Supported projects
#LeaveNoOneBehind offers a platform for local and solidarity projects – fast support guaranteed. Thanks to your donations, we have been able to support over 100 partner organizations in their important work since 2020. The projects are often actively run by refugees themselves or the organizations actively support those seeking protection in solidarity.
On this page you can find all the initiatives and organizations that have been supported so far.
All projects
BASE UA
BASE UA was founded by activists and journalists in the wake of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and focuses primarily on evacuation from the most heavily embattled areas of the country. BASE UA is one of the last organizations to bring people threatened by the Russian invasion to safety from Bachmut, Lysychansk or Severodonetsk. But BASE's work does not stop at evacuation: People should receive sustainable support. Among other things, two camps were organized with children and young people who had to flee the war. There they received art and trauma work.
Aegean Boat Report
Illegal pushbacks are a daily occurrence at European borders. In order to take action against them, they need to be well documented and collated. The Aegean Boat Report reports 24/7 about incidents at the borders and thus enables quick help and monitoring of "border officials''. One practice the Aegean Boat Report has been able to highlight many times: Refugees who had already reached the bottom of Lesbos are picked up by masked men, often abused, kidnapped and abandoned in the open sea on maneuverless "life rafts." There they drift until the Turkish coast guard picks them up and brings them back to Turkey. Documenting them and gathering the information is critical. Because good information not only ensures that helpers can be on the scene faster in emergencies, good information is also the best weapon against cover-up attempts by governments and their coast guards. The Aegean Boat Report has thus become an essential building block in the work of NGOs in the Aegean. Through its work, emergencies are noticed more quickly and people are rescued.
Blindspots
Blindspots helps wherever people are forgotten by the media, politics and the public. They bring the "invisible spots" of Europe into the focus of social discourse and strengthen existing aid structures. On the Bosnian-Croatian border, in the Velika Kladuša region, refugees are stuck in patched-up improvised shelters, where they are exposed and unprotected from the wind and weather. This means life-threatening cold in winter, with temperatures as low as -20 degrees. In addition, they are often robbed, beaten up and illegally pushed back by border officials. Blindspots therefore organizes stoves and firewood for the people. They build doors, windows and solar panels on the provisional huts and provide access to drinking water and hygiene facilities. They also document the inhumane and illegal violence at the borders to raise public awareness. Their work is more important now than ever in winter and can save many people from dying of cold.
Wir Packen’s an
Wherever refugees suffer under the European border regime and have to sleep on park benches, under tarpaulins or in the woods, you can find the pink boxes full of relief supplies from "Wir Packen's an". Many people have almost forgotten the pictures from the Polish-Belarusian border last year. Refugees stuck in the forest between two border strips and in the face of thousands of officers of the Polish border police. At the time, “Wir Packen's an” was one of the few organizations that managed to deliver relief supplies to the people on the ground. People are still stuck at the border, and “Wir Packen's an” is still delivering relief goods: Hand warmers, sleeping bags, thermal pants and much more. Not only on the Belarusian border, but also, for example, on the Ukrainian border with Moldova. In a feat of strength, reception stations including six sanitary containers with showers and toilets were provided in this forgotten region within a very short time.
Liebe im Karton
"Liebe im Karton" e.V. or Lovebox is a volunteer Christmas package delivery campaign that has been distributing gifts to vulnerable children in Germany, Europe and the so-called Middle East since 2016. In addition, they organize year-round deliveries of relief supplies to crisis regions, including Ukraine, to support local people and rebuild destroyed structures. Together with their active network partner "Netzwerk Ziviler Krisenstab", they have been managing the coordination and logistics of more than 6,500 pallets of urgently needed relief supplies to Ukraine since February 2022.
Human Rights Legal Project
The Human Rights Legal Project (HRLP) is a legal aid organisation that combats human rights violations against refugees in Greece through legal representation, advocacy and public relations work and takes action against the criminalisation of refugees at the EU's external border.
Low-Tech with Refugees
Low-Tech with Refugees was created to help refugees on the Greek island of Lesvos to develop and build creative technical solutions that are useful in everyday life. At the heart of the work is the operation of the Low-Tech Makerspace on the premises of One Happy Family, which houses a bicycle, wood, metal, and electronics workshop. In addition to providing tools and materials, the focus is on sharing knowledge and building skills. Their headquarters are in Briançon, France and they operate other sites there as well as in Marseille to work with refugees.
Human Plus
Human Plus is a non-profit organization that provides humanitarian aid around the world. In Iran, Human Plus has been funding legal fees, security deposits, medical assistance, safe shelters and support for relatives as part of an emergency relief program since the start of the revolution. In addition, the repression of Kurdish minorities is escalating in some provinces. The images that get through are heartbreaking. Human Plus organizes emergency aid for the purchase of medicine and food in order to not leave the Kurdish people in Iran behind.
Contact and Counseling Center for Refugees and Migrants (KuB)
The Contact and Counseling Center for Refugees and Migrants (KuB) is a non-profit association in Berlin. The KuB supports refugees and migrants from all over the world and advises on questions regarding asylum and residence rights. Support is also provided for psychological and social problems. The funding enables the organization of German courses and leisure activities for precarious migrants.
N-Ost
As a transnational network that exists in times of increasing polarization and the increasing divergence of the media, N-Ost is breaking new ground in foreign journalism. As journalists in Ukraine are in great danger, N-Ost provides equipment necessary for survival, tries to provide psychological care and to support them in the field as well as in exile in their increasingly challenging work.
Support of smaller NGOs with consumables
We have set up a fund on Lesvos in cooperation with a Greek NGO (Lesvos Solidarity), where small NGOs can use the original receipts to claim money for consumables (for example food and hygiene products), so that they can focus on the work on the ground and expand their capacities there.
Helpbus
In order to intervene in cases of short-term humanitarian disasters, such as the winter in Ukraine, the activists of the Helpbus provide fast and unbureaucratic care. The Helpbus provides support in crisis hotspots where mobile assistance is needed. The Helpbus is closely networked with local activists and can be on site within a few days. This means that donations in kind as well as medical care for about 150 people a day can be provided and evacuations can be carried out.
Northern Lights Aid
Northern Lights Aid (NLA) is a small NGO that supports the residents of the Perigiali refugee camp in Kavala, Greece. By distributing food, clothing, hygiene items, and other materials, NLA seeks to provide the basic necessities of life for the people affected. Located within walking distance of the camp, Northern Lights Aid provides a safe environment to learn, create and socialize through English classes, a skill-sharing workshop, a community garden and a free clothing store. NLA works closely with locals and camp residents to promote social inclusion and solidarity within the community. The recently expanded emergency assistance program supports particularly vulnerable families with food, medicine and transportation to ensure the asylum process runs smoothly.
Azadi Project
The Azadi Project, is a program that offers self-help based on therapy, coaching techniques and strategies through weekly group sessions with skilled staff. In this setting, women are free to share stories, fears, anxieties, or conflicts with other participants or simply listen to the other participants. These sessions aim not only to alleviate the emotional and psychosocial stress that many refugee women suffer from, but also to actively build and promote self-esteem among the women.
Nicht reden. Machen!
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the "Nicht reden. Machen! e.V." has been actively involved in providing the people in the war zone with the most urgently needed relief supplies. Supplies such as food and clothing are provided, but also targeted medical needs such as asthma spray, antibiotics, bandages and surgical material.
Food Packages – Siniparxi
The distribution of urgently needed food packages is handled by the Greek organization Siniparxi. The packages contain 12 to 14 different items that enable camp residents and people in need on Lesvos to cook their own meals. Each week, 600 to 800 people have access to the food packages and are offered an alternative to the inedible camp food.
WARRIORS KDM e. V.
WARRIORS take care of the procurement and collection of relief supplies and ensure further coordination as well as necessary resources to transport them to Lviv. Thereby structures are used, which already existed before the war.
Yoga and Sport For Refugees
Yoga and Sports For Refugees aims to empower refugees through sports, integrating them into the community and improving their physical and mental health. The sports offered, which range from swimming courses to martial arts and yoga, are largely carried out and instructed by the refugees themselves. When people live in a camp, sometimes for years, this can have a catastrophic effect on their mental and physical health. Sports activities, ranging from swimming courses to martial arts and yoga, can play a decisive role in counteracting it. The sports activities of Yoga and Sports for Refugees additionally break down ethnic and religious barriers and create a meeting point and cooperation between cultures.
Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario
The Aita Mari is a rescue ship operated by the Basque NGO Salvamento Maritimo Humanitario (SMH). The Aita Mari has recently completed modifications to adapt to Italian requirements and is now operational again to rescue people fleeing war and violence in their countries of origin. The ship has space for 120 people on deck and is equipped with a small clinic, as well as a rescue and medical crew.
Projekt Armonia
Project Armonia was founded in April 2019 and is registered in both Switzerland and Greece. The goal of the organization is to provide refugees and asylum seekers with essential food that is basic for humans, but is yet often denied to them due to the humanitarian crisis. Project Armonia is currently located on the Greek island of Samos, where they run a free restaurant, mostly run by refugees themselves, providing additional food to refugees there. The restaurant offers them a safe, comfortable place to eat and escape for a moment the inhumane conditions they are forced to live in. Project Armonia is the only NGO on Samos that operates an official restaurant for and with refugees, despite challenges and prejudices from locals and local authorities. Since its opening in 2019, it has already served over 126,000 meals and cooks for around 1,000 people every day.
Just Action – Samos
On the Greek island of Samos, refugees are completely isolated from the villages and towns of the island: high security fences, surveillance cameras and security forces turn the place into a prison. Since April 2020, Just Action activists' free food supermarket on the Greek island of Samos has been supporting the local, as well as the refugee community with food packages and hygiene items. In addition to the food parcels and hygiene items, Just Action Samos volunteers cover the cost of the bus tickets that the refugees need to get from the camp to the food distribution. The goal is to ensure food security for all those in need on the island, while building more resilient structures to ensure future access to food for all people on Samos.
WIR – Water Is Right
The supply of clean water is the very basis of life. But in more and more countries, global crises and the climate crisis are making a water supply increasingly difficult to obtain. The Water is Right Foundation supports the realization of the right to clean and abundant water and adequate sanitation and hygiene - in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Donations ensure reliable access to clean and adequate water for more than 250,000 people in Haiti and on the African continent.
Exhibition Remember Moria
Our LNOB warehouse on Lesvos was transformed into an event center for the #RememberMoria exhibition. The exhibition was meant to commemorate the night when Camp Moria burned down completely and more than 14,000 people lost their last belongings and were forced onto the streets where they had to hold out for more than 14 days without sanitation or medical care. We wanted to remember a place that was called "the shame of Europe".
School of Peace
The international School of Peace for children and adults on Lesvos offers the people in the camp the opportunity to take English courses and other school subjects. In addition, the School of Peace offers its younger students a special curriculum for adolescents, where they have the opportunity to learn everyday skills and abilities. The goal is to develop the students' self-confidence, academic performance and social skills. They are taught by teachers who are also refugees living in the camp. The school also promotes their experience, creativity and demonstrates self-confidence within the community. This serves as the main goal of the School of Peace: to strengthen people's self-confidence and assertiveness, to inspire them and to help them shape their lives in a positive way. Since the beginning in 2017, over 5000 students have attended courses of the School of Peace.
Community Center Lesvos
Our Community Center on Lesvos has become a versatile center and popular place in the immediate vicinity of the camp. In order to give the residents in the camp the possibility to do their laundry, six washing machines and twelve dryers were purchased. Thus, among other things, the anti-scratch mite program is supported on site. In addition, there are many other services such as a women's space, a kindergarten, and a distribution center where donations in kind in the form of clothing and hygiene items are distributed to the camp residents. There is also a gamer space and lounge area.
Boat Theater Group
People sometimes live for years in refugee camps without any perspective and under the most precarious circumstances. In order to confront the lack of hope and perspective, a group of refugees on Lesvos founded the "Boat Theater Group". 14 people come together regularly in this group to develop creatively and rehearse. In August 2021, the group performed their play for 10 days at the LeaveNoOneBehind Warehouse next to the camp, creating a place of encounter and art alongside the horror of the camp. In the meantime, the project has moved to Athens.
ReFOCUS Media Labs
ReFOCUS Media Labs aims to create a global network of media labs to enable global reporting. Lack of hope and perspective is an ordeal for people stuck in camps and on the move. At the same time, they are increasingly sealed off: journalists and photographers, for example, are no longer allowed to take pictures from the newly established camp on Lesvos, and the Polish-Belarusian border has been completely sealed off. Through media training, ReFOCUS Media Lab offers people on the move the opportunity to produce their own images - and thus not only circumvent the censorship imposed by the access restrictions for journalists, but also to communicate in a self-determined manner. In response to Russia's large-scale war of aggression on Ukraine, the activists have set up another lab in Kraków and give media training to Ukrainian refugees.
Vitsche
Vitsche is an association of young Ukrainians in Germany. Vitsche organizes protests, cultural and educational events, helps refugees and organizes humanitarian aid for Ukraine. By providing funding, it was possible, for example, to realize a joint peace march with the Syrian community.
Healthbridge Medical Organization
Healthbridge Medical has spent the last year filling gaps in care on the ground in Lesvos - whether it's providing medical care during emergency shifts, offering medical translation services at multiple locations, or managing complex medical cases. Healthbridge Medical has tried to find ways how to complement the work of other NGOs that also provide medical care. With over two dozen refugees working on their team, it gives them a unique perspective on the needs of people on the move. Rather than telling refugees what they need to do to feel better, they do their best to connect them to the very resources that make things better. This may include connecting them to existing resources or meeting medical needs that are otherwise unavailable, such as MRIs, CT scans, and complex blood tests. As the situation changes and new barriers arise, they want to continue to try to make this part of the journey as humane as possible.
Rapid Aid Liaison Group
Launched in direct response to the Russian war of aggression, the Rapid Aid Liaison Group provides solutions to medical problems. For example, it provides coordination and logistics, places volunteer medical professionals, and creates digital consultation services. The donation enabled Ukrainian surgeons to stay and train in Heidelberg in order to learn new microsurgical procedures.
SOS Balkanroute
For years, the situation of people fleeing across the so-called Balkan route has been getting worse and worse. Closed borders, illegal and violent pushbacks, as well as completely inadequate conditions in the Bosnian camps deprive the protection seekers of their rights and often put them in life-threatening situations. SOS Balkanroute is committed to helping people who have almost completely disappeared from the news and has been organizing collection drives and donation transports along the Balkan route since 2019. They also provide medical care and have built up a network of helpers along the Balkan route.
We become active where states fail to act. But only with your support!
With our work we put pressure on German politics to take responsibility and finally change something! Your donations will be used for the #LeaveNoOneBehind campaign: For our own projects, as well as for funded projects and organizations that provide urgently needed support at the EU’s external borders and refugee routes.