The little boy was abandoned by his parents after they got divorced and wanted nothing more to do with him. This broke his grandmother’s heart and she took on the responsibility of looking after him but, as she didn’t have a job, she had to find a way to make money. On occasions she has to go without eating, as she barely makes enough money to feed the little boy.
The love a grandparent feels for their grandchild is undoubtedly one of the strongest family ties, and for one elderly woman in Malaysia it’s even meant becoming a mother once again, after her daughter and her partner got divorced and completely abandoned the child they’d had together. Now the grandmother has to work out on the streets everyday, under the sun, to be able to feed her grandchild.
Arie Basuki
Mumun says she’s 60, but she admits that a while back she stopped counting her age to start counting her grandchild Reihan’s age instead. Both of them live on the street on a corner where the grandmother also works. Every morning she covers her entire body in silver paint to become a living statue and perform for passers by.
She uses the few coins she earns to buy rice to feed little Reihan and on occasions she is forced to go without food herself as she can only afford to buy enough for her grandson and she refuses to let him go hungry.
Arie Basuki
Everyday Mumun makes between 3 and 6 dollars, for which she has to endure long days standing on the street with a box in front of her. When a passer by approaches and puts a coin in the box she begins to move and sing in a very soft voice and then she goes completely still once again so that the sound of the money falling can be heard. She repeats this process until nightfall.
“The most important thing is buying milk for Reihan and ensuring he has his daily meals” Mumun told Merdeka, a Malaysian media outlet. Ever since the child’s parents got divorced they haven’t wanted anything to do with him but she doesn’t care about that, she’d rather look after him with love than have him stay where he’s not wanted. However the situation, which has now been going on for four months, has taken its toll on the grandmother who finds she has less and less energy.
Arie Basuki
Mumun used to work as a cleaning assistant but she was unable to continue doing her job thanks to the pandemic. She was forced to gather together what she had and used it to buy a pot of silver paint so she could begin working as a living statue.
Arie Basuki
Mumun has been recognized on her corner by the pedestrians who pass by there every day but nobody knows her real story and how she managed to make it through each day with just a few coins. Regarding Reihan, his grandmother assures that seeing him healthy and well-fed is the only thing that motivates her to work and as long as they’re together she’ll always make sure he has his daily plate of rice.