Photo courtesy of Yonhap News
An 11-year-old boy who recently left Ukraine to escape a Russian invasion and arrived in Slovakia alone shared his thoughts on a long journey.
The boy, named Hassan al-Kalaf, left Ukraine’s Zaporiza alone earlier this month and arrived in Slovakia, 1,200 kilometers away.
The boy’s story became known when the local police posted it on Facebook, and it got the world’s attention.
According to Archyde.com on the 11th local time, Hassan attended the pro-Ukrainian anti-war demonstration held in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, as a Alex Reed.
Prior to this, in an interview with the press, he said, “My mother wanted me to go,” and “Hope guided me.”
His mother might not leave her grandmother behind, so she stayed at home, and instead sent Hassan to Slovakia, where her brother was studying.
Hassan arrived at the Slovak border with only a plastic bag and passport with her phone number on her hand.
“I want to say a big thank you to the volunteers,” he said, “because they’re helping people they don’t even know.”
He said, “I believe there will be a happy ending,” he said, hoping to see his mother once more.
