British Man Helps Chinese Homeless in Xi’an, Netizen Reactions
by Peter Barefoot on Thursday, September 20, 2012
From NetEase:
British Engineer Sells Possessions and Came to China to Hand Out Steamed Buns to the Homeless
A British engineer sold 3 companies, a mansion, 2 sports cars, and came to Xi’an, China to hand out steamed stuffed buns to the homeless. Like that, 7 years have passed.
46-year-old Tony was an electronics engineer in the the UK’s Royal Navy. After he retired from the military, he opened 3 companies, owned a mansion and 2 sports cars. Tony says, one day in 2002, he suddenly began to get weary of his busy life, and decided to sell his companies, his mansion and his cars, leave the UK, and travel around the world.
In 2005, Tony founded the “Yellow River Soup Kitchen” in Xi’an. Tony says “Yellow River Soup Kitchen” has two goals: providing help to those who need help, and providing a platform for people to help others. The handing out of steamed stuffed buns has gone from 1 day every week to 3 days every week. “Some people say I shouldn’t help them (the homeless people), that they have houses and cars in their hometowns.” Tony says, “We don’t go judge who is real and who is fake. The truth after all is that most homeless people are real, we can help them, and that’s what gives what we do meaning…” Tony also uses a Chinese idiom “瑕不掩瑜” [xia bu yuan yu, one flaw does not obscure the splendor of the jade, the pros outweigh the cons] to describe this issue.
“People always encourage them (the homeless people) to go work…” but Tony disagrees. “Every person’s ability is different, for example handicapped people, old people, and people with mental problems. They (the homeless people) don’t have a choice. And there are also some people who don’t want to change for the moment. So, let them be. Our job is to just offer them service.” This picture is of June 27, Xi’an, where clothes donated by charitable people have filled a room. Tony says, they give them out regularly.
Tony says, homeless people don’t have a sense of security, so to newly arrived volunteers, they would explain to them not to ask why they beg, why not go work, etc. “We should first respect their right to choose this kind of life. People have the rights to choose how they live.” At present, their services have already expanded to providing the homeless haircuts, baths, giving out clothes, and giving out blankets.
This picture is of Tony himself having boxed meals or “Chinese hamburgers” [usually a baked bun with meat or vegetables placed between, but different from a steamed stuffed bun] for every meal.
This picture is of Tony contacting the shopkeeper who sells steamed stuffed buns, telling him the number of steamed stuffed buns to deliver.
This picture is of the photo stored in Tony’s cell phone showing the fancy cars and mansion he used to own.
This picture is of Tony taking a group photo with some of the foreign volunteers.
This picture is of Tony and the shopkeeper who sells steamed stuffed buns having also become good friends.
A homeless man showing his gratitude to Tony.
Every time after he finishes giving out the steamed stuffed buns, Tony walks 15 minutes to a bus station and catches a bus to return to the place he lives.
