A brave refugee who defied all odds and bought his mother a house at the age of 20 has revealed the secrets of his success and the moment he realized he had to help her.
Peri Ndakize, 20, was recently approved for a home in the town of Wodonga, about 300 km north-east of Melbourne, on the NSW-Victorian border.
He bought the house to repay his mother for the ultimate sacrifice when she moved him and his brothers from Congo to Australia.
In 2016, Esperance Ndakize left Central Africa in search of a better life for his family, leaving behind her parents and loved ones.
Mr Ndakize said he was motivated to buy a house for his single mother after seeing her desperation about finding a job with her limited English.
Peri Ndakize, 20, was recently approved for a house in the town of Wodonga, about 300 km northeast of Melbourne, on the NSW-Victorian border (pictured is the one-storey house)
The family spent two weeks in Townsville, Queensland, before settling in the Victorian town of Wodonga, where they still live today.
The 20-year-old told Daily Mail Australia that the move from Congo had been tough.
“It was quite difficult for us because none of us spoke English,” he said.
“I spoke very little English, things like hi and how are you, but I couldn’t understand the rest.”
Mr. Ndakize was able to learn English at school, but his mother still struggled.
“Honestly, it was tough. I saw Mom go for hundreds of jobs, and I could see in her eyes how frustrated and hopeless she was,’ he said.
“I saw that look and I wanted to help.”
Mr. Ndakize decided he would work two jobs six days a week to save $50,000 for a down payment on a three-bedroom home in Wodonga.
Mr Ndakize (pictured) was motivated to buy a house for his single mother after seeing her desperation about finding a job with her limited English
He often worked 12-hour days and worked at a recycling facility from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. before starting his sideline from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Mr. Ndakize worked six days a week, most Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and spent his Sundays attending church and visiting family.
When he was just 18, the aspiring tradesman bought a car and a trailer and began advertising mover jobs in his area.
The business turned out to be a huge success and he was fully booked months in advance.
Mr. Ndakize said he sometimes compared himself to other teenagers.
“When I was still in school and then started working at my moving company, I saw other kids just go home and relax,” he said.
“But I had a vision, if you have a vision, nothing can stop you.”
Mr. Ndakize (pictured with his mother) often worked 12 hours a day, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at a recycling plant before starting his sideline from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The single storey house has three bedrooms and two living rooms. Mrs. Ndakize, Peri’s mother, will have her own bedroom and bathroom when she moves in at the end of May
Mr. Ndakize said he was strict with his money, and when he splurged some money, it was on job equipment like ladders or power tools.
He kept all his receipts and kept a paper trail of his incoming and outgoing expenses.
“I had to concentrate on saving the money. I would think about the money and how I would use it. Instead of spending it on something special, I would invest it,” he said.
‘Clothes, jewelry, I’m not that fancy stuff. I would buy something like power tools or a ladder, something that would be important in the future.
“You wouldn’t see me in any clothes other than my work clothes.”
On Mother’s Day, Mr. Ndakize gave his mother her own house.
He took his mother for a tour of the property and pretended his friend was interested in buying the house before revealing it was already hers.
“I said guess what, this is yours. She was very happy. She didn’t believe me at first, but I told her ‘you have to trust me.’
Mr Ndakize said the smile on his mother’s face made it worth all the hard times and all the hard work he put into it.
“Seeing her smile made me feel happy in my heart and proud of myself. I am thankful for my journey and my great achievement,” he said.
Mr. Ndakiz (pictured with his ute) said he was strict with his money, and when he splurged some money it was on work necessities like ladders or power tools
He had kept his money-saving mission a secret from his mother and brothers for nearly two years and said it felt good to bring it out.
‘Nobody knew what I was doing, they were all confused and didn’t know what I was working for.
“During dinner time, my mother said to us, how are we going to get a house, everyone is buying a house now, but I kept it to myself,” he said.
His grandmother called from Congo and sent her grandson ‘kisss on the phone’.
Mr. Ndakize will help his family move on May 29.
Now that he has given his mother a permanent home, he pursues his own goals: to move and pursue a profession.
Agent Lexley Sewell, of First National Real Estate, told Daily Mail Australia that Mr Ndakzie is the youngest person she has ever shown a home to.
When he was just 18, the aspiring tradesman bought a Ute and trailer (pictured) and began advertising mover jobs in his area
She took the 20-year-old and his mother around the house in January.
“He was a sweet boy, very hard-working. I talked to him about how you’re going about it and he calls me a little later and makes an offer on the house,” she said.
“When it initially fell through I felt very disappointed for him, but luckily the broker endured. It means the family can stop renting.
“I was there when he brought his mom in and told her it was hers. She fell to her knees and just said “thank you, thank you”.
‘The house is perfect for young families, low maintenance and close to the shops. It has three bedrooms and two living rooms.
“His mother will have her own room and bathroom.”