Lives Less Ordinary, I cycled across Africa for a place at my dream university

Lives Less Ordinary

I cycled across Africa for a place at my dream university

March 11, 2024

42 minutes

Available for over a year

A handwritten map is all Mamadou Barry had to guide him from Guinea to Egypt.

At the age of 24 he had reached a crossroads in his life. Having failed his final year secondary school exams five times in a row, he set his sights on a different type of education. Mamadou had heard about the prestigious Al Azhar University in Egypt, but could not afford a plane ticket. So he decided to set off on an epic adventure, travelling by bike, and leaving his home in Guinea with only $55, a small bag of clothes and tools, and a map he had drawn himself.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar

Producer: Rob Wilson

Translator and interpreter: Olivier Weber

Voiceover artist: Gaïus Kowene

Archive was from the official YouTube channel for Will Smith