About Us.
In 2015, more than 800 000 refugees came by boat across the Mediterranean to Greece. At that time, it was mainly local Greeks and volunteers who assisted the boat refugees, distributed food, and clothing, and carried out life-saving work. One of those present on the Greek beaches was the mother of five, Trude Jacobsen from Bærum, Norway. What Jacobsen saw and experienced in her meeting with the boat refugees, changed her life radically.
Shortly after she returned to Norway, Jacobsen established the voluntary humanitarian organisation A Drop in the Ocean, with the help of some good friends. She is currently the Secretary General of the organisation and has been since 2016. The purpose of the organisation was to make it easier for ordinary people, such as Jacobsen, to travel to Greece and assist people forced to flee.
Jacobsen wanted to coordinate volunteers “on the ground” so that their efforts were as effective, responsible, and sustainable as possible. A Drop in the Ocean sent its first team of 16 volunteer field workers to Lesvos in September 2015 and has since then coordinated more than 7,000 volunteers from 70 countries. Many have described the importance of sharing knowledge about the refugee crisis, by being ‘time witnesses’, and regards this as one of the organisation’s most important tasks.
A Drop in the Ocean wants to make it easy to support displaced persons, and the voluntary field work of the organisation has changed according to the present humanitarian needs. During the first initial years, A Drop in the Ocean worked mainly in the front line. Field workers scouted for arriving boats, helped the refugees land safely and calmly, and handed out warm clothes, blankets, and drinks. Eventually, the organisation took the responsibility of creating activities for children and distribute food and clothing to displaced persons on the islands and in several places on the mainland. The organisation was quickly assigned key roles inside several official refugee camps on the mainland. Since 2016, volunteer field workers have been responsible for a variety of activities, including language classes and non-formal educational activities, distribution of clothing and food, laundry service, bicycle rental, various activities, and social gatherings for adults and children.
A Drop in the Ocean collaborates with community, local and international volunteer field workers, with established aid organisations, different NGO’s and with the Greek authorities. In recent years, A Drop in the Ocean has increasingly focused on the importance of communication and political advocacy. At the organisation’s annual meeting in May 2018, it was decided to add “convey information about the life situation of refugees and migrants” in the organisation’s purpose clause.
Our Mission.
How we work : A Drop in the Ocean runs activities designed to help restore a sense of normality and dignity and to help build resilience and practical skills for displaced persons.
We have four programmes directing all our activities: Community Empowerment Mobilisation / Integration / Non-formal Education / Humanitarian Aid
Community Empowerment Mobilisation:
The residents of the refugee camps in Greece have fled from war, terror, and persecution. These traumas are amplified by their horrible living conditions. A Drop in the Ocean organises activities that aim to empower displaced persons and support their psychosocial well-being. We also aim to improve cohesion and contribute to a sense of community among people living both inside and outside of refugee camps.
Our various activities are directed at children, youth, women, and men, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups such as women, children, and unaccompanied minors.
We use a community-based approach, involving beneficiaries in our programmes as much as possible in the planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of activities. This helps us to better develop activities according to needs and increase ownership of activities and strengthen community networks.
Our activities : Women’s Space / Mother and baby area / Youth Space / Children’s activities / Sports activities / Art class / Tailoring / Maker’s Space / Social space / Health promotion
Integration :
A Drop in the Ocean aims to support displaced persons’ integration in Greek society and improve their professional development. With increased knowledge about Greek society, more people can access resources and training, and find work and housing. We organise employability workshops and coordinate with relevant actors, connecting beneficiaries to already existing employment-related programmes. A new Greek law adopted in 2020 reduces the grace period in which recognised refugees have to leave their organised accomodation and move into independent living from six months to 30 days. This has placed an enormous pressure on recognised refugees and many need extra support and guidance.
Our activities : Info Hub / Interview preparation / Employability support
Non-formal Education :
Displaced persons’ access to education is limited. A Drop in the Ocean supports educational development with non-formal education as one of our activities in refugee camps. We aim to support displaced persons in accessing formal education and to promote their employability and integration in their host society.
According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), non-formal education includes “all organised education activities that are outside the formally established system”. A Drop in the Ocean’s non-formal education activities are carried out in a flexible manner, but follow a clear structure. Our education coordinator is a professional teacher and has adapted curricula and schedules to accomodate the learning needs of displaced persons living in refugee camps.
Our activities : English classes / Greek classes / Computer classes
Humanitarian Aid :
Living conditions for people living in and outside refugee camps are rough, with poor or inadequate shelter, and limited access to health care and other basic services. A Drop in the Ocean works to ensure that displaced persons’ needs are met in a dignified manner. We assess the situation on each site and act according to demand. Our teams distribute and improve access to food, clothing, winter equipment, and hygiene items, and contribute to better health and well-being through activities both inside and outside refugee camps.
Our activities : Baby pack distribution / Diaper distribution / Food distribution / Open access to hygiene and sexual and reproductive health items / Seasonal clothes distribution / Emergency response distributions / Laundry services
Partners
A Drop in the Ocean has an extensive network of partners across and outside Greece. Internationally we collaborate with several partners providing necessary material for activities and items for distributions. We collaborate with local partners such as fellow international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) to avoid duplication of services and to support their needs. Additionally, we work closely with Greek authorities and site management support actors who run the refugee camps in Greece.
Our Target Group.
Migrants.
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