After making the journey from her home in the Ivory Coast alone, this four-year-old was part of what can only be called a Christmas miracle, when she was reunited with her mother by chance.
With the threat of genital mutilation in her home country, little Oumoh's mother decided to remove her from her father’s care.
Rescued at sea and brought to Lampedusa, Oumoh was separated from her mother and was put with 19 other migrants who were all strangers to the four-year-old.
Police inspector Maria Volpe was responsible for finding Oumoh’s parents but when her efforts failed, Oumoh was put in a children’s community in Palermo, Sicily.
With all hope of reuniting Oumoh with her mother seemingly lost, a chance encounter with another refugee family led to a major revelation.
As Ms Volpe dealt with the family, she kept the children occupied by letting them play on her phone.
Snooping through the officer’s photo gallery, one of the children found a picture of Oumoh and recognised her.
Showing it to her mother, she also recognised the young girl and her mother.
Oumoh and her mum were then reunited and, as a formality, DNA tests will be conducted to confirm the relationship between the pair.
