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| Indiegogo crowdfunding account raises $15,000 for refugee selling pens on street within half an hour | Indiegogo crowdfunding account raises $15,000 for refugee selling pens on street within half an hour |
| (4 months later) | |
| Thousands of dollars were raised in just three hours after a picture of a refugee seemingly trying to sell pens on a street in Beirut with his daughter slumped over one shoulder was widely shared. | Thousands of dollars were raised in just three hours after a picture of a refugee seemingly trying to sell pens on a street in Beirut with his daughter slumped over one shoulder was widely shared. |
| The image, showing a man holding eight biros, were posted on Twitter by Gissur Simonarson, who describes himself as an activist. | The image, showing a man holding eight biros, were posted on Twitter by Gissur Simonarson, who describes himself as an activist. |
| 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. | 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. | 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. |
| They are believed to be Palestinian Syrians from the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus. | They are believed to be Palestinian Syrians from the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus. |
| Simonarson decided to start a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to raise money for Abdul and his family. | Simonarson decided to start a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to raise money for Abdul and his family. |
| Within half an hour, he provided an update: “We have reached my goal of $5,000 in the first 30 min. This was never meant as a cap, just something to start with. “Let’s make sure that Abdul and Reem can really start a great new life.” | Within half an hour, he provided an update: “We have reached my goal of $5,000 in the first 30 min. This was never meant as a cap, just something to start with. “Let’s make sure that Abdul and Reem can really start a great new life.” |
| Within three hours, he had raised $15,260 (£9,897), three times the original goal. | Within three hours, he had raised $15,260 (£9,897), three times the original goal. |
| At the time of writing, 1,287 people had donated $40,554 (£26,303) in 14 hours, 812 per cent of the original target. | At the time of writing, 1,287 people had donated $40,554 (£26,303) in 14 hours, 812 per cent of the original target. |
| Gissur Simonarson told The Independent: "I'm now in touch with Unicef special protection unit to help get him to a safe location, and make sure he will not be taken advantage of. | Gissur Simonarson told The Independent: "I'm now in touch with Unicef special protection unit to help get him to a safe location, and make sure he will not be taken advantage of. |
| "I'm also considering setting up some kind of fund that would give him payouts monthly, so he doesn't end up with a bag of money, and not know what to do with it." | "I'm also considering setting up some kind of fund that would give him payouts monthly, so he doesn't end up with a bag of money, and not know what to do with it." |
| You can donate to the campaign here. | You can donate to the campaign here. |