From June 27 to 29, 2025, the annual conference and general meeting of the Herrnhuter Missionshilfe will take place in Herrnhut. We are very much looking forward to seeing many familiar faces again and to meeting new people in an open, committed circle of supporters of our worldwide work. This year, we are pleased to welcome special guests from our partner countries: Jonah Sinyangwe and Belinda Gondwe from Malawi and Edger Teacher from Tanzania. Their reports will provide direct insights into the project work on site and make our partnership tangible and alive. The general meeting will also provide an opportunity to learn about developments over the past months and to set the course for the future together.

A severe earthquake struck Myanmar in March, claiming over 3,000 lives and leaving behind widespread destruction, particularly in rural areas. Many villages were razed to the ground and countless families lost their homes. There is a shortage of food, clean water, medical care, and emergency shelter. Despite difficult political conditions, the small Moravian Church in Myanmar is actively helping those affected on the ground. With the support of your donations from Germany, initial emergency aid measures have been implemented. These include the distribution of food parcels and medicines, access to drinking water, and the construction of temporary shelters. The situation remains tense, and many people are still in urgent need of help. Herrnhuter Missionshilfe is in close contact with its local partners and is continuously reviewing further support options.

A new workshop for plumbing training is currently being built at the Atsikana Walani Training Centre (AWTC) in Malawi. The foundations have already been laid, thanks to financial support from the Dutch partner organization ZZG. Plumbing is one of the skilled trades that is still heavily dominated by men in many countries. The AWTC is committed to training young women in such fields in a practical, qualified, and future-oriented manner. The new workshop is an important step toward opening up concrete career prospects for young women from disadvantaged backgrounds, including girls from the nearby Dzaleka refugee camp. Through practical training, they have the opportunity to acquire craft skills, gain self-confidence, and secure their own livelihood in the future.

A new practical training program in solar energy is offering young people in Tanzania the chance of a sustainable career. The project is financed by Herrnhuter Missionshilfe and implemented in cooperation with the Moravian Church Tanzania and the local organization TAREA (Tanzania Renewable Energy Association). The program focuses on practical training at vocational training centers in Namtumbo, Mbeya, and currently also in Songea. There, participants receive targeted training in the installation, maintenance, and application of solar-powered energy systems. An integral part of the training is accompanying internships at regional solar companies, which build a direct bridge between theory and professional practice. The aim is to qualify young skilled workers who will actively contribute to the energy transition in Tanzania in the future – through the expansion of renewable energies, greater security of supply, and new jobs. There are plans to expand the program to other training centers in the coming year.

Hundreds of dance enthusiasts gathered at the Popular Art Center in Ramallah on Sunday, May 11, 2025, for a lively and joyful show. Among them were 15 students from the Star Mountain Rehablitation Center (Palestine, West Bank), who were celebrating the completion of their Dabkeh training, which lasted several months. They and the other course graduates delivered an impressive Dabkeh performance that showcased their artistic abilities. The course graduates also demonstrated their ability to interact with the audience, who responded with enthusiastic applause. The joyful show concluded with the presentation of certificates, which gave due recognition to the commitment, musicality, and athleticism of the course graduates throughout their training. Some pictures here.

The quarterly magazine of the Moravian Church in Denmark, BDM (No. 2-2025), reports that the Sikonge Hospital of the Moravian Church in Tanzania's Western Province is successfully fighting malaria. See the Danish article here (page 3). The story is about Daniel and Agnes, a married couple. Both are disabled: Agnes cannot stand on her feet; she moves around on all fours with flip-flops on her hands. Daniel can only walk slowly with the aid of a homemade stick after an accident. They live on the outskirts of Sikonge and have five children: two girls and three boys. In November 2024, they noticed that the condition of their son Zacharias and their daughter Mwaka deteriorated dramatically within a day (hot forehead and glassy eyes). When they learned that free treatment was available at the Sikonge Hospital for the Needy, they took their children there. Both children had malaria. After a week, they were healthy again.

The Moravian Church in Brazil is growing in all directions The Board of World Mission reports: The Moravian Church in Brazil is steadily expanding its presence, guided by a long-term vision based on witness, community service, and intercultural mission. It has already celebrated baptisms, held outdoor evangelistic services, and organized transformative meetings for men and women. Its commitment includes support for addiction, distributing food donations, and events for children. The church has also sent its first intercultural missionary to Bolivia. And it plans to evangelize indigenous communities in the Amazon region. There are also plans to establish a theological seminary and build health facilities. In all of this, the Moravian Church in Brazil is concerned with spiritual growth so that it can be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ.

The Moravian Institute, a traditional boarding school run by the Moravian Church in Rajpur near Dehradun in northern India, has been working with the business community for many years. Now it has also entered into a partnership with the Swedish Organization for Individual Relief (SOIR-IM), a global aid organization founded in Sweden. The organization is committed to working with the most vulnerable groups in society, especially women and young people, people with disabilities, and Tibetan refugees in difficult situations. On Saturday, May 10, 2025, students in grades 6 to 9 who are studying robotics and AI as a focus subject took part in a “tinkering workshop” offered by SOIR-IM staff. The aim of the workshop, which lasted several hours, was to give participants practical experience in using the latest technology. Some pictures can be found here.

The Moravian Church in the Netherlands recently reported in its newsletter (EBGNieuws 2025-2): "The first and second meetings of the preparatory committee for the Moravian Church's central mission festival in Zeist on September 20, 2015, have now taken place. A theme has also been chosen: Living everywhere, at home nowhere (based on a song by Huub Oosterhuis). The theme was inspired by members of the Moravian Church in the diaspora, who live scattered far from their original communities." There was also talk of the upcoming general meeting of the Zeister Missionsgesellschaft: “The 2025 general meeting will take place on Saturday, June 21, in Zeist. An important topic of discussion will be the organization's new policy starting in 2026. The invitation to members will be sent out by email one month before the meeting.”

On April 24, 2025, the Netherlands and Suriname commemorated the 80th anniversary of the death of Anton de Kom (1898-1945), a Surinamese writer who fought against colonialism with his pen and his actions and was also active in the resistance against Nazi Germany. In 1934, he published his book We, the Slaves of Suriname, an indictment of the colonial system and the very first history book about Suriname written by a Surinamese author. To this day, the book opens people's eyes to how power, violence, and inequality were perpetuated. During the German occupation of the Netherlands, Anton de Kom joined the resistance. He wrote for an underground newspaper, which cost him his freedom and his life. He was arrested, deported, and died on April 24, 1945, in the Sandbostel concentration camp, a branch of the Neuengamme concentration camp. It was not until 1960 that his body was identified in a mass grave. More here and here. His daughter Judith de Kom fought to have the injustice done to her father recognized. In 2023, the Rutte cabinet apologized to Anton de Kom's family.