Mission East
Danish international relief and development organisation supporting vulnerable communities affected by conflict, disasters, poverty, and displacement.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Mission East, originally known in Danish as Mission Øst, is a Danish non-profit relief and development organisation founded in 1991. It works with vulnerable populations in crisis-affected and impoverished communities, combining emergency humanitarian assistance with longer-term development and resilience programmes. Its activities have extended from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe to Central and East Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The organisation emerged from assistance efforts connected to the final years of the Eastern Bloc. René Hartzner and his son, physician Dr. Kim Hartzner, had been involved in bringing Bibles into Soviet republics and became aware of severe social and material deprivation after the political changes of the early 1990s. Mission East initially operated from René Hartzner's garage in Birkerød, Denmark. Its first major aid operation followed a request from a church near Saint Petersburg for medicine, particularly supplies for elderly people with diabetes. Funds were raised in Denmark, medicines were purchased, and the shipment was sent to Russia. During its first year, Mission East expanded operations to Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Albania, Armenia, and the Philippines. Early assistance included medicines, medical equipment, food, and clothing. Over time, the organisation moved beyond the direct shipment of relief goods and developed programmes intended to help local communities establish sustainable livelihoods, improve basic services, and become better prepared for future crises. Mission East describes its work as grounded in Christian values while operating within recognised humanitarian principles and standards. It delivers projects directly and through local partners, with localisation forming an important part of its operating model. Its programme areas include water, sanitation and hygiene; food security; livelihoods; rural community development; emergency relief; and disaster risk reduction. The organisation also frames its work through the humanitarian-development-peace-climate nexus, seeking to connect short-term crisis response with longer-term recovery and resilience. Mission East is funded by individual supporters, foundations, churches, and institutional donors. Reported institutional partners and funders include the European Union, United Nations bodies, and European governments. The organisation's Danish office focuses primarily on communications, fundraising, and administration, while its Brussels office supports country operations and handles functions including finance, human resources, and information technology. The organisation has maintained links with humanitarian and development networks including EU-CORD, CONCORD, VOICE, the CHS Alliance, Globalt Fokus, and ISOBRO. It has held Core Humanitarian Standard certification since 2017, follows the Sphere standards in its operations, and has signed the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief. Its 2022–2030 strategy identifies greening, innovation, community engagement, inclusion, localisation, and integrated humanitarian-development-peace-climate programming as strategic enablers. Mission East has also experienced organisational change. Kim Hartzner served as secretary-general from 1999 until 2020, when he stepped down amid controversy concerning his management style and questions about his continued leadership of a substantially expanded organisation. Betina Gollander-Jensen became secretary-general in January 2021. A German sister organisation, Mission East Deutschland, was co-founded by Kim Hartzner in 2013. Mission East remains an active international NGO rather than a commercial product brand or publicly traded company.
History
Mission East was established in Denmark in 1991 by René Hartzner and his son, Dr. Kim Hartzner. Their experience of supporting Christian communities and bringing Bibles into the former Soviet republics exposed them to the humanitarian needs that followed the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. René Hartzner had previously worked for a major grain company, while Kim Hartzner was a medical doctor. The new organisation began informally from René Hartzner's garage in Birkerød. The first operation grew out of an appeal from a church near Saint Petersburg, which needed medicine for elderly diabetic patients. Mission East raised funds in Denmark, purchased medicine, and arranged its delivery to Russia. Within approximately a year, its geographic scope had expanded to Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Albania, Armenia, and the Philippines. The organisation shipped not only medicine but also medical equipment, food, and clothing. As the operating environment changed, Mission East evolved from a largely goods-based relief model into an organisation combining emergency response with longer-term development. Its programmes increasingly sought to help communities improve livelihoods, strengthen local institutions, maintain access to essential services, and reduce their vulnerability to future disasters. The organisation subsequently broadened its work beyond Eastern Europe to countries in Central and East Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. In 2002, Mission East's missionary activities were separated into a new organisation called Aktiv Mission. René Hartzner served as Aktiv Mission's secretary-general from its creation until the end of 2019. Mission East continued to develop as a humanitarian and development organisation. In 2013, Kim Hartzner co-founded Mission East Deutschland, a German sister agency. Mission East's programme portfolio has included emergency relief, rural community development, water and sanitation, food security, livelihoods, and disaster risk reduction. The organisation uses both direct implementation and partnerships with local organisations. Localisation became an increasingly explicit principle, reflecting an effort to place local actors and communities closer to the centre of programme design and delivery. Its institutional framework also became more closely aligned with international humanitarian standards. Mission East has been certified as compliant with the Core Humanitarian Standard since 2017 and is a member of the CHS Alliance. It applies Sphere standards, has signed the humanitarian Code of Conduct associated with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief, and participates in networks including EU-CORD, CONCORD, VOICE, Globalt Fokus, and ISOBRO. Kim Hartzner was secretary-general of Mission East from 1999 until 2020. He left the position after controversy regarding his management style and questions about whether he should continue leading an organisation that had expanded substantially. Betina Gollander-Jensen became secretary-general in January 2021, bringing previous experience from Caritas Denmark and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In its 2022–2030 strategy, Mission East identified greening, innovation, community engagement, inclusion, localisation, and integration across humanitarian, development, peace, and climate-related work as strategic enablers. The organisation's Danish headquarters in Hellerup handles communications, fundraising, and administration, while its Brussels headquarters supports country operations and central services such as finance, human resources, and information technology. Mission East continues to work through a mix of direct programming and local partnerships in crisis-affected countries.
- 2022
2022–2030 strategy introduced
[2]Mission East establishes a strategy centred on greening, innovation, inclusion, localisation, community engagement, and integrated humanitarian-development-peace-climate work.
- 2021
Betina Gollander-Jensen appointed secretary-general
[1]Betina Gollander-Jensen assumes leadership of Mission East in January.
- 2020
Kim Hartzner steps down
[1]Kim Hartzner leaves the secretary-general position after serving since 1999, following controversy about his management style.
- 2017
Core Humanitarian Standard certification
[1]Mission East is certified as compliant with the Core Humanitarian Standard and later participates in the CHS Alliance.
- 2013
Mission East Deutschland co-founded
[1]Kim Hartzner co-founds the organisation's German sister agency.
- 2002
Missionary work separated into Aktiv Mission
[1]Mission East's missionary activities are transferred to the newly created Aktiv Mission.
- 1992
Early regional expansion
[1]Mission East expands its assistance to Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Albania, Armenia, and the Philippines, distributing medical supplies, food, clothing, and equipment.
- 1991
Mission East is founded
[1]René Hartzner and Dr. Kim Hartzner establish Mission East in Denmark to respond to humanitarian needs in the former Soviet sphere.
- 1991
First medicine shipment to Russia
[1]The organisation raises funds in Denmark and sends medicine requested by a church near Saint Petersburg, particularly for elderly diabetic patients.
Products and positioning
A Christian-values-based international humanitarian and development NGO combining emergency relief with locally led, longer-term programmes for resilience, livelihoods, basic services, and disaster preparedness.
Humanitarian assistance · 1991
Emergency humanitarian relief
Mission East provides assistance to people affected by conflict, natural disasters, displacement, and severe deprivation. Historically this included medicine, medical equipment, food, and clothing; contemporary emergency work is integrated with local partnerships and efforts to connect immediate assistance with recovery and resilience.
WASH
Water, sanitation and hygiene
WASH programming forms part of Mission East's development and humanitarian portfolio. It addresses access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services in vulnerable communities, helping reduce public-health risks and strengthen basic living conditions in crisis and rural settings.
Development assistance
Food security and livelihoods
These programmes support households and communities in securing food and developing sustainable sources of income. They represent the organisation's shift from one-time distribution of relief goods toward longer-term support that enables communities to recover, build livelihoods, and become more resilient.
Resilience and preparedness
Disaster risk reduction
Mission East works with communities and partners to reduce exposure and vulnerability to disasters. Disaster risk reduction is linked with development, climate awareness, local participation, and preparedness rather than treated solely as a post-disaster response activity.
Controversies
2020
Leadership controversy surrounding Kim Hartzner
Kim Hartzner stepped down as secretary-general after controversy concerning his management style and questions about his ability to continue leading the substantially expanded organisation. Publicly available reference material does not provide further substantiated details about the allegations.
Brand decisions
2022
Adopt the 2022–2030 organisational strategyStrategyBackground
Mission East operates across humanitarian relief and development contexts where climate risks, conflict, poverty, and weak basic services overlap.
Action taken
The organisation made greening, innovation, community engagement, inclusion, localisation, and humanitarian-development-peace-climate integration strategic enablers.
Aftermath
The strategy provides a framework for connecting emergency response with longer-term community resilience and locally led development.
2020
Replace the secretary-generalOtherBackground
Kim Hartzner had served as secretary-general since 1999, but his departure followed controversy about his management style and questions about continued leadership.
Action taken
Kim Hartzner stepped down, with Betina Gollander-Jensen subsequently appointed to take over in January 2021.
Aftermath
Leadership passed to an executive with prior experience in international aid and public-sector foreign affairs.
2002
Separate missionary activities from Mission EastStrategyBackground
Mission East had developed from work with Christian communities and religious outreach as well as humanitarian assistance.
Action taken
The organisation transferred its missionary work into a separate entity, Aktiv Mission.
Aftermath
Mission East continued as a humanitarian and development organisation, while René Hartzner led Aktiv Mission until the end of 2019.
Sources2 sources
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