Across Mountains, Land and Sea

"I was in an entirely different country, in an unfamiliar classroom at 14 years old, in strange new shoes, unable to speak the language. I knew people were trying to ask me who I was, where I was from.''And I remember thinking, how could I ever tell them?.'When he was 13, the Taliban attacked boy's village in the mountains and he was forced to flee for his life. He was separated from his family and braved wolves, bandits and war, as he walked for weeks until he reached Turkey.He barely survived the hazardous boat crossing to Europe but eventually found himself arriving in Dover, clinging to the underside of a lorry. There, for the first time in months, an adult showed him kindness and he broke down. He spoke no English when he arrived, but quickly discovered a passion and aptitude for the language and literature, getting GCSEs, A-levels and making it to university.As an adult he has worked in refugee camps and advised governments and charities on their policies towards displaced children, trying to make sure that no child will ever have to go through what he did. An unforgettable story about hope, the transformative power of education, and a child who deserved to live in safety, not flee in fear.