By Saleh Fareed
Jeddah — Every evening 8-year-old Elias sits under a bridge in old Jeddah (Balad) selling drawings by his 12-year-old sister to help his family.
A social media user posted the Indonesian child’s photo on Instagram with the hashtag #kidsellingdrawingfor1Riyal.
Soon the hashtag started trending, evoking an outpouring of support for the child.
Members of the Saudi Association for Culture and Arts in Jeddah also saw the Instagram photo.
[caption id="attachment_141332" align="alignright" width="254"]
Eight-year-old Elias sits under a bridge in old Jeddah (Balad) selling drawings by her 12-year-old sister.[/caption]
“When we saw the photo, we started searching for the child and his family. Finally we succeeded in tracing him,” Omar Al-Jasser, director of the association, told Saudi Gazette
“It is an inspiring story. Elias and his talented sister need our help. We all get so caught up in our lives that sometimes we forget that there are people living in our global community who struggle to get by on a daily basis. It is important for everyone to recognize that there are others who do not have the bare necessities of life that sometimes we take for granted,” said Al-Jasser.
On Tuesday night, the Saudi Association for Culture and Arts in Jeddah hosted Elias, his sister Yousra and his mother.
Many members of the association, community figures and representatives of the media showed up to take part in this noble initiative.
Elias and his family received many donations and gifts from the guests.
Yousra whose artwork was sold by her brother told Saudi Gazette that she never thought of selling her artwork. But because of her little brother’s request she did not mind assisting their parents.
“Elias told me to keep making more and more drawings so that he could sell them in Balad. He would take my drawings and sit under the bridge selling each artwork for SR1,” she said.
