When jihadists attacked Oumar’s hometown in western Mali four months ago, he fled simply in the hope of finding a safe place with a new school.
But after traveling the Sahara and even spending time in prison, the eight-year-old found himself 3,500 miles away in Italy, all to continue his studies in Europe.
He also escaped slavery in Libya before attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea by canoe.
The eight-year-old was separated from his family when his village near Tambaga was attacked four months ago.
But instead of leaving, Oumar continued walking through the Sahara Desert.
Oumar was photographed for the first time since his grueling 3,500-mile journey from Africa to Italy.
He has a cast on his right foot from a broken heel he picked up on the way.
Oumar left his small village near Tambaga, in western Mali, four months ago. He then crossed the Sahara on foot before sailing to Italy.
However, this was only the first challenge he would face along the way.
Once in Libya, Oumar was captured by a Libyan gang who forced him to work as a welder and painter.
He eventually freed himself from his captors and attempted to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe on a canoe.
But his boat was captured by the Libyan coastguard and he was thrown into the notoriously brutal waters. Ain Zara Prison in Tripoli.
Oumar was then smuggled out of the prison in a trash can by two adults, and eventually returned to the coast at Zawiya, just outside Tripoli, to board a second dinghy.
There, he joined another canoe with an older boy – also named Oumar – who recognized him from the prison and looked after him for the rest of the journey.
The couple joined 23 other children and around 60 adults on the dangerous sea journey to Europe.
After days adrift in the Mediterranean Sea, the two Oumars thought they were being taken back to Libya when they spotted a coast guard boat.
He crossed Africa on foot and spent time in prison after twice boarding a dinghy to try to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe (file photo)
After this exhausting journey, he was able to call his father, whose number he had memorized, to tell him that he was fine (photo of migrants arriving in Greece)
But it was the NGO Ocean Viking’s lifeboat and the boys and the rest of the boat’s crew were eventually rescued safely.
The boat had just responded to another drifting migrant ship from Libya which had left between 60 and 100 dead.
Angela Nocioni, an Italian journalist who was on the lifeboat at the time, told the Telegraph: “He’s an incredible child. When he told me his story, I did everything I could to confirm all the details.
“All the survivors on the boat told me, ‘It’s true, he’s all alone.’
When Oumar was picked up by the lifeboat, he did not want to leave Angela’s side and suffered from dehydration, hunger and hypothermia.
The elder Oumar confirmed that the younger Oumar had been on his own since Ain Zara prison.
When the Ocean Viking finally docked in the port of Ancona, on Italy’s northeast coast of the Adriatic Sea, the two Oumars held hands as they got off the boat.
Oumar’s first dinghy was captured by the Libyan coast guard and he was thrown into the notoriously brutal Ain Zara prison in Tripoli (photo of migrants 12 nautical miles north of Libya)
Tripoli is a dangerous city that is regularly the scene of fighting between rival militias (stock photo)
The couple then kissed and parted ways. When young Oumar arrived at the local leisure center for treatment, a Malian mediator was waiting for him.
The director of the Ancona migrant center, Alessandro Fucili, told the newspaper that Oumar had said both his parents were still in Mali.
Oumar said he could remember his father’s phone number by heart and Mr Fucili then gave him his phone so he could call him.
His father answered and Oumar told him he was in Europe before asking him “can I go to school, dad?”
Doctors examined Oumar and it became clear that his body had been through a lot, with scars and a broken bone in his heel that required a cast.
Mr Fucili called him “very intelligent” and called him “very courageous”.
He said the center was trying to find him a place in a local school, alongside other migrant children.
