Logan local Duku Fore wanted to be an athlete, but then a $9 meatball sandwich in America put him on a wild journey that led him to become an international guest speaker.
The 25-year-old Kingston local has represented Australia at the United Nations Council in New York, authored two books, and started a business. He has also presented two TedX talks.
After seeing an advert for the loaded meatball sandwich while he was studying online as a teenager, Mr Fore decided from then on he would chase it down.
“After watching the video, I made a spontaneous decision that in a year’s time I was going to do whatever it took to achieve my dream of eating that sandwich,” he said.
The sandwich became a symbol that gave him a sense of direction in life.
“It was only a $9 sandwich, but it doesn’t matter what it is, if you say you are going to do something, then go and do it,” he said.
He thought if he was able to buy that sandwich halfway across the world, it meant he would have achieved other goals along the way, like finding a job and getting a stable income so he could look after his family.
“The fact that I wanted to eat that sandwich and wanted to be safe inspired me to go on this path,” he said.
“I made a couple of dreams along the way that can get me closer to eating it.”
Mr Fore was this week’s special guest at Logan Central Library for Harmony Day, celebrating diversity in the city.
There, he shared the story of his journey, which took him from a refugee camp in Uganda to Kingston.
“I was born in a refugee camp in Uganda in a family of 10,” he said.
“My family first came to Australia on May 18, 2007, and we moved to Kingston.”
He credits his opportunities so far to the new life he was able to build in Logan.
“I believe that there can never be a boring day in Logan, and that is one of the reasons why I decided to write my book, Rich Dreams, detailing me growing up in Logan, following my dreams and travels along the way,” he said.
Along the way, he has had to overcome intense shyness and a speech impediment.
“I needed to learn a whole new language and speech impediment just so I could become a professional speaker,” he said.
Mr Fore got his first breakthrough as an 18-year-old when he was invited to represent Australia at the UN Council in New York.
It looked like he would finally have a chance to eat the sandwich that kicked off this journey.
“But I got there, and the shop was closed,” he said.
“Later, the guy who ran the store heard about my story and offered to have a sandwich with me when I returned, so I was meant to do that in 2019.”
The pandemic got in the way of those plans. He said he hopes to finally go full circle with his dream now the borders are open.
