Our focus
We aim to provide immediate support to the most vulnerable communities on the island of Samos. For us, it is all about action. Our core focus is food security, access to hygiene and clothing items, transportation support and emergency response.
Just Action is a registered Greek NGO founded in April 2020 with the aim of creating a sustainable impact for refugees, asylum seekers and locals. We are dedicated to changing the approach of how humanitarian work is done. We believe that we get much further if we understand things from the perspective of the communities present on the island and act from an understanding of how connected the struggles of the different communities are. In everything we do, we strive to promote collaboration, engagement and understanding on Samos.
Free Market
In our Free Market, we aim to increase food security for people from the community of refugees and asylum seekers as well as local Greeks in need. We do this by creating the availability of appropriate, nutritious and high quality food items that people can cook themselves or along with friends and family.
We provide stable and ongoing food support for people. Every time our service users visit us, they receive a ticket for the next time, which not only provides stability but also a small piece of certainty in the widespread uncertainty our service users deal with every day.
In our Free Market, we also have an area of hygiene products and clothing. If there is anything people like, they can select the item, as in a normal shop. We believe that this is the most dignified way of supporting people in need while also making sure nothing is wasted or unwanted, as everyone chooses for themselves.
As the camp is located in a remote area away from town, we also support camp residents with bus tickets. To give people a better sense of agency, the bus tickets we provide are flexible and can be used on any day, at any time.
Environmental mindset
Our actions are not only related to a strong sense of social responsibility. We also acknowledge that we have to consider our environmental impact. We are part of a humanitarian sector that often lacks a holistic view of the responsibilities of our work, a conventional perspective we find quite challenging because our actions are always connected to our surroundings. We do not only have a responsibility for people. We indeed have a responsibility for the planet, too.
Our Free Market therefore runs plastic-free and we upcycle our carton boxes. We also work closely with our suppliers to prevent food waste by distributing soon-to-expire products. We prioritise vegan products and we grow fresh organic local vegetables through our garden project.
Local-led actions
We are a local organisation, built and based on the needs of people on Samos, whether they are temporary residents in the refugee camp, Greeks born on the island, or anyone else who might need support. We believe that it is important to understand, work from and respect the priorities of people, as they are the ones who know the needs of their community best.
Our core team is stable and experienced, and everyone has a strong contextual understanding of the challenges on Samos. Most are locals and refugees who bring a sound understanding of needs, vital translation skills, cultural knowledge and strong pre-existing relationships with different local actors.
We also actively purchase our food items from local suppliers on Samos in order to support small businesses and the local economy. Making the purchase locally contributes to a circular economic cycle where financial resources remain in the local community and help relieve some of the financial pressures the island is undergoing.
Protection policies
Our core values are to promote fundamental human rights, social justice, human dignity and respect for the equal rights of everyone.
Safety, dignity, do no harm, meaningful access, non-discrimination, accountability, participation and empowerment are promoted at all stages of our projects. Check out our Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy.
Our Partners
