A video of a young boy searching through a garbage bin for something to drink has quickly gone viral on Bali social media.
The kid can be seen standing on his tiptoes and pulling over the rubbish bin so he can sift through the receptacle. He eventually pulls out a discarded plastic cup containing some beverage, which he drinks from.
The camera pans out to show that the scene was recorded at a warung on Jl. Patih Jelantik in Bali’s tourist hub of Kuta.
One of the most uncomfortable parts to watch, however, is when the camera shows a kid around the same size looking on curiously at the boy, as his mother yanks him away into their car.
It turns out that the OP, Fachriansyah Jimmy, who uploaded the video to his Facebook account on Thursday is a driver, who had been waiting for his guests as they ate nearby.
Jimmy said he often saw the boy on Jl. Raya Kuta, selling knick-knacks with his mother. In the same area, he’s seen a number of boys selling the same sorts of things.
The driver says he’s gotten a lot of flak in his post’s comments for just recording the video and not getting involved, but he would like to tell everyone what unfolded after the video ended.
“People just make accusations in the comments. But I explain calmly that after the recording, I bought a drink for the boy and gave him pocket money. I tried to give him food, he did not want it. Poor thing,” Jimmy told Detik on Saturday.
Jimmy says he posted the video to make people think and be grateful for what they have.
“I recorded this to let my friends know there are a lot of people in more need. I have a group of driver friends. Most drivers are complaining about their income, but I want them to know there are still many people with less, so they should be grateful,” he said.
He added that he’s seen the young boy a number of times so he doesn’t think he’s attending school. He hopes the government will see the video and pay better attention to children like this, give them a decent life.
“He’s supposed to be at school and studying.
“He doesn’t seem to be going to school because sometimes in the morning I see him there, and still in the afternoon,” Jimmy explained.
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