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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/13/former-child-refugee-tracks-down-camp-worker-who-gave-her-a-bike
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Former child refugee reunited with aid worker who gave her a bike | |
(about 16 hours later) | |
A former child refugee has met the camp worker who gave her a bike, after her online callout to find the man who brought her joy went viral. | |
Mevan Babakar, 29, lived in a refugee camp in the Netherlands after she and her parents fled the Gulf war in the 1990s. On Monday, she posted a photograph of the former camp worker on Twitter, and asked if anyone could tell her his name. | Mevan Babakar, 29, lived in a refugee camp in the Netherlands after she and her parents fled the Gulf war in the 1990s. On Monday, she posted a photograph of the former camp worker on Twitter, and asked if anyone could tell her his name. |
“This man, who worked at a refugee camp near Zwolle in the Netherlands, out of the kindness of his own heart bought me a bike. My five-year-old heart exploded with joy,” she said. | “This man, who worked at a refugee camp near Zwolle in the Netherlands, out of the kindness of his own heart bought me a bike. My five-year-old heart exploded with joy,” she said. |
The tweet was shared more than 7,000 times in 24 hours, leading her to find the man and other refugees he had helped. | The tweet was shared more than 7,000 times in 24 hours, leading her to find the man and other refugees he had helped. |
Babakar, who now lives in London, thanked the man in person on Tuesday evening. Egbert, who has been helping refugees since the 1990s, now lives in Germany. | |
“He was so happy to see me. He was proud that I’d become a strong and brave woman. He said that was his wish for me when I was small,” said Babakar. | |
“I was really grateful that so many people had come together to make it happen. I was completely overwhelmed, and so was he. We had a shared moment where we both agreed that this was in fact crazy, but we were glad it was happening.” | |
She added: “He thought the bike was too small a gesture to make such a big fuss about but he’s really glad that it was the key to bringing us together again.” | |
Babakar said another camp worker, Sandra, whom she credits with helping her to use a computer for the first time, also got in touch after seeing the tweet. She said: “I’ve also had other refugees reach out to me and tell me that him and his wife helped them too. Their kindness has touched so many lives.” | Babakar said another camp worker, Sandra, whom she credits with helping her to use a computer for the first time, also got in touch after seeing the tweet. She said: “I’ve also had other refugees reach out to me and tell me that him and his wife helped them too. Their kindness has touched so many lives.” |
Her family, who are Kurdish, travelled through Turkey, Azerbaijan and Russia before spending a year at the camp near Zwolle between 1994 and 1995. They eventually moved to London, where they settled. | Her family, who are Kurdish, travelled through Turkey, Azerbaijan and Russia before spending a year at the camp near Zwolle between 1994 and 1995. They eventually moved to London, where they settled. |
Gulala Rashid, Babakar’s mother, told the Dutch website Destentor that the man had gifted her daughter a “beautiful, red, shiny bike” after inviting the family for Christmas at his own home. | Gulala Rashid, Babakar’s mother, told the Dutch website Destentor that the man had gifted her daughter a “beautiful, red, shiny bike” after inviting the family for Christmas at his own home. |
Babakar, a fact checker, is currently on a sabbatical from work while she retraces her refugee journey. | Babakar, a fact checker, is currently on a sabbatical from work while she retraces her refugee journey. |
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