Many thanks for your support, which meant we were able to complete the project successfully.You can see the impact of the donations for yourself in the video which has been produced. In the introduction you can find the video for the project.
Recycled cardboard briquettes for Samos
project summarySelf-manufactured heating briquettes, which require machines and labour, will help the people on Samos through the winter and help protect the environment. Due to inflation, they can no longer afford the heating costs. Support with a donation!
The inflation rising across the globe, which is also affecting Switzerland, is hitting the inhabitants of the Greek island of Samos particularly hard. Winters on the islands in the Mediterranean Sea are cold and many inhabitants will no longer be able to afford electricity and heating oil because of the high inflation. In order to heat, they will have to cut down trees - but this resource is also scarce in the area.
Ecological challenges
Samos cannot finance a waste incineration plant. Transporting it from the island to the mainland would also be far too expensive. The waste is therefore collected and buried in a makeshift way on a piece of land. Valuable resources such as plastic, glass or cardboard cannot be recycled in this way.
"Just Action" distributes food parcels twice a month to refugees and locals in need on Samos. The food is delivered in cardboard boxes that previously had to be thrown away. This material will be used to make briquettes. The briquettes will be distributed to poverty stricken locals who otherwise cannot afford the cost of heating fuel. The cardboard is reduced in size and soaked in water. Sawdust, which "Just Action" receives as a waste product from a local carpentry workshop, is mixed with the wet cardboard and then pressed into a mould. This squeezes out the water and the briquettes stick together. The heat on the island allows for the briquettes to be dried in the sun. The intention is to deliver as many briquettes as possible to the inhabitants in need on Samos the following winter.
In order to simplify the process of briquette production and to increase the production volume, equipment is necessary to facilitate the work. The following machines are to be procured as soon as possible with the donations. 1. Shredding machine:
Currently, the cardboard is shredded by hand. This is time-consuming and power-intensive. With a self-built shredding machine, the cardboard could be cut into small pieces more easily and quickly. 2. Cardboard press:
"Just Action" and its local partners can provide a large amount of cardboard. In order to store the mountains of cardboard in a limited space, they have to be pressed by a machine. 3. Briquette moulds
In order to produce a larger quantity of briquettes, more moulds are needed for pressing. Donations exceeding the target amount of CHF 5,000 will help the local team to hire additional workers. With a donation sum of CHF 10'000.- it is possible to finance two workers until winter. This way, production can be increased and more people can benefit from the project.
Nicole Grogg for "Just Action Samos" Background My name is Nicole Grogg. My name is Nicole Grogg. I work in the advertising industry and volunteer with the association "Volunteers for Humanity" for people who are fleeing. I have been connected with the island of Samos and its inhabitants since my early childhood - Samos is like a second home to me. The idea for the project came from the organisation "Just Action" and convinced me from the start. That's why I decided to collect the necessary funds to professionalise the project in my environment.
Final update, the project "Recycled cardboard briquettes for Samos" is a complete success!
With the donations, various machines could be purchased and the work processes optimized. You can find more information in the description and in the video.
Dear donors
In the fall, we were able to collectively raise enough donations to give Just Action's project a solid foundation for further expansion.
In November, I visited the organization on Samos to see the progress of the project by myself. What I was able to experience on site made me very happy.
The urgently needed machines were purchased and two new team members were hired. The new shredder machine is so efficient that a cardboard press is no longer necessary - what a success! But see yourself what Vasilis from Just Action has to say.
Also on behalf of Just Action, I would like to thank everyone once again. Now we wish you a nice and peaceful Christmas time.
Kind regards
Nicole and the team of Just Action.
A big thank you from Samos!
We have made it! Thanks to your great support more than 10'000 CHF can be donated for the briquette project on Samos.
We are speechless, as of the end of September we have reached the ambitious donation goal of CHF 10'000. Many thanks to all supporters for their contribution from me and also from the team from Samos!
Together we have built the foundation for this project to become self-sustaining in the long run.
The first machine has already been built and makes the pressing of the briquettes much easier. The shredder machine, the cardboard press as well as an additional device for filtering out the ink (no harmful substances should remain from the printing) are currently being built in Athens and will be delivered to Samos as soon as possible. We expect that the various machines will take up about half of the donations. With the other half, there will be someone employed as soon as possible to drive the project forward full time. But already now the whole team of Just Action is committed to prepare as many briquettes as possible for the winter. So a special thank you also goes out to the team at Just Action.
We are almost there - you guys are great!
Thanks to your help, our goal of CHF 10,000 is within reach, help us on the last metres.
Wow, I am overwhelmed. In less than a week we were able to reach the first fundraising target of CHF 5,000 and we were able to raise the target number to CHF 8,000. I am delighted, thank you so much for all your support!
The target for the collection was CHF 10,000 from the beginning. But since the donation platform works according to the "all or nothing" principle, we started cautiously. This is because if the target was not reached in the end, the project would fail. Therefore, I ask you to promote the project in your environment so that we can reach the CHF 10,000 target as soon as possible.
Parallel to the collection, I am in contact with Just Action regarding the machines to be built or bought in Athens. August is the holiday month in Athens and many things are more or less standing still. Therefore, we have to be patient for an update.
Julia Staub
50 CHF
Ursula Schär
100 CHF
Marion Kaufmann
100 CHF
Anonymous
100 CHF
Nicole Zumkeller
200 CHF
Stella Tenger
50 CHF
Anonymous
50 CHF
Gredy Grogg
100 CHF
Marianne Jörg
300 CHF
Corina Carabelli
50 CHF
Alice Blaser
400 CHF
Ursula Schär
100 CHF
Claudio Corsi
300 CHF
Anonymous
50 CHF
Claudia Steiner
50 CHF
Rudolf und Christa Gerber-Fürst
100 CHF
N&M
200 CHF
Doris Kappeler
100 CHF
Anonymous
50 CHF
Panagiotis Konstantakis
100 CHF
Studio Eleni
200 CHF
Martin Schmidt
100 CHF
Adrian Schoch
500 CHF
Dragan Mitrovic
100 CHF
Stefan Parathazham
50 CHF
Claudia Jud
100 CHF
Sabine Diggelmann
50 CHF
Christine Grogg
200 CHF
Yvonne Siegenthaler
50 CHF
Renato und Brigitta Braun
100 CHF
Anonymous
100 CHF
Anonymous
50 CHF
Walter Urwyler
500 CHF
Anonymous
50 CHF
Heidi Gut
100 CHF
Richard Gut
100 CHF
Barbara Schmidt
100 CHF
Andrea Boutellier
50 CHF
Anonymous
50 CHF
Thomas Staffelbach
50 CHF
Thomas Pfeiffer
50 CHF
Anonymous
50 CHF
Anonymous
25 CHF
House of Communication
2'500 CHF
Anne-Marie Senn
100 CHF
Rita Frey
100 CHF
Vermittelt durch Swisscom
155 CHF
Gabriela Oberson
205 CHF
Anonymous
150 CHF
Anonymous
100 CHF
Reinhard Roth
90 CHF
Johanna + Toni Frauenfelder
100 CHF
Karin Egli
100 CHF
Reinhard Roth
100 CHF
Anonymous
25 CHF
Anonymous
1'000 CHF
Silvia Marti
200 CHF
Currently, there are still no project partners if you are interested, please contact us via info@there-for-you.com.
Status of the project
10'200,00 CHF
10'000,00 CHF
We will send the donation receipt (for Switzerland) in January of the following year.
The inhabitants of Samos are facing a big challenge this winter. Electricity and heating oil costs will no longer be affordable for the majority due to inflation. Wood will be used as a substitute, which in turn means that trees and bushes on the island will be cut down for this purpose and flora and fauna will suffer as a result. The project is intended to be a first step towards a recycling system on the island, which does not yet exist. Jobs will be created, local knowledge strengthened and fostered and heating facilities ensured.
