The sacrifices Peri Ndakize's mother made to give him and his brothers a better life can never be repaid.
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But in order to say thank you, he made it his goal to buy her a home.
After months of working two jobs, up to 13 hours a day, it became a reality.
Mr Ndakize and his family moved to Australia from Congo in 2016 and spent some time in Townsville before they found Wodonga on the NSW/Victorian border home.
At the age of 17, he made a promise to his mother, Esperance Nyabikza, he would buy her a house.
"I had a full-time position where I was working from 7am to 3pm. I'd finish that and then I had my side business I used to do with my truck and trailer as a removalist from 3pm to 7pm and I would be be fully booked for months," Mr Ndakize said.
"I had one employee helping me out with the lifting, but that's how I managed to save the money and make the dream come true.
"I went for finance and at the start it wasn't too good, but I kept trying. I didn't want to give up and then it got approved recently.
"Mum was over the moon. It was a surprise, she didn't know about it at all."
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Mr Ndakize said the family had rented for seven years on the Border and he wanted to make sure his mother had housing stability.
"I don't think I would be standing here if it wasn't for her," he said.
"Where we come from in Congo, it's very difficult to make a living, but she made a sacrifice for us to be here.
"I wanted to thank her by buying her a home. At least she doesn't have to worry about moving or people kicking her out of a house and having to find somewhere else, because it's hard to find rentals these days."
Mr Ndakize said he managed to save more than $50,000 in the space of 18 months and hopes it will inspire other young people.
"If you've got a goal or a dream you want to achieve, you have to accept all the challenges that are going to come with it," he said.
"You just have to constantly work hard and never give up and your dream will come true. I'm speaking from experience."