Dodzi Kpodo dearly misses his late father, and has reflected on their incredible bond after taking out a major award.
Mr Kpodo, originally from Togo in west Africa, has been named Australia's Community Father of the Year.
The 37-year-old spent many years in a refugee camp before eventually resettling in the coastal NSW city of Coffs Harbour.
"Where I came from, I don't think a little boy from the village could achieve something so magnificent," he said.
"I only wished that my father could have been here to see this."
The Fathering Project, a non-profit organisation, distributed the awards on Thursday, with comedian Hamish Blake taking out the top honour as Australian Father of the Year.
"We can all take inspiration from Dodzi's amazing life, resilience and ability to step up to be a father in difficult circumstances," the group's CEO Kati Gapaillard said.
Mr Kpodo's family fled Togo's political and economic instability in the 1990s and he went to Ghana as a seven-year-old.
He spent nearly two decades at the Krisan refugee camp, living on tuna and rice rations, before he was sent to Australia in 2010 as a refugee.
"The refugee camp taught me to be resilient. You have to learn how to survive by yourself and how to be resourceful," he said.
Living in Coffs Harbour, he grabbed with both hands the opportunities afforded to him.
The refugee support worker has become deeply involved in the local community, devoting his time to helping the elderly with everything from lawn mowing to solving computer problems.
Mr Kpodo is also raising a family, including a three-year-old son from an Australian wife and her teenage son from a previous relationship.
"Raising a blended family is not easy,'' he said.
"Raising someone else's child has its challenges, but with the support of my wife, we all work together".
His father died from prostate cancer three years ago at the age of 62, and Mr Kpodo has worked hard to instil his dad's values in his children and younger sister.
"I think the quality of a good dad is that a child feels important and feels loved," he said.
Mr Kpodo loves playing sports, coaching and cheering his kids from the sidelines.
“When you train fresh little minds through sport, they learn discipline, skills and teamwork that will help them through life," he said.
"As a father, remember that what you put into them will help them when you’re gone, and you want them to have a good life."
