Humana People to People and its History“Development Aid from People to People” was formed in 1977 in Denmark as a response to the pressing need to improve conditions in the poor parts of the world. Having travelled and seen for ourselves the conditions of our fellow human beings, made us realize that we had to take action. The need was much greater than our possibilities, thus we had to select a place to start - and it became the apartheid-tormented Africa.
The idea was simple - a simplicity that has characterized the work of the organization ever since: there are people in need, and we have so much and can get hold of even more. So let us take some of our surplus and transfer it to the needy.

We started with consignments. We collected all sorts of things from people all over Denmark, packed it into containers and sent these to refugee camps in Mozambique harboring Zimbabwean refugees, who had fled from the racist minority regime in Rhodesia, as Zimbabwe was called at the time.

Funded by EEC and the UN, refugees were also invited for courses in Denmark in vocational fields to enable them to return and improve conditions in the camps.

In 1980 Zimbabwe gained its independence. The refugees returned from Mozambique. A new government came into power with the task of reconstruction, reconciliation and resettlement. DAPP was invited to build a school for 1.500 homeless refugee children, returning from Mozambique. So we took the challenge and went there to build the school together with the refugee children. This was the start of a new line of work for the very young organization. The Solidarity Worker - today called the Development Instructor and our kind of an international volunteer - became from the very beginning an important force in the venture.

Over the next five years - 1980 to 1985 - the work expanded in many ways: In Europe - from Denmark to include other Scandinavian and European countries. In Africa - from Zimbabwe to Mozambique, Zambia, Angola and Guinea Bissau. Some activities were prevailing:
The continued consignments for refugees - now for Namibian refugees in Angola.
The construction at building projects in rural areas with Solidarity Workers and local people working hand in hand, financed by donations.
Education in Denmark of ex-combatants and refugees in order to upgrade their ability to improve living conditions for their people.
Education in Africa - trainees at the building projects, the establishment of schools, teaching in existing schools, participation in adult literacy campaigns, etc.From 1985 to 1990 the work took another big step:
We understood that development work in the poor part of the world was a lifetime commitment, and that development was not only created by building a school or a clinic and then leave. We decided to stay and unite forces with the people to build a better future and to solve the multiple tasks on the way. We emphasized long term of development, including all aspects of human life, creating tools for people themselves to fight evils and do good.
Secondly, interviews with a number of Frontline State presidents in 1983 led to the formation of Frontline Institute -a training centre in Denmark where people from Europe and Africa could learn together and in co-operation build up Frontline Village Centres as examples of development in Africa.
Thirdly, we realized we had to raise the funds to finance this development. Being into the collection of second hand clothes already, this became the trade which we started to develop professionally. The collection, sorting and selling of clothes expanded to more countries.In the 1990-ies the world changed.
We had dedicated ourselves to stay in southern Africa until apartheid was gone. Now the apartheid days were coming to an end, and as an organization we had to discuss whether to stay or to leave. We decided to stay with a new purpose - to create a better future in co-operation with the people.
50 Child Aid Projects were defined as the organization's contribution to prevent the massive death of 100 million children in the 90’s as predicted by UNICEF. They forced the organization to double up the profit in all money earning enterprises in order to pay for all the activities. This again prompted a higher professionalism.
 New countries and new projects were added to the agenda. Old countries stood in new situations, and new developments were necessary and possible.
 Through the 90-ies the organization got used to working in the new world environment and to create what we see today:The Federation for Associations Connected to the International Humana People to People Movement. Its members are non-profit associations who maintain Solidarity Humanism as the basis for their international efforts.In 1998 the international Humana People to People Movement opened its Headquarters at Murgwi Estate, Shamva in Zimbabwe. Since then the Headquarters has been industriously used for meetings and conferences held by the members of the Movement.
1998 was also the year when Humana People to People published the Charter as a declaration about the work of the Movement. The Charter is translated into eleven languages.
Humana People to People Headquarters    
The Headquarters in Zimbabwe is the international Headquarters of the HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE Movement. The Headquarters is the home and meeting place for the movement, and for others interested in development. The complex is designed by the Danish architect Jan Utzon and was inaugurated in 1998.

In 2005 the Federation Humana People to People was re-structured and has now its domicile in Geneva, Switzerland, while the International Headquarters still is in Zimbabwe.