Where do we work?
A Drop in the Ocean works to support the rights, dignity and inclusion of people forced to flee. Today, our work includes humanitarian support in Crete, where we run a Distribution Hub providing essential items to people arriving on the island, and a Dropshop in Tromsø Norway, offering free clothing and other essentials to refugees and people newly settled in the city.
Through our Erasmus+ projects, we work with European partners to develop and share new approaches to learning, empowerment and inclusion, with a particular focus on people with refugee and migration backgrounds.
Previously we have also supported displaced people in Bosnia Herzegovina, Poland, France and Lebanon.
How do we work?
Across our programmes, we aim to provide practical support, create opportunities for participation and learning, and contribute to more inclusive communities where people are met with dignity and respect.
We contribute through our four main programmes:
- Non-Formal Education
- Integration programs
- Community Empowerment Mobilisation
- Humanitarian Aid
Our programmes aim to create a meaningful everyday life and a brighter future. We support people forced to flee in their daily lives through practical services such as, distribution of essential items (NFI), and by contributing to capacity building in camps. All our efforts are aimed at empowering individuals, building community, and creating new opportunities.
Through Erasmus+ projects, we develop methods and tools that strengthen inclusion and education.
Read more about our main programmes here.
Our work is implemented by experienced coordinators and volunteer field workers who meet our requirements and have attended our mandatory training.
Who do we support?
A Drop in the Ocean supports displaced persons. Our beneficiaries are children, youth, men, and women, but we do make an extra effort to support particularly vulnerable groups. During the years since we started our work we have arranged a variety of activities for exclusively for women, children, youth, and unaccompanied minors (UAMs).
Why do we support displaced persons?
Greece remains an important entry point to Europe for people seeking safety and international protection. Since 2015, more than 1.3 million people have arrived in Greece by sea or land. While the scale and routes of migration have changed over the years, people continue to arrive after long and often dangerous journeys.
In 2025, UNHCR recorded 41,696 sea arrivals and 7,075 land arrivals in Greece. The Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum reported 48,298 arrivals in total. Crete and Gavdos received the largest share of sea arrivals, with 19,799 people arriving on the islands during the year.
The route to Crete has continued to grow in 2026. During the first six months of the year, 8,552 people arrived on Crete and Gavdos, according to figures provided by the Hellenic Coast Guard to Refugee Support Aegean. By September 2026, the number had risen to nearly 14,000.
Many of these journeys begin in eastern Libya. People travelling to Crete face hundreds of kilometres of open sea, often in small and overcrowded boats, with journeys that can take several days. The route has also seen multiple deadly incidents in 2026.
For many people, reaching Greece is not the end of their journey. Upon arrival, they may face uncertainty, limited access to basic necessities and challenging reception conditions. Depending on where they arrive, people may need clothing, shoes, sleeping mats, hygiene products and other essential items while they wait for onward transportation and the next stage of their journey.
We believe that everyone deserves to be met with dignity, regardless of where they come from or how they arrived.
Since 2015, Dråpen i Havet has been present in Greece, responding to changing needs and supporting people forced to flee. We provide practical humanitarian assistance and essential items, while also creating opportunities for participation, inclusion and community engagement.
Our work is rooted in a simple principle: people seeking safety should be treated with dignity, respect and humanity.