Covid-19 has caused many of us to find other ways to make ends meet. In Singapore some of us have taken part-time jobs such as food delivery.
However, a boy in Indonesia supports his family by working as a costumed mascot, so he could cover school fees and rent.
The boy, named Rehan, is 9 years old. He walks 10km a day to reach his workplace. Most of us don’t even run that distance for exercise.
According to Instagrammer @rhmadii__, who spoke to the boy, named Rehan, he starts his 10km walk to the busy Jalan Gatot Subroto in South Kalimantan to perform for drivers stuck in traffic or office workers on their way to work.
The money helps to supplement his meals, home rental, and if there is enough leftover, his school fees.
The money is not bad. You can buy packet rice to take home.
According to Rehan, his mother’s income is only able to cover the rental of their home. Therefore, he had to resort to being a “street clown” to earn additional money.
Rehan says that most of the money goes to covering rental while the leftover is used for school fees.
To keep his performances fresh, he rents a different cartoon character’s costume every day.
They vary from Tom and Jerry, Dora the Explorer, Spongebob Squarepants, and Upin and Ipin. Some might even sound familiar, because we watched them in our childhood.
The photo montage, which shows Rehan resting in his Tom the Cat costume, has had over 9,000 views since it was posted.
Netizens are asking the Instagram user if there is a way to reach out to make Rehan’s life easier.
In Singapore, many of us get to work using cars and private transport. For many, travelling out of our homes isn’t even necessary because working from home is now common practice.
It is a far cry from what this boy has to endure every day, just to put food on the table.
When asked about whether he was comfortable with the job he was working, Rehan said that he was happy to help his mother with the additional money he earned.
Though he is at the tender age of 9, his maturity and thoughtfulness are really commendable.
Featured image adapted from Instagram.
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