Pen-selling refugee says ‘he wants to help other Syrians’ with funds raised

A Palestinian-Syrian refugee pictured selling pens wants to help other Syrian refugees with the money raised for him.

Abdul, a father of two, said he wants to help other Syrian refugees after a picture of him selling pens went viral, which led to the creation of a crowdfunding account that raised thousands for him and his family.

In the picture Abdul is seen carrying his four-year-old daughter while selling biro pens on the streets of Beirut.

The fund raising account that was created by Gissur Simonarson on Indiegogo has already raised more than $140,000.

Carol Malouf, one of the people helping to raise funds for Abdul, met with the refugee in person to explain the fund-raising campaign and to ask about his life, reported The Independent.

Abdul worked in a chocolate factory in Syria before the Syrian crisis erupted, which caused millions of Syrians to flee their homes.

After leaving Syria, Abdul and his family traveled Egypt and before arriving to Lebanon.

As a Palestinian-Syrian refugee, Adbul is not allowed to work in Lebanon and in order to provide for his family, he sold whatever he could, including the pens he was pictured selling.