Hollywood megastar Will Smith has stunned Mamadou Safayou Barry, a Guinean man who cycled 4,000km to achieve college, with a video name. Barry shocked the world along with his audacious trek within the pursuit of his goals.
Smith stated he was “deeply moved” by Barry’s journey and gifted him a brand new bike and a laptop computer through the name. Smith found Barry’s story by way of a BBC Instagram submit in September.
“I need the world to listen to your story,” Smith added. In a brief movie on Smith’s YouTube channel, Barry expressed his shock and admiration for the Males in Black star. Barry enthusiastically exclaimed, “That is Will Smith! A number of your movies I really like.”
“I don’t know how you can thanks Wallahi [I swear]! I don’t know how you can thanks,” he exclaimed when he realized concerning the items.
Smith’s publicity staff reached out to the BBC after Barry’s exceptional journey was printed, expressing that the story had deeply touched the actor. The staff sought to rearrange a dialog with Barry to additional talk about his inspiring odyssey.
In Might final 12 months, 25-year-old Barry launched into a four-month, 4,000km bike journey from the West African nation of Guinea to Egypt’s Al-Azhar College, searching for admission. Unable to afford a flight, he pedaled by way of difficult areas going through the chance of jihadist assaults and army coups.
Regardless of going through unjust detentions in Burkina Faso and Togo, Barry’s fortunes modified in Chad after a journalist shared his story on-line. Beneficiant people then funded his flight to Egypt after they heard about his plight. Upon arriving in Cairo, Barry acquired a college provide for Islamic research, subsequently transitioning to engineering, together with a full scholarship.
Recounting the cellphone name from Smith, Barry stated he was nonetheless in shock.
“After I noticed him, I used to be confused in my head, as a result of I had seen that man earlier than,” the scholar stated.
“Then I keep in mind – it’s Will Smith! Wow… I used to look at his movies. I didn’t know whether or not to run or to cry. I used to be sat on a chair in entrance of Will Smith!”
Of their dialog, Smith shared with Barry the inspirational message that “while you decide to a journey, the universe conspires that will help you,” referencing a quote by creator Paulo Coelho.
The video captures a second the place a bicycle and a laptop computer are given to the scholar, and Smith additional extends assist by offering vouchers for flights, enabling him to both go to his household in Guinea or have them go to him.
