Student exchange strengthens bridges between Gelnhausen and Beruwala!

Student exchange strengthens bridges between Gelnhausen and Beruwala!

The First District Councilor Andreas Hofmann welcomed exchange students from Beruwala in a warm welcome ceremony. The students come from the Wisdom International School Beruwala and the Albert-Einstein-Gymnasium (AEG) in Maintal. On the occasion of their visit, the students took part in a meeting with Hofmann and a city tour in Gelnhausen. Hoffmann expressly thanked the organizers of the student exchange, which has existed for almost a decade and has enabled numerous encounters between the two educational institutions.

The school partnership between AEG and Wisdom International School was launched after the devastating tsunami disaster in 2004, when an aid project for Beruwala was initiated. The first student exchange took place in 2016, supported by both schools and the Main-Kinzig district. Thanks to the high and growing demand, the exchange is very popular on both sides. It is intended to build bridges between cultures and strengthen mutual understanding.

Long-term collaboration and aid projects

Last November, AEG students spent a week in Beruwala, where they explored Sri Lanka and delivered three much-needed houses to families in need. The positive feedback about the exchange comes from various participants, including Matthias Zach, Ursule Conen, Hazig Fowsar, Anusha Rajapakse and Sandra Grösser-Pütz. In addition, 19 students and other guests from Beruwala and the Main-Kinzig district were welcomed.

However, the partnership between Beruwala and the Main-Kinzig district goes beyond student exchanges. In November 2024, former District Administrator Karl Eyerkaufer handed over responsibility for the “Main-Kinzig-Kreis helps Beruwala” project to younger hands. This aid project was also launched in 2004 after the tsunami disaster and has since provided new homes for 407 families in Beruwala. Despite the positive achievements, the situation in Beruwala remains tense as many people are suffering from the consequences of a dramatic economic crisis.

Challenges and support

In March 2024, Eyerkaufer provided information about the difficult living conditions on site. The situation has eased somewhat, but help remains essential. A relief trip in August 2023 shed light on the current challenges while numerous children face underdevelopment and wasting. In recent years, Eyerkaufer has repeatedly reported on the plight of the people in Beruwala and the ongoing relief efforts.

The school and student exchange, initiated after a natural disaster, is not only an educational project, but also a sign of long-lasting friendship and solidarity between the two regions.

For detailed information about city friendship, please visit the website MKK Echo and MKK.de.