteers willing to serve on the board for the long term, said Kena Mathews, the executive director. "We need someone willing to go over the books or negotiate a contract."

The families receiving the home are also expected to volunteer their time.

"The whole principle of Habitat for Humanity is not to give people homes, but to give them a hand up," Riddle said. "When they use sweat equity; they feel like they are making an investment in the home."

Two-parent families volunteer for 500 hours, and single-parent families for 350.

"We find the family first, then build the home to fit," Riddle said.

Recently, Habitat found Menou Tchako, a 38-year-old single mother to Abdul, 18, Laini, 15 and Adam, 8, who is finding time between two jobs to help build their new four-bedroom home in Provo, to be finished in September.

When Tchako applied for a home, she said she was afraid. She thought she wouldn't qualify for a home because she doesn't have money for a down payment, and was sure she had a bad credit report.

Mathews said families pay their own mortgage on the no-interest loan. The loan is assigned a timeframe that allows for a monthly payment that families can afford, usually about $450 a month.

The majority of materials, labor and supplies are donated, and Bank of American Fork has a matching program for the down payment.

It used to take up to two years from being chosen for a home to completion of the project. Now, because of help from paid employees like Mathews, efficiency has cut that time in half.

When Mathews called to tell Tchako she had been chosen for a home, the news wasn't expected.

"I fell on the bed and was surprised," Tchako said. "I couldn't picture myself owning a tiny piece of land. There's no way I can own land. There's no way I can own a brand new car or anything because there's no money in the family. We've been left with no money, no nothing, no child support - zero."

Tchako left Zaire at 19 years old with her then-husband to fulfill their dream of a better life.

"They don't value human rights [in Zaire]," Tchako said.

She said in Africa, "people are so hungry" and if women go outside their home, they live with the fear of not returning because of the violence.

"Some people there don't care about seeing blood," she said.

Tchako said the hunger and violence are just some of the reasons she immigrated to the United States.

"In Africa, a woman doesn't have any rights, really," Tchako said. "I'm so glad to be here. It's better here to struggle because at least you have your own rights."

In Washington, D.C., Tchako and her husband became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but later divorced.

Left with no money and no job skills, she worked in housekeeping at the Washington Hilton Hotel.

Friends convinced her to move to American Fork eight years ago.

She supports her children by helping special needs children on the school bus, and works as a cashier at Wal-Mart when school is out of session.

Tchako said her children are excited to have a home.

"I told them, I love them, and will do anything for them," she said.

The program gives credit for volunteer hours to Tchako's children for good grades, which are plentiful in her family. Abdul will be attending college this fall with plans to eventually run his own businesses.

Tchako is working on becoming a U.S. citizen and said having a home will help her family grow.

"We want to go farther in life," she said. "[Having a home] will help us look on the other side. A home is a home. You have your children there. There's no place like home."

Copyright Brigham Young University 6 Aug 2007