#BuyPens: Refugee pictured selling pens in Beirut says he'll help other Syrians with thousands raised from Indiegogo campaign
Crowdfunding campaign has already raised more than $125,000
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.This photo of Abdul, a Syrian refugee, trying to sell pens on the streets of Beirut while his daughter lay sleeping slumped over his shoulder captured hearts around the world so much that it raised more than £80,000 in two days via a crowdfunding campaign. But now, instead of using the money for himself to build an entirely new life, Abdul says he wants to use the money to help other displaced Syrians.
While paying for his own two children to go to school, he is planning on setting up an education fund for other refugees.
The campaign began when Gissur Simonarson, founder of Conflict News, posted pictures of the as-then anonymous man, selling pens on the streets of Beirut, while his daughter lay asleep on his shoulder.
After being inundated with requests to help the man, Simonarson announced he was going to try and find him. He launched a Twitter account named #BuyPens and was contacted within 30 minutes by someone who saw the man every day around his house.
Twenty-four hours later, the man and his daughter were identified as Abdul, a single father with two children, and his daughter Reem, who is four.
The campaign has now raised more than $125,000 (£80,000).
Carol Malouf, who is part of the team raising money for Abdul, met with him in person to explain the fund-raising campaign to him and ask about his life.
Before the Syrian civil war, which has caused 12 million Syrians to flee their homes, Abdul worked in a chocolate factory in Syria.
After escaping Syria, his family went to Egypt and then to Lebanon. As a Palestinian refugee, he is not allowed to work in Lebanon.
To provide for his family, he sold whatever he could to make money for his children, and was eventually pictured selling biros, which led to the hugely successful campaign.
When asked what his dream would be, Abdul said he wanted to return home to Syria, but the way it was before the war: “I want my country to go back to how it was.
“I wish there wouldn’t be any problems [in Syria].”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments