Refugee Dad Sells Pens While Daughter Naps On His Shoulder: Photo Goes Viral And Raises $115,000 From Around The World
This photo went viral on Twitter over the last two days, and people who saw it gave money to help the man, Abdul, and his family. In the photo, he gently cradles his sleeping 4-year-old daughter, Reem.
Abdul is selling pens on the streets of Beirut, Lebanon. Since he was forced from his Syrian home in 2011 because of the raging war, he hasn’t been able to get steady work in Lebanon. At the time of this article being published, a crowdfunding page has generated close to $115,000 USD.
Abdul has told Gissur Simonarson, the Icelandic man who has organized the aid effort, that he would like to use some of the money to send his two young children to school. NBC News said that the Twitter hashtag for the family’s story is #BuyPens, and the crowdfunding page is at Indiegogo. A representative from UNICEF and other experts will help to create regular payments for Abdul.
It’s an amazing demonstration of the generosity and caring of people around the world.
