Chen Fei
China- A Homeless Chinese Man Returns Home After 16 Years of Wandering
- A Bright Past
- Years of Silence
- A Volunteer's Role
- Reunited at Last
A Homeless Chinese Man Returns Home After 16 Years of Wandering
After 16 years of living on the streets in southern China, a homeless man named Chen has finally been reunited with his family thanks to the efforts of a volunteer from a Guangdong-based charity that helps reunite lost family members.
A Bright Past
Chen Fei, now 51 years old, was once a celebrated figure in his village, having been one of the first people to earn a college degree. However, he later left home and ended up living on the streets of Dongguan, an industrial hub in Guangdong Province, for 16 years.
Years of Silence
Chen's family lost contact with him in 2002 after he left his job as a librarian at Huanggang Normal University in Hubei Province. The family had no idea of his whereabouts until 2008 when Chen called his cousin, Chen Ming, and told him he was in Dongguan.
A Volunteer's Role
After years of no contact, Chen Fei was finally found thanks to the work of Zhang Zhiwei, a volunteer who helps the homeless. Zhang met Chen under a bridge in late May 2018 and was struck by his beautiful handwriting.
Reunited at Last
Zhang, who is part of a volunteer group called Let Love Go Home, helped Chen reconnect with his family by working with the police in Huangmei County. Chen Fei's reunion with his family was successful. "My brother looks very happy to be home," Chen Ming said. "This morning, he was humming a tune while he walked."
