Indonesian Boy Works as a Street Performer to Buy Rice for His Family

Rehan, of South Kalimantan in the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, walks every day from their home to the road around Jalan Gatot Subroto to entertain workers and residents with his costume from the cartoon show “Tom and Jerry,” according to Mothership.

Instagram user Rahmadi, who took photos of the boy, spoke to Rehan about his circumstances. He said his mother takes on odd jobs and only earns enough money to pay for their rent. Her earnings are not enough for his school fees and she can only pay them if she earned a bit of extra.

As for Rehan, the money he earns from entertaining people is only enough to buy a packet of rice for his family.

Rehan rents the costumes he wears and swaps the characters daily, including “Dora the Explorer,” “Upin and Ipin,” and “Spongebob Squarepants.”

Rehan said it is tiring to walk 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from his home to the road he usually stands. He also leaves their house in the early morning, sometimes before dawn, to avoid traffic and have time to go back home to play football in the afternoon.

Feature Image via @rhmadii__