A giant puppet named ‘Little Amal’ is walking nearly 5,000 miles across Europe to draw attention to the plight of young refugees who have fled Syria with their parents. The puppet just met the Pope.

Over 11 feet tall, Amal portrays a 9-year-old girl Syrian refugee girl, who aims to represent all the displaced children, many of whom have been separated from their parents, The Vatican News reported.

Her journey, “The Walk”, which is a joined project by Amir Nizar Zuabi, the artistic director of Britain’s Good Chance theatre company and Handspring Puppet Company, began in Gaziantep, Turkey this July and showcases various theatrical and artistic events.

However, the project isn’t just about the difficult situation faced by children. “We want to challenge the perception about the refugees,” Zuabi said in a video released in August, according to the website. “We want to talk about them not as an issue, not as a problem, but to talk about the potential they bring, about the cultural riches they come from and to honour their experience.”

In a video shared by Reuters, Little Amal, who recently made a stop at the Vatican, was greeted by Pope Francis. In the 1.28-minute clip, Amal, who is controlled by four puppeteers, is seen walking around various places, as people watched her.

In the video, Cardinal Michael Czerny, the under-secretary for the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said, that is very emotional to welcome a small unaccompanied migrant who is looking for her family. “Amal reminds us that there are many among us who we do not see. We see her because she is tall but the others are hidden and we are here to remember them and recognise those who need help.”

After her stop at the Vatican, Amal will continue her journey through Germany, Belgium, France and the UK.