A refugee family that left worn-out, war-torn Africa with $4 million in lottery wins plans to work harder and spend less time with their kids.
After purchasing a ticket for The Hospital Research Foundation Home Lottery in June, Aristide Nininahazwe and his wife Esther Mboneye were awarded a $3 million home in Adelaide’s coastal district of Henley Beach as well as $1 million in cash.
The couple’s departure from Burundi, in East Africa, to Australia to avoid the civil conflict, marked a significant turning point on August 17.
They welcomed Cairo, their second child, on the day they completed moving into their opulent four-bedroom house.
The jackpot’s reality is just now beginning to set in.
In a lottery drawing in June, Aristide Nininahazwe and Esther Mboneye (seen above with their daughter Tiffany) won a $3 million property and $1 million in cash.
According to Mr. Nininahazwe, also known by his moniker Brian, “you have so much going on in your head when you become a billionaire overnight,” according to Daily Mail Australia.
You ponder if it’s real.
“Every time I would go to sleep, I started experiencing nightmares,” Ms. Mboneye said. As though someone were about to knock on the door and admit a mistake.
We feel quite fortunate and honored to be in this situation since not everyone has the opportunity, so it is pretty overwhelming.
“Everyone dreams about it.” It’s a reality of a fantasy.
Mr. Nininahazwe said it was “great and terrifying at the same time” to describe how the family’s life has altered in the last few months.
The pair, who both work in the healthcare sector, now plans to utilize their winnings to improve their work-life balance by taking an extra day off once every two weeks or so to spend time with their families.
We just want to position ourselves for the future, said Ms. Mboneye.
We sometimes worked two or three jobs at once and hardly had time to spend with each other when we got home.
Children nowadays mature so quickly. It’s great, in my opinion, to have the chance to create memories with children while they are still young.
So having the ability to use the brakes is a huge plus.
The pair said that they are still processing their fortune. Photo: Their brand-new, luxurious house
We used to go from one nation to another, and it was war after war, so we’ve been working hard to have a better life, Ms. Mboneye said.
According to Mr. Nininahazwe, quitting your job would be pointless if it meant missing out on being there on special occasions.
We used to make memories even before the victory. So here is our chance to fulfill our lifelong dreams,’ he remarked.
Money isn’t everything, they say. Memories are very important to me and to us.
The couple also plans to utilize the money to create a nest egg for their future generations.
However, it is crucial to them that their kids maintain the principles of a strong work ethic and community involvement.
We just don’t want our children to experience the same kind of hardship as we have, Ms. Mboneye added.
Therefore, we just want to be sure that we leave behind something that they can carry on.
“Because for us, we simply feel like we have gotten this seed, type of thing,” the speaker continues, “and we have to plant that seed for future generations to enjoy as well and not work as hard.”
The luxurious property has a built-in BBQ, a games area, a resort-style pool, and four bedrooms.
The pair entered the lottery as one of 200,000 participants with no expectation of winning.
Ms. Mboneye learned about the foundation’s work investigating childhood diseases and illnesses to discover a solution and assisting terminally ill children in fulfilling their final wishes while completing a university placement.
Working with kids and their families, Ms. Mboneye was moved by the challenges they encountered and started giving often to the organization.
As she said, “Brian was on board when I mentioned the lottery for the foundation I give to and that I would want for us to continue contributing since it is an important thing for me.”
“We have been making donations to many charities, so for us, the prize was not the goal.”
After winning the lottery, the couple said that their close-knit family showed them unwavering support.
The master bedroom, which is the envy of the home, has a vanity area, a walk-in closet, an ensuite bathroom, and skylights.
They have also developed a following in their community and are regularly recognized in public by neighbors who congratulate them and wish them well.
“When I observe individuals in the mall, they remark “You’re that person, I see. Man, you earned it, congrats! Well done, and congratulations “”, stated Mr. Nininahazwe.
The luxurious home’s master bedroom has a vanity area, walk-in closet, ensuite bathroom, and skylights. It also includes an open-plan kitchen, resort-style pool, games room, and built-in BBQ.
Awards for the tournament were $7.5 million, including two cash prizes of $500,000 each and a 2022 Mercedes Benz GLB 200.
The pair said charitable contributions made a huge impact as they adapted to their new country after leaving their home countries at various periods and meeting in Australia.
They never lost their appreciation for the kindness of people and made an effort to keep giving back to the community by supporting different organizations.
Mr. Nininahazwe and Ms. Mboneye encouraged individuals with means to help those in need by saying that even a little gift might go a long way.
Mr Nininahazwe and Ms Mboneye did not have to spend a dollar on furniture with the house coming fully furnished including state-of-the-art appliances and a billiard table
‘If you are privileged enough, even an extra dollar above what you actually need, if someone else is in need, it can really help them,’ Ms Mboneye said.
Mr Nininahazwe added: ‘Especially coming from where we came from, it is easy to support someone. For us to be here, where we are, it’s because of so many people who donated indirectly, without knowing that they were helping us.’
However, Mr Nininahazwe said there were also additional benefits to compassion.
‘The best thing you can do for yourself is an act of charity, without considering any return to you,’ he said.
‘To make yourself feel like, “wow yes, I have achieved something” because you know that the help you have provided is going to make someone’s day.
‘So when you get to the point where you feel like you are comfortable, maybe you can get into the habit of helping others.
‘And the more you give, the more you see. That is what I believe.’