The famine in Owambo in 1908–1909 was reported in Finland when Suomen Lähetyssanomia, the main periodical of the Finnish Missionary Society (FMS), published letters written by missionaries. Readers could learn about the circumstances surrounding the famine and also about the poor relief efforts by the missionaries in the field. A few months after the onset of the famine, the FMS started to collect donations to support relief work in Owambo. While pictorial elements used to be an important part of humanitarian campaigns in other parts of the Western world, the FMS did not follow this trend, as the impact of the famine was mainly transmitted through written accounts. Judging by the published donation lists, financial gifts were generally quite small. Nevertheless, they point to the fact that famine relief was considered a worthy cause by FMS supporters. While international humanitarian campaigns were already common in the Anglo-American world, this was the first time a Finnish fundraising effort targeted the unfortunate plight of individuals and communities on the African continent. As the FMS had worked in Owambo for almost forty years it is understandable that famine in the well-known mission field led to a fundraising endeavour that motivated supporters to donate in Finland.