Impact
August highlights: multiplying impact through partnerships
How can a team of a few people deliver aid in Ukraine, support refugee children in the Netherlands, and continue recovery efforts in Morocco – all in the same month?
The answer is simple, yet powerful: partnerships – local and global.
Partnerships transform small initiatives into lasting change, connect local resources with global knowledge, and extend our reach far beyond borders. August reminded us that when communities, businesses, NGOs, and our volunteers join forces, impact multiplies. This impact report shows how.
Sharing the joy: our new website
Before diving in, we have exciting news to share: we launched a new website! This refreshed space brings our mission to life, making it easier to explore projects, find ways to get involved, and see how collective action creates real change.
The website features:
- Detailed project pages and field stories
- Voices from our partners and communities
- A refreshed visual brand
We timed the launch to celebrate World Humanitarian Day (19 August) and its call to strengthen global solidarity and empower local communities – values at the heart of our work.
You can also now meet our full team, with portraits beautifully captured by photographer Lidian van Megen, who generously volunteered her time and talent. Yes – even as a freelancer, you can get involved. Want to volunteer? We’d love to hear from you.
Relief for families in Ukraine
In August, 11,700 relief items from our warehouse arrived in Ukraine, supporting displaced families in conflict zones. Thanks to our strong partnership with Lifeline Ukraine, these supplies contributed to a milestone worth celebrating: Truck #100 – and counting.
Loaded with essentials, these trucks brought hope to families near the frontlines in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv.
We’re deeply grateful to Lifeline Ukraine for ensuring our aid reaches the hardest-hit communities, exactly where it’s needed most. This is how partnerships extend reach.
“Our partnership helped us reach the most vulnerable populations in rural areas of Ukraine effectively, which makes it really precious for us.” – Jeroen Ketting, Founder and Chairman of LifeLine Ukraine.
Learn more about our international response here.
People for People Days in Driehuis
This month, unaccompanied migrant children in Driehuis experienced another People for People Day – a day filled with joy, connection, and creativity.
Partnership was at the core:
- Goodera provided gardening kits, turning planting sessions into a metaphor for growth and belonging – allowing the boys to create something meaningful to brighten their rooms.
- Volunteers from Young Colfield ran activities, while De Combibrug powered sports from volleyball to archery.
- Graffiti and instant camera workshops encouraged self-expression, while shared meals featuring Syrian and Eritrean dishes celebrated cultural diversity.
As one boy shared: “I had an arduous journey fleeing home. A day like this offers me a new happy memory.”
These days remind us that creating impact through partnerships isn’t only about logistics or supplies – it’s also about sharing skills, time, and human connection.
“Back to school”: solidarity with displaced children
For many displaced children, “back to school” doesn’t mean fresh notebooks – but uncertainty. Some face long waiting lists or sudden relocations. Others arrive with almost nothing. And in crisis zones, classrooms may no longer exist at all.
That’s why our commitment to education is year-round. We support displaced children to access education by:
- Providing school supplies and digital tools
- Ensuring access to warm clothing in winter
- Creating safe learning spaces after crises
In Morocco’s Al Haouz province, where earthquakes destroyed classrooms in 2023, we installed educational units earlier this year. By August, local communities – supported by SOS Children’s Villages Morocco – were preparing them for remedial classes. In Ighil, one unit has even become a community library: a clear sign of how partnering for emergency response can grow into lasting impact.
Bridging the gap in humanitarian response
Our role often lies in listening and connecting: hearing urgent needs from partners caring for displaced people, then mobilising businesses and nonprofits to meet them.
In August, we:
- Responded to different needs of unaccompanied migrant children in the Netherlands
- Replenished our stock for international crisis response
- Received vital contributions from Picnic, Bol.com, HEMA and other local partners.
Partnerships like these ensure no gap goes unaddressed.
The power of collective action
August proved once again that collective action is the heartbeat of dignified humanitarian response. By partnering with businesses, NGOs, and individuals, we carried relief across Ukraine’s frontlines, created joyful moments for refugee children in the Netherlands, and advanced post-crisis recovery in Morocco.
When we join forces, our impact is greater than any team – large or small – could achieve alone.
Are you ready to be part of this mission? Join us today.
