Eight-year-old African boy who travelled 3,500 miles to Italy just so he could ... trends now
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An eight-year-old boy who travelled 3,500 miles from Africa to Europe so he could 'go to school' is doing well and has 'an incredible smile' his new temporary carers have said.
Little Oumar was picked up by a humanitarian vessel called Ocean Viking a week ago in the Mediterranean as he crossed from Libya to Italy with almost 100 others in a dinghy.
The ship then sailed to the Italian port of Ancona on the Adriatic Sea, where he was picked up by volunteers and put into temporary accommodation with other children.
An aid worker who is looking after him said: 'He has the most incredible smile and is settling in well with the other children.
'He is playing football and is drawing and painting and is looking forward to going to school.
Oumar (pictured) made the 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
Little Oumar was picked up by a humanitarian vessel called Ocean Viking a week ago in the Mediterranean as he crossed from Libya to Italy with almost 100 others in a dinghy
'Intellectually he is very clever for his age and when he starts school, he will quickly pick up Italian.
'He's spoken to his parents, and they know he is in good hands.'
Oumar's harrowing story emerged earlier this week after the Ocean Viking arrived in Ancona following a three-day voyage
