Figgy in the world

This book is written by the Australian author, Tamsin Janu.  She lived for three months in Ghana, West Africa, and this is where Figgy in the World  is set.  Figgy, an eight year old, sets out to go to the United States to get medical help for her grandma. She travels alone, except for her goat, Kwame. On the way through Ghana she meets up with a nine year old orphan boy, Nana, who becomes her travelling companion. The pair meets both kind and menacing people, but this does not halt their quest.
This book is well-written and takes the reader through the Ghanian countryside.  It is a story of innocence, hope and adventure.
As an adult, I felt it difficult to believe that two children aged only eight and nine years old could traverse the countryside by themselves with seemingly no one looking for them; no search party.  Figgy was missing from her village and her grandma. Why could she travel for so many weeks and no one came looking for her? I could understand with Nana because he was an orphan who had deliberately run away, but Figgy?
 This did not spoil the story; it just made me feel a little uneasy.
I think the book would be enjoyed by children aged 9-12.