The child who travelled 3,500 miles ALONE just so he could go to school: African boy, eight, flees Jihadists, crosses the Sahara, escapes slavery and jail then reaches Italy in a boat in epic solo journey - to fulfil his dream of an education in Europe

When jihadists attacked Oumar's hometown in west Mali four months ago, he fled simply in the hope he would find a safe place with a new school. 

But after trekking through the Sahara and even spending time in prison, the eight year old ended up 3,500 miles away in Italy - all in the pursuit of an education in Europe.

He also escaped slavery in Libya before attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in a dinghy. 

The eight year old was separated from his family during the attack on his village near Tambaga four months ago. 

But instead of going back, Oumar kept walking, right through the Sahara desert. 

Oumar has been pictured for the first time since his gruelling 3,500 mile journey from Africa to Italy

He has a cast on his right foot due to a broken heel he picked up on the way 

Oumar left his tiny village near Tambaga in the west of Mali four months ago. He then travelled on foot through the Sahara before sailing across to Italy 

However this was just the first challenge that he would face along the way. 

Once in Libya, Oumar was captured by a Libyan gang that forced him to work as a welder and a painter. 

He eventually broke free from his captors, and attempted to sail across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe on a dinghy.

But his boat was captured by the Libyan coast guard and he was thrown into the notoriously brutal Ain Zara jail in Tripoli.

Oumar then got smuggled out of the prison in a garbage bin by two adults, and eventually made it back to the coast at Zawiya, just outside of Tripoli, to board a second dinghy.

There he joined another dinghy along with an older boy – also named Oumar – who recognised him from prison and looked out for him for the rest of the trip. 

The pair joined 23 other children and around 60 adults on the dangerous sea voyage to Europe. 

After days adrift in the Mediterranean Sea, the two Oumars thought they would be taken back to Libya when they spotted a coast guard boat.

He walked through Africa and spent time in prison after twice getting on a dinghy in an attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe (stock photo)

After the gruelling journey he was able to phone his father, whose number he had remembered by heart, to tell him he was alright (stock photo of migrants arriving in Greece)

But it was the NGO lifeboat Ocean Viking and the boys and the rest of the boat's crew were finally safely rescued.

The boat had just responded to another drifting migrant vessel from Libya which seen some 60 to 100 people die.

Angela Nocioni, an Italian journalist who was on board the lifeboat at the time, told The Telegraph : 'He is an incredible child. When he told me his story, I did everything I could to confirm all the details.

'Every survivor on the dinghy told me, 'It's true, he is all alone.'

When Oumar was picked up by the lifeboat he didn't want to leave Angela's side and was found to be suffering from dehydration, hunger and hypothermia.

The older Oumar confirmed that the younger Oumar had been all alone since Ain Zara prison.

When the Ocean Viking finally docked in the seaport of Ancona on the northeastern Italian coast of the Adriatic sea, the two Oumars held hands as they walked off the boat. 

Oumar's first dinghy was captured by the Libyan coast guard and he was thrown into the notoriously brutal Ain Zara jail in Tripoli (stock photo of migrants 12 nautical miles north of Libya)

Tripoli is a dangerous city which has seen regular battles between rival militias (stock photo)

The pair then hugged and parted ways. When the younger Oumar arrived at the local leisure centre for processing, a mediator from Mali was waiting.

Ancona migrant centre director Alessandro Fucili told the paper that Oumar 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 to call.

His father answered, and Oumar told him he was in Europe before asking 'can I go to school, Papa?'

Doctors checked over Oumar and it became clear his body had been through a lot, with scars and a broken bone in his heel that needed a cast.

Mr Fucili called him a 'very intelligent' and said he was 'very brave'. 

He said the centre was trying to find a place for him in a local school, alongside other migrant children.