There are many in this world who struggle to make ends meet, and not every child is fortunate enough to have parents who are able to afford their school fees.
Such is the case of Rehan, a young boy in Indonesia who resorted to working as a street clown in order to earn a living to support his family.
9-year-old Boy Works As Mascot To Support Family
The 9-year-old’s situation came to light after Instagram user @rhmadii__ conversed with him, and thereafter shared his plight on his account. The post also featured a photo montage of Rehan, clad in a Tom and Jerry mascot costume as he sat by the roadside.
Here are some images shared of Rehan:
Image source: Instagram screengrab/rhmadii__
Image source: Instagram screengrab/rhmadii__
9-year-old boy works as mascot to support family, looking visibly tired. Image source: Instagram screengrab/rhmadii__
Image source: Instagram screengrab/rhmadii__
Visibly exhausted in the photos, it is said that Rehan has to wake up early in the morning and walk 10 km every day as he heads to the busy Jalan Gatot Subroto in South Kalimantan to work in a costumed mascot.
The 9-year-old’s job entails entertaining drivers who are stuck in traffic or office workers en route to their workplaces. In order to appeal to crowds at the attraction, Rehan said he makes use of attention-drawing acts such as “little jogging”.
He also reveals that he changes his costumes daily to keep performances fresh for his audience. The costume selections made available to him include cartoon character designs such as Dora the Explorer, Upin and Ipin, Spongebob Squarepants and more.
As to why he decided to work as a street clown, Rehan confessed that it allows him to fulfill his daily needs. The pay he draws enables him to pay for his meals, contribute to home rental fees, and if in excess, his school fees—which he “deliberately set aside for”.
He admits that the money is “not bad” which allows him to buy packaged rice home.
Although his mother is working, Rehan says the income she draws from working odd jobs is only enough to pay for the home rental. While the 9-year-old admitted that walking 10 km to work can be tiring, being able to provide additional support to his mother made him happy.
He also shared that he chose to start walking early in the morning—sometimes before dawn—in efforts to avoid the traffic jam, leaving time for him to return back home in the afternoon to play football.
You can view Rehan’s full post here:
ALSO READ:
The Singaporean Mother Who Crossed Oceans for Her Children
Teen Earns $3,000 a Month, Pays for Her Family’s Holiday