This chapter introduces the central themes of this book by analysing the historical and contemporary relationships between Afro-Surinamese and Ghanaian communities in the Netherlands. It demonstrates how the legacies of Dutch colonialism and slavery continue to shape present-day identities, social hierarchies, and tensions within and between these communities. Particular attention is paid to the complex role of religion and churches, which provide refuge, kinship, and spiritual meaning, while also functioning as arenas for negotiating power, morality, and authority. Rather than attributing divisions solely to cultural misunderstanding, the introduction examines the influence of contested memories, structural inequalities, and internalised colonial narratives on experiences of belonging and exclusion. It further considers how individuals and communities address intergenerational trauma, navigate access to care, and pursue well-being and healing. By conceptualising healing as a process, praxis, and border work, the introduction establishes a foundation for the book’s analysis of healing as a multidimensional phenomenon shaped by historical legacies, colonial afterlives, diasporic dynamics, living conditions, and social relationships.