More and more people are now using social media to find out about projects and developments around the world. The Herrnhuter Missionshilfe also uses platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to provide insights into its work and maintain contact with its supporters. To help us improve our posts in the future, we would like to know how you use social media and what you would like to see from us. We have prepared a short survey for this purpose. Participation is anonymous and takes no more than five minutes, but it will greatly help us to further develop our work on social media. You can participate directly here. Thank you very much for your support!

Once again this year, Herrnhuter Missionshilfe e.V. (HMH) is inviting participants to its annual conference. It will take place from June 26 to 28, 2026, at Herrnhaag (Büdingen, near Frankfurt). As always, the focus will be on networking and information. This year, the spotlight will be on Suriname and the EMS volunteer program. As usual, there will also be an overview of the work and projects of the HMH. The annual meeting is integrated into the conference. All interested parties are welcome! The invitation is here, the program here and registration here.

From February 11 to 13, an intensive seminar was held at the Herrnhut Academy in Zanzibar with twelve school principals from the Moravian Vocational Centers (VTC) in Zanzibar and Tanzania. For three days, the focus was on key topics for sustainable educational work: disability inclusion and gender sensitivity, project management and reporting, protection from sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (PSEAH), and monitoring and evaluation. In addition to providing professional input, the seminar offered space for personal exchange, networking, and mutual encouragement. Close cooperation between school administrators is crucial to ensuring and further developing high-quality, professional teaching in the long term. Bettina Nasgowitz, finance and project officer at Herrnhuter Missionshilfe, participated as a guest. In numerous discussions, she gained valuable insights into the current situation of the VTCs, which have been accompanied and supported by Herrnhuter Missionshilfe for many years.

On February 21, 2026, a delegation from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) led by Alexander De Croo, former Prime Minister of Belgium, and a delegation from the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development led by Dr. Samah Abu Oun, Minister of Social Development, visited the Moravian Church's Star Mountain Rehabilitation Center (SMRC) near Ramallah (Palestine/West Bank). The purpose of the visit was to review the infrastructure projects carried out by the UNDP with the support of the German Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau - Entwicklungsbank (KfW). Ranya Karam, Director of the SMRC, guided the distinguished guests. She gave the delegations a comprehensive overview of the center, its history, and its many years of experience in the rehabilitation of people with disabilities. She also presented the center's most important programs and projects. She also spoke about the shelter currently under construction for girls and women with disabilities who have been affected by violence. Eleven pictures here.

On February 12, 2026, the Moravian Church's Star Mountain Rehabilitation Center (SMRC) near Ramallah (Palestine/West Bank) welcomed a delegation of project managers from the German Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The center's staff, girls and boys, and women and men with disabilities enjoyed a variety of encounters. During the visit, the guests were given an explanation of the project's goals, the facilities, and the four support programs (special needs school, inclusive kindergarten, vocational training center, and integration). Representatives of the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Women's Affairs, as well as representatives from neighboring communities, also took part in the meeting. Those present marveled at the support work carried out at the SMRC. Pictures here.

Heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding affected large parts of Albania in January 2026. A video can be found here. The need for aid is particularly high in the cities of Lezha, Pogradec, and Burrel. Many families have no safe place to live, no savings, and currently no income. Thanks to support from the Herrnhuter Missionshilfe emergency fund, 80 packages, mainly containing food, have already been distributed in recent days to members of the Moravian Church and their neighbors in Lezha and Pogradec. The next 30 food parcels are destined for recipients in Burrel. Pictures of the aid distribution that has already taken place can be found here. A report by Gazeta Express from several regions of Albania from mid-January 2026 can be found here. The city in Albania most severely affected by the storm was Durrës. In many neighborhoods, the streets were almost impassable.

The Brødremenighedens Danske Mission BDM published a portrait of Elona Mandro from Albania in its magazine BDMnyt (No. 1-2026). See here, page 5. It states: "Elona works closely with Pastor Dena Fortuzi. She is both the administrator of the Moravian Church in Albania and the head of children's and youth work. She joined the Moravian Church in 2004 and knew immediately: ‘I'm staying here’. Her work is invaluable to the leadership and management of the church. She is creative, dynamic, reliable, and empathetic. Elona has a real passion for administrative and organizational tasks. She thinks practically and has a gift for communicating with church members. Someone said about Elona: ‘One glance is enough to understand her.’ Elona often travels with Dena Fortuzi to the Moravian Church groups in Tirana, Lezhë, Burrel, Bathore, Elbasan, and Pogradec."

Challenges promote creativity is the title of a report by the Brødremenighedens Danske Mission BDM in Christiansfeld, Denmark, about the Moravian Church hospital in Sikonge, Tanzania, Western Province. See here. in Danish. The report was written after Mia Toldam Korsgård visited the site to provide advice, focusing primarily on economic and administrative matters at the mission hospital, which was founded in 1923. The report states: "There is a really good management team at Sikonge Hospital. The team puts good ideas on the table. Everyone is involved in solving problems. This year, the hospital has less money available than last year, so priorities must be set. We need to ensure that we have sufficient funds for electricity, salaries, and medicines. The emergency program was evaluated with Chief Physician Peter Songoro and Secretary General Wilson Nkumba, among others. It is also important that patients in need can receive free treatment. All women giving birth should also receive free assistance."

The Unity Women's Desk (UWD) is calling on all women in the Moravian Church worldwide once again: "Wear black on Thursdays! Join in! On February 12, 2026, after the 5th Unity Women's Consultation, you will have your first opportunity to join the Thursdays in Black movement. To the participants of the consultation: Wear your black consultation T-shirt and the Stop the Violence pin! We want to turn our words into action! To all other women: Wear black clothing on Thursdays and let us know if you would like to wear a Thursdays in Black pin. Watch this video: See here. Support us on the path to a world without rape and violence. From left to right in the picture: Sister Bupe Kabigi (Dodoma), Sister Mary Kategile (Mbeya), and Sister Everliny Kiondoko (TZ, Northern Province) in black during the 5th Unity Women's Consultation in Arusha, Tanzania. See here. And see also here.

A large conference can only be successful if, in addition to the official delegates, many people work behind the scenes to ensure its success. The Unity Women's Desk (UWD) reminded us of this after the 5th Unity Women's Consultation in Arusha, northern Tanzania, and on February 17, 2026, presented some of the young volunteers who worked with dedication as interpreters and service staff for the delegates. See here. Three of the nurses who took turns on duty at the conference are UWD scholarship recipients, as are three Swahili-English interpreters and two of the three Spanish-English interpreters. Here is a video of a dance at the opening of the 5th Unity Women's Consultation. You can donate to the UWD and its scholarship program on the occasion of the “Moravian Day of Giving” on February 17, 2026, here.

Due to a prolonged economic crisis, the Zinzendorf Hostel in Paramaribo, Suriname, which provides accommodation for members of the Moravian Church from the interior of the country who seek medical assistance in the capital, is not receiving the necessary subsidies from the state health fund. However, the facility cannot be closed, as women from the interior with high-risk pregnancies would be at great risk if they did not receive good specialist care in the state capital. A subsidy of €20,000 from the Zeister Zendingsgenootschap (ZZg) in the Netherlands is therefore very welcome. The subsidy is sufficient to cover the care and, if necessary, nursing of approximately 20 pregnant women or young mothers, as well as their travel, accommodation, and meal costs. Interpreting services are also sometimes necessary because some women from the interior do not speak Dutch, but only their native language, Sranan. See here.

Healthcare in the far southwest of Suriname has improved somewhat. On February 1, 2026, the new outpatient clinic of the Medische Zending (medical mission) was opened in Coeroeni. This marked the launch of a modern facility that will also help to counteract the chronic shortage of medicines in this remote region. Surinamese health policymakers André Misiekaba and Rakesh Gajadhar Sukul said that thanks to an agreement with the health insurance company, the clinic will now be adequately supplied. In the presence of the Granman of Sipaliwini and local officials, the Minister of Health emphasized that healthcare in the interior of the country is a top priority for the government. The minister gave local leaders his phone number so that they have a direct line to him in case of problems. Herman Jintie, director of the Medische Zending, expressed his gratitude. The full article from the Suriname Herald can be found here.

On February 20, 2026, the children from the Gerhardtschool, a primary school founded 95 years ago by the Moravian Church in Hamilton, Coronie, with only 40 children, enjoyed a reading day with Missi Marina, a nationally known cultural ambassador and influencer. The visit was described on Facebook as follows: "It was a wonderful meeting with the children. Missi Marina felt right at home, not least because she was staying at her ancestors' plantation. The children listened attentively to her reading. And wherever Missi Marina is, laughter is never far away. Anyone who spends time with her becomes wiser and receives something like enlightenment. At the end, she was presented with a gift box containing products from the Coronie region. Misi Marina said she was very pleased with this gesture. She was really happy about this day of community, appreciation of Surinamese culture, and education." 18 photos here.

On March 1 of each year, the anniversary of the founding of the Old Brethren Unity in Kunvald in 1457, the Unity Prayer Day Offering is requested in the worldwide Moravian Church. In 2026, this collection will benefit the Moravian Unity Cultural Heritage Foundation (MUCHF), which aims to preserve the historical settlements and buildings of the worldwide Moravian Church in the best possible way. Unity provinces and congregations face major challenges in restoring, maintaining, and revitalizing historical buildings. In addition to financial resources and public access, some places also lack architectural expertise or knowledge of historical craftsmanship and conservation principles. Complex national monument protection laws often have to be taken into account. Furthermore, the collection is to be used to create a register of all Moravian Church cultural heritage sites, and there is to be an exchange of restoration experiences between the Unity Provinces. March 1 is always a day of prayer for the Moravian Church. Prayer requests in English can be found here.

On the afternoon of February 10, 2026, beautiful, exotic music rang out from the main stage of the Moravian Institute, a boarding school run by the Moravian Church in Raipur, near Dehradun in northern India. Organized by the Tender Roots Academy as part of the A Taste of World Music initiative, the musical performance featured two extraordinary artists who offered a fascinating experience to more than 400 students. Brazilian singer-songwriter Taïs Reganelli enchanted the audience with her velvety voice and songs. Yip Hei Man from Hong Kong then played the guzheng (a 21-string curved-board zither) with graceful virtuosity, introducing the audience to the world of this traditional Chinese instrument from the 5th century AD. Teachers and students thoroughly enjoyed the performance, making it an unforgettable and unique experience. Pictures and videos here.

Svend Løbner from the Brødremenighedens Danske Mission BDM in Christiansfeld near Kolding writes in an online article about the importance of emergency aid and development aid, especially now that the US has dramatically cut its funding in this area. See here. in Danish. At the beginning of his article, he writes: “Helping people in need leads to a more stable world and therefore also benefits us. But self-interest must not be our approach. We must help people in need because it is the right thing to do, the necessary thing to do.” He also comments on refugee aid: “Young people who flee as a result of wars, crises, and climate change have many good ideas that need our support in order to be realized.” Finally, he says: "We live in a world shaped by globalization. We inevitably interact with other countries and cultures. The way we behave towards people from other countries and cultures will ultimately have an impact on us."

Yolndac Brito Alvarez from the Iglesia Morava Erelio Martínez García in Jagüey Grande, Cuba, recounts the service on February 15, 2026, which focused on Matthew 17:1-9: "Transfiguration. A light has come. A light that never fades. We witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus. I looked into the transfigured faces of Keyla, Melisa, and Kenia; of Yilian, Irma, and María; of Hildeliza, Nery, and Yayito; of Tahimy, Baldo, and Cira; and into the faces of the others. They are with Jesus on the mountain. Hand in hand, they climbed up with Jesus. I see Obed and Alay hiding their faces. It is good here. We want to stay here. But it is time to seek the light in the dark present. So we open our eyes and look at Jesus. The light shines from his heart. No, the world is not a dark place. With Jesus, we are no longer in the shadows. With Jesus, we breathe a different fragrance. Lord, may your light shine on your people in Cuba." Pictures here.

On February 17, 2026, 1.75 billion people around the world began the new year, namely the lunar year. The Moravian Church in the British Province took this as an opportunity to wish all people of Chinese descent a Happy Lunar New Year. It wrote on Facebook: "Many people probably think that our own New Year has always begun on January 1. But this tradition is not old; it only dates back to 1752, shortly before the congregation in Ockbrook was founded. Until then, the new year in Great Britain and British North America began on March 25 of each year, according to the Julian calendar used at the time. Basically, it doesn't matter when the new year begins. Because every new year is meant to encourage renewal and new commitment. If you look at it closely (according to Christian principles), every day is the beginning of a new year." See here.

On the occasion of the International Mother Language Day promoted by the United Nations on February 21, 2026, the Mission Museum of the Moravian Church South Africa (MCSA) reminds us that Genadendal Dutch was spoken there long before it found its way into school textbooks and was spoken in parliament as Afrikaans. Although Afrikaans is a language rooted in the Germanic language family, it was shaped on African soil. At the Cape, Dutch and English mixed as the languages of the colonial powers. In Genadendal, the German hymns of the brotherly missionaries rang out; Indonesian words from enslaved people also flowed in, and even the marginalized Khoi language left indelible traces. In Genadendal, languages were not imposed; here they were exchanged and united. Through one of South Africa's first secondary schools and one of the first printing presses in the Cape, Plaats, known from 1816 as Genadendal Dutch, was recorded in writing. More in English here.