An Anniversary Celebration in the Emsland Region

Looking back, expressing gratitude, and looking ahead: On September 19th about 60 guests gathered in Meppen to celebrate LandsAid’s 20th anniversary

Long-time companions

Looking Back on Two Decades

September 2026 —20 years of LandsAid: that’s 20 years of humanitarian aid, more than 220 projects in about 40 countries, and many people who support this work. Many of these stories lead to the Emsland region. That’s why, following the anniversary celebration in Landsberg am Lech, Meppen was the second location where we looked back on two decades together with our long-time partners.

About 60 guests gathered at the Hotel Via Plaza Meppen by Hackmann. LandsAid had organized the anniversary celebration together with host and LandsAid supporter Wolfgang Hackmann. Hackmann and his team provided the perfect setting and took care of the guests’ needs on site.

Birgit Stecher-Hame, Chair of the Supervisory Board of LandsAid, hosted the evening. She also added a personal touch to the programme by sharing how she came to join LandsAid following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010. A few months later, she was on the ground in Haiti herself, working as a project manager and relief worker for LandsAid. Her personal experiences also shaped her perspective on LandsAid’s development.

Gaby Breuckmann, a longtime member of the LandsAid Board of Directors, former Chair of the Board, and current member of the Supervisory Board, is from Meppen. For many years, she has been committed to raising awareness of LandsAid in her home region and recruiting new supporters. She has also traveled extensively on our behalf as a volunteer.

In her speech, she reflected on her journey to LandsAid and on the many people in the Emsland region who have supported the organization over the years. That evening, she received special recognition and many words of thanks for her long-standing commitment.

Host Wolfgang Hackmann also spoke about his first encounter with LandsAid. At the time, Gaby Breuckmann had come to his hotel to ask if she could display LandsAid flyers there.

“Anyone who knows Ms. Breuckmann: It was like a tsunami,” Hackmann said with a wink. The conversation had given him food for thought. Although he himself had already been involved in the region, the encounter had shown him that there was still more that could be done.

Hackmann has already supported several of our humanitarian projects.

He made his hotel available for the anniversary celebration and, together with his team, created a personal atmosphere for the evening. Thank you very much for your tremendous dedication!

Our vice president, Hans Musswessels, took the guests on a journey through 20 years of LandsAid. The presentation also highlighted the transformation of our organization: What began as emergency medical aid provided by our own teams has evolved into an approach that increasingly relies on collaboration with local partner organizations. These partnerships are intended to be based on equality and to strengthen local structures.

Our Executive Director, Michaela Wiese, focused on the current state of humanitarian aid. She spoke about declining public funding and the political debates surrounding international aid. In doing so, she clearly articulated LandsAid’s principles: Aid is provided based on need—regardless of origin, religion, or political expediency.

Her deliberately political speech was met with a strong response afterward. Several guests approached Wiese in person and emphasized how important they felt it was for LandsAid to openly address these issues and take a stand.

Questions about how we handle donations were also discussed that evening. Michaela explained how we monitor our projects through on-site visits, in-depth discussions with partner organizations, detailed review of receipts, and monitoring of project progress. The regular audits conducted by the DZI Donation Seal were also worth mentioning in this context.

After the official part of the event, an anniversary video showcased operations and projects from the past 20 years. The guests were impressed by what LandsAid, as a small organization, has accomplished during that time.

The evening was accompanied musically by Gerd Zimmermann, a fellow choir member of Gaby Breuckmann, who volunteered his time to provide the musical accompaniment. Thank you very much!

During the meal that followed, there was plenty of time for conversation. The donation box was also put to good use: Many guests made donations to support LandsAid’s work in honour of the anniversary. Thank you very much!

In the end, one of Gaby’s statements really stuck with me:

“I hope that we continue on this path, doing good and doing it well.”

Photos: Patricia Dunkel

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2026-10-22T17:51:08+00:00

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