Demonstration of far-reaching power of social media

What have you done with your social media accounts recently? Followed some news, exchanged jokes, or went through some gossip? Do not get upset, that is what most social media users do anyway, but there is another side of the coin — one can use social media in some creative ways as well.
Gissur Simonarson, an activist from Oslo, Norway, unintentionally ignited the spark that showed the power of social media platforms. He tweeted a photo with a caption that read: “Syrian father selling pens in the streets of #Beirut with his sleeping daughter #Lebanon #Syria.”
The photo showed a sad and broken bearded man carrying his sleeping daughter over his shoulders and roaming the streets of Beirut selling pens. “It’s a terribly emotional picture,” Simonarson was quoted by CNN as saying. “You see the look in his face and the way he holds the pens out, as if those pens are everything he has in the world.”
For the 6,000 followers of Simonarson, it was a sensational moment. Retweets and replies led to an international outcry. Within hours, he started receiving requests from all over the world asking about the Syrian man and his daughter and how it might be possible to help them. The other catch here is that Simonarson did not know who the man was or who took the photo!
Right there, when Simonarson tweeted “Got a lot of requests to help this man and his daughter. Anyone know people in Beirut able to locate him? #BuyPens,” was where social media unleashed its true power.
According to CNN “After a two-day search and lots of help, Simonarson located the man identified as Abdul. “Finally found him,” the activist wrote on Twitter. “Been a lot of work, but it was worth it! Now let’s help them!”
The family, a single father and his two daughters, who fled Syria to find refuge in Lebanon, was surprised to know that they were the targets of an international search. The girl, who was sleeping in the famous photo, was so excited and even asked to take a selfie with one of the activists who helped in locating the family. “Reem came to me, hugged me & asked to take a selfie. What a lovely lively child. A modest home full of love #BuyPens,” tweeted Carol Malouf.
Following the discovery, Simonarson started a crowdfunding page asking users to collect $5,000 for the family. Within 30 minutes, the campaign reached its goal. In 24 hours, around 3,000 people had raised more than $80,000, reported the CNN.
“When he (Abdul) heard the amount, he just broke down and started crying,” Simonarson says, “He was so thankful and he kept saying thank you for all your generosity.”
Undoubtedly a story reflecting the power of social media, it also reflected the plight of the refugees who have no choice but to leave their homes and everything else behind to for a chance to live better lives.