A photo of a child standing in a garbage dump, holding a book he pulled from the waste, melted hearts on social media, especially in Lebanon. The image ignited a wave of sympathy for the ten-year-old boy. Hussein, the Syrian child, caused a stir after his photo went viral, garnering admiration and compassion from followers who began to seek out his location to provide assistance.
The photo was taken by a young Lebanese engineer and university professor named Rodrigue Maghams, who spotted the child near his office in an area close to Beirut. Maghams was struck by the scene and decided to take the photo in hopes of being able to help him.
He shared with "Al Arabiya" that he captured the image of Hussein in disbelief, as he was engrossed in the book for more than seven minutes with passion and love, as if searching for his place within its pages, noting that the book was not meant for children. Maghams added, "After that, I approached him and asked if I could take a 'selfie' with him. He hesitated at first but then agreed, allowing me to get close and ask about his situation."
He explained that "Hussein is a very intelligent child who loves studying. He attends school (in the Burj Hammoud area) in the morning and works collecting scrap in the afternoon to help his sick father and his four sisters."
Maghams mentioned that he is working with an organization to raise the necessary funds to help Hussein and his family, with the condition that he no longer collects scrap and can instead focus on his studies.
The child’s family lacks the basic necessities of life, and Maghams emphasized, "We are working to provide these essentials and pay for housing so that they can live under suitable conditions." He concluded by stating he has received numerous calls inquiring about how to help the boy and his family.
It should be noted that Syrian refugees in Lebanon are living in harsh conditions exacerbated by the country's economic crisis, which has led to a collapse in the value of financial aid needed to sustain their livelihoods. According to official estimates, there are about 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon who fled their country due to war, with approximately 855,000 registered officially with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which accounts for nearly a quarter of Lebanon's population.
