Ziyad was a smart boy.
Because of his razor-sharp answers to teachers' questions, his classmates gave him the nickname "the shark" at some point.
The child was considered an exceptional talent at the preparatory school in Fériana, a small town with 52,000 inhabitants in western Tunisia.
In his last school year 1999, Ziyad achieved an average of 16 out of 20 points, a phenomenal result, because 14 points correspond to a one and more than 17 points are practically not awarded.
If Ziyad had grown up in Europe, he might now be making a lot of money as a researcher or entrepreneur. But Ziyad's life took a different direction.