The social media and the press often come under fire for blowing matters out of proportion and setting up digital court houses where netizens pass judgments. But there is also a positive side to social networking sites, which manifests itself time and again.

In recent instances, the Humans Of New York initiative garnered a lot of help and support for a woman who walked out on a bad marriage , and also for ending bonded labour . In a similar case now, a series of tweets by a journalist have proved to be a blessing for a Syrian refugee:

Gissur Simonarson, founder of Conflict News, spotted a desperate Syrian refugee selling pens in the streets of Beirut, while carrying his daughter around. He took pictures and posted them on Twitter, triggering widespread support for the loving father:

Abdul Halim Attar, a single father of two, ended up in Beirut after the Yarmouk camp in Syria was attacked by the IS. Ever since then he has been trying to make ends meet, with his four year old daughter Reem resting in his arms.

Overwhelming response

Local activists, in collaboration with Simonarson, launched the #BuyPens campaign, and tracked down the unfortunate soul. Although the idea was to raise close to $5000, the overwhelming response resulted in $100000 being raised.

An overwhelmed Attar broke into tears at the gesture and said, “I don’t want any money, I want to educate my children and I want to help other Syrian refugees.”

The incident is a glimmer of hope among many about death and suffering in war torn regions.

The power of humanity, combined by the outreach of the social media, can truly achieve the unimaginable.