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9-Year-Old Boy Works As A Mascot To Earn For His Family

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  • Instagram user @rhmadii__ has shared photos of a 9-year-old boy named Rehan – who works as a street mascot in Indonesia.
  • According to him, the child uses his earnings to help his family with their expenses.
  • Rehan wears different mascot costumes each day to entertain drivers and commuters.

The pandemic has brought the global economy to its knees. Over the past several months, we have all seen numerous small and big businesses closing down for good. Meanwhile, other businesses that have managed to keep their doors open have been forced to layoff some of their employees.

This has left many of us struggling, grabbing every opportunity to earn and make ends meet. And yes, some young ones are doing their part to help their families as well.

Meet Rehan, a 9-year-old boy from Indonesia.

Rehan, a young Indonesian boy, has recently gained a lot of attention on social media after his story went viral on Instagram. The said child has been spotted working as a street mascot so he can make money and help provide for his family’s needs.

According to Instagram user @rhmadii__, he had the chance to talk with the child. He photographed him resting on the roadside while wearing his costume.

Apparently, Rehan gets up early in the morning and walks 10 kilometers daily to Jalan Gatot Subroto where he works as a mascot. His job, of course, is to “entertain drivers who are stuck in traffic or office workers en route to their workplaces,” an AsianParent article said.

Every day, Rehan dons different mascot costumes of popular cartoon characters such as Tom and Jerry, Upin and Ipin, Spongebob Squarepants, and Dora the Explorer, among others.

He uses his earnings to buy food food and to help his family with rental and school expenses. His mother, who works odd jobs, is just grateful for her hardworking son.

“The money is not bad. You can buy packaged rice to take home,” the boy said.

You can check out the full Instagram post here:
View this post on Instagram

EDISI KEHIDUPAN…. Setiap hari, Rehan harus bangun pagi-pagi betul agar atraksinya bisa disaksikan oleh para pekerja kantoran dan warga disekitar jalan Gatot Subroto… Bagi sebagian orang, atraksi badut jalanan yang disuguhkan Rehan dinilai ampuh untuk mengusir rasa suntuk di tengah padatnya jalan Gatot subroto. Namun, ada beberapa hal penting yang luput dari pikiran mereka. Pertunjukkan yang mereka anggap menarik itu sebetulnya dilakukan oleh anak di bawah umur, bahkan termasuk dalam kategori eksploitasi anak. Menurut pengakuan Rehan, keputusannya menjadi Badut jalanan didasari oleh motif ekonomi agar ia bisa memenuhi kebutuhan sehari-hari. Ibunya yang bekerja serabutan hanya mampu mengumpulkan uang untuk membayar biaya sewa kontrakan. Jika ada rejeki berlebih, uang tersebut sengaja disisihkan untuk biaya sekolahnya. “Uangnya lumayan. Bisa buat beli Nasi bungkus untuk dibawa pulang ke rumah,” tutur Rehan Agar atraksinya menarik perhatian banyak orang, Rehan memperlihatkan jogetan kecilnya. Sementara untuk urusan kostum dan kepala boneka, Rehan mengaku selalu mengganti kostumnya setiap hari. Sang penyedia kostum juga menyediakan beberapa pilihan kepala boneka yang didesain menyerupai tokoh-tokoh kartun, mulai dari Dora the Explorer, Upin dan Ipin, hingga Spongebob Squarepants. Kepala dan bajunya saya sewa. Saya tidak tahu biayanya, karena ibu yang membayar,” ungkap Rehan sembari menyeka keringat yang menetes di kelopak matanya. Setiap hari Rehan memang sengaja berangkat pagi-pagi buta, bahkan sebelum mentari pagi bersinar. Selain mengincar mobil-mobil yang terjebak macet, ia ingin menyisihkan waktu di sore hari untuk bermain bola di rumah. Lepas Sholat Isya saya biasanya langsung pulang ke rumah bersama ibu setelah ibu selesai beberes kebersihan halaman Alfamart jl. Gatot subroto kata Rehan Namun saat ditanya, apakah ia dan ibunya nyaman dengan profesi mereka saat ini, Rehan mengaku senang dapat membantu memberikan uang tambahan kepada ibunya. Kendati demikian, Rehan tidak memungkiri bahwa terkadang ia merasa lelah karena harus berjalan hingga sejauh 10 km dari rumahnya.

A post shared by KONTEN INSPIRATIF (@rhmadii__) on

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