Mevan Babakar had a difficult start in life. She and her parents 1Iraq during the Gulf War in the 1990s. They travelled 2Turkey, Azerbaijan, Russia and eventually to the Netherlands, where Babakar and her mother lived for a year in a refugee camp (难民营). Child as she was, she used to think it could be the end of the world every day. Life was 3and future to her, was a dream that would never come true.
However, she never forgot the refugee camp worker all those years ago. That day, watching other children playing and running on the ground in the camp, she, 4, stood there in the old coat and woolen cap, her face smudged with dirt. Their laughter and happiness made her find herself 5to go.
He came into 6, pushing a red, shiny bike on the dirt road. Out of 7, he came to her, saying, "It's for you." The five-year-old girl 8with joy. Hardly believing her ears, she giggled 9, covering her mouth with her dirty hands.
The 10gift made a lasting impact. "I remember feeling so special —I remember thinking that this is such a big thing to receive, am I even worthy of this big thing?" Babakar said. "This 11became the basis of my self-worth growing up." From then on, she also believed that there would be hope; there would be chances, maybe very 12, but they would be there.
Mevan Babakar, today aged 29, decided to 13 down the man and posted a faded photo of the two of them in the 14on Twitter, which was among a handful of 15she had from that time. To her surprise, within 36 hours, Egbert, who 16for a nonprofit news site, was located in Germany. When the pair were reunited, they went through the old photos together and 17stories about the refugee camp.
Mevan posted 18photograph: "This is Egbert. He's been helping refugees since the 90s. The bike was just a small gesture, 19it had brought me back into my life." Egbert's kindness continued to 20her. That was the magical thing about kindness: It didn't cost anything but it changed the world of one person at a time.
