Augusta and Marvin are originally from Liberia and came to the United States 5 years ago to escape the war. As refugees they had no choice in where they were sent and had never even heard of Iowa. Now, they have settled in to find jobs and begin the process of owning their own home. Marvin currently works in Perry, an hours drive away, for a meat packing company, but hopes to soon find a job closer to home. Augusta works for Des Moines public Schools in food service.
They have 4 children, Julia (14), Elsie (8), Roland (1), and Lucinda (3 months). Julia likes to play basketball and runs track. She hopes to get an academic scholarship to go to college to become a pediatrician. Elsie enjoys singing and dancing to either African music or Hip Hop. For special outings the family likes to go to the movies or to Adventureland.
Currently, they live on the east side in a duplex, but the rent is quite high. They have many family members who are still in Africa and they hope that someday they can bring them to the U.S. and perhaps they can become homeowners as well.