Syrian refugee trying to sell pens while cradling daughter goes viral
A photo of a Syrian refugee trying to sell pens while carrying his daughter went viral, and initiated an online campaign that raised $80,000 in one day! Now he can send her to school.
A picture of a Syrian refugee trying to sell pens, as he cradled his daughter melted hearts on the internet and social media eventually found the father, and helped raised a lot of money.
When Gissur Simonarson, an activist from Oslo, Norway, and founder of Conflict News posted a photo last week of a father selling pens on the streets of Lebanon’s Beirut, he struck a chord with more than 6,000 followers.
Within hours, requests poured in from across the globe to help the dad but the activist did not know who the man was or who took the photograph.
Gotten a lot of requests to help this man and his daughter. Anyone know people in Beirut able to locate him? #BuyPenspic.twitter.com/KOz4mjW1rd
By then #Buypens became viral on social media, and a subsequent online campaign, that aimed to raise $5,000, collected $80,000 dollars in 24 hours according to the page.
They finally managed to find the father, Abdul, and his daughter Reem after a two day search. Abdul, who is one of the 4 million registered refugees, has told international media that he can finally send his two children to school with the money.
24.12°C Kathmandu
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