50 years old and still going strong!

Celebrating milestones in one’s life is always important. But once you are an adult, birthdays often slip by with little or no notice, unless it is a big year. For example, 50 is a big milestone. Half a century! A lot of life can pass in that time and a lot of changes.

In 1977 when Djibouti gained independence from France, Mission de la Mer Rouge (MMR) was there ready to meet the president and offer congratulations and service to the new country.

2025 marks 50 years of MMR in Djibouti. The first workers arrived in 1975, a young family excited and nervous about travelling to a new country and meeting new people. Ecole Emmanuel, school and library/bookstore was opened the following year.

Over the years, projects have grown and changed. A gardens project started working in Hanle valley, building wells and later transitioned to a pump project to help those wells be more efficient. Health projects started across the country, serving the community and training local midwives. Linguistic workers built on the pioneering work of Enid Parker, a national heroine recognised as Qasa Molta (Respected Lioness), who created a writing system for the Afar language. The linguists continued her work and developed resources for the Afar language, including the first Afar dictionary. The Oasis Centre opened in Tadjourah, offering classes and activities for the children in the community. Mobile libraries travelled across the countryside to share books with schools in smaller villages.

It’s been wonderful to see the legacy of work here in the country from children growing up in the Oasis to second generation graduates from Ecole Emmanuel English classes, from gardens revitalized to healthy children running around. After 50 years, the work still continues with the two Oasis libraries, the gardens projects, and medical work. We look forward to seeing what the next 50 years will contain!

We praise and honour our great God for his care, inspiration and guidance during the last 50 years and pray for his continuing grace, guidance and blessing in the future.