• Mamadou Safaiou Barry couldn’t afford a flight, so he traveled 2,500 miles across seven countries on a second-hand bike. 
• Barry’s journey shows that determination and hard work can help achieve one’s dreams.

Determined to study Islamic theology at the renowned Al-Azhar University, Guinean student Mamadou Safaiou Barry has cycled across Africa to reach Egypt on a second-hand bike.

Carrying only a few clothes, a flashlight, and a screwdriver, the 25-year-old couldn’t afford money for a flight to Cairo.

After four months, he concluded the 2,500-mile journey across seven countries, arriving in Cairo to get a full scholarship to the top Islamic university, Voice of America reported.

“If you have a dream, stay with it and be strong,” Barry said. “God will help you.”

Al-Azhar University is a public university in Cairo, Egypt. Associated with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, it is Egypt’s oldest degree-granting university. It is also known as one of the most prestigious universities for Islamic learning