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Tuesday, 13 August 2019 - 15:50

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Internet helps former refugee find Dutch man who gifted her a bike in the 90s

A young woman asked the internet to help her find someone special to her heart. In the 90's, Mevan was a 5-year-old refugee living in a shelter in Zwolle. One of the aid workers in the shelter gave her a bicycle. "I just want to know his name. Help?" She asked on Twitter. And with success, according to Weblog Zwolle.

Mevan described her quest to find the Zwolle man as a "longshot". "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 wrote, posting a photo of the man.

Hi internet, this is a longshot BUT I was a refugee for 5 yrs in the 90s and 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. I just want to know his name. Help? pic.twitter.com/XzUgHzllYb

— Mevan Babakar | مێڤان (@MeAndVan) August 12, 2019

Within 24 hours, Mevan's post was shared some 3 thousand times, both in Great Britain where she now lives and in the Netherlands. The story was also picked up by local newspapers and -sites in the Zwolle area.

De weldoener die de Koerdische Mevan Babakar -destijds 5 jaar- een rode fiets gaf in het Zwolse azc, lijkt gevonden, mogelijk volgt later vandaag een ontmoeting. https://t.co/MCVOqVaYMy pic.twitter.com/Dnv95kVXlt

— De Stentor (@De_Stentor) August 13, 2019

Weblog Zwolle reports that they've identified the man and is working on bringing him into contact with Mevan.

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