Viral Story of Orphaned Boy Selling Banana Leaves in Situbondo to Survive, Local Government Responds
SITUBONDO, KOMPAS.com - A child in Situbondo went viral on social media for going around selling banana leaves to earn a living after losing both parents. The circulating narrative claimed the child was living alone. However, this has been denied by the local government.
The Head of Cottok Village explained that the 10-year-old boy, with the initials ARS, is a resident of Kapongan District, Situbondo. He said that ARS lives daily with his two older siblings.
"Yes, it is true that his parents have passed away, but it is not as it was portrayed; he is not alone. He lives with his two brothers. The eldest is attending IKIP Situbondo university, the second brother is in junior high school, and he is in elementary school," said Syamsuri when confirmed by Kompas.com via phone on Sunday (9/20/2026).
He added that although life has been challenging since their parents passed, it is not as dire as the Instagram posts widely circulating depict.
Syamsuri mentioned that ARS’s family regularly receives social aid from the government, and even the village administration often provides assistance.
Not only does ARS live with his brothers, but he also stays with his uncle in the house inherited from his parents.
"So, in one house, the three of them live together with their uncle, who is the brother of their late mother. I constantly monitor the child," he said.
Syamsuri admitted he has seen posts about ARS shared on social media. According to him, many such contents are created with deceptive intent to solicit donations fraudulently.
He explained that these individuals deliberately seek sympathy from generous donors, which leads people to contribute money through donation links set up to supposedly help ARS.
However, so far, the donations collected have not reached ARS or his family. Therefore, he urged the public to be cautious and not easily deceived.
"There are many such content pieces, and some even initiate fundraising campaigns," he said.
Separately, Kapongan Subdistrict Head Roy Hidayat stated that he has inspected ARS’s home. He said the house is not made of wooden walls as described in the social media posts.
According to him, ARS’s house is livable, with tiled walls. ARS himself is an orphan who is registered as a recipient of social assistance.
"It is not true that the child sells banana leaves for daily needs; he has already been aided by us and lives with his uncle in the same house," he affirmed.
