The man drew a map of Africa in a notebook and set off on a second-hand mountain bike. Every day, Mamadou Barry traveled about 100 kilometers through jungles, deserts and conflict zones.
The student cycled 4,000 kilometers across West Africa, surviving arrests and scorching heat to get a place at his dream university. This was reported by BBC News.
In May, 25-year-old Mamadou Safai Barry left Guinea for the prestigious Egyptian university of Al-Azhar, hoping to be accepted for study. It took the man 4 months to reach his destination. When he got to Cairo, he told reporters that he was very happy to be awarded the scholarship.
According to the student, he could not afford either the Islamic studies course at Al-Azhar or the flight to Egypt, but the university’s reputation encouraged him to take the risk and make an “epic journey” through Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Niger, and Chad.
Barry set out from his home to “gain knowledge,” but in some of the countries he cycled through, he encountered problems and troubles.
“Traveling to these countries is very difficult because there is no security there now. In Mali and Burkina Faso, I was looked at as a bad person. Everywhere I went I saw soldiers with big guns and cars,” he said.
Photo: Facebook/Nahla Elseidy
The man was arrested and detained three times without good reason. Twice in Burkina Faso and once in Togo. However, Barry’s luck changed when he reached Chad. A local journalist interviewed him. The poor student’s story touched people online, and good Samaritans funded a flight to Egypt for him. This allowed him to avoid cycling through Sudan, part of which is now a war zone.
Photo: Google Maps
On September 5, he finally arrived in Cairo. Thanks to his determination, he was able to meet with the Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies, Dr. Nahla Elseidi. She offered him a place in Al-Azhar’s Islamic studies course with a full scholarship.
“If you have a dream, you just have to follow your own path. You can never stop,” Barry added.
