Distributing food in blue buckets to older people and families in vulnerable situations is at the heart of Dorcas’ Blue Bucket Campaign in Eastern Europe. However, the initiative is about more than just providing food: it also focuses on offering personal attention, restoring self-confidence and fostering stronger communities.

In addition to the annual Dorcas Food Campaign in the Netherlands, Dorcas runs a separate food initiative called the Blue Bucket Campaign. This campaign takes place each year in Moldova, Romania, Ukraine and Albania – countries where Dorcas operates in Eastern Europe.

Volunteers, churches and schools collect food in blue buckets for older people and families in vulnerable circumstances. The buckets primarily contain non-perishable items such as oil, flour, and beans, though local fresh produce is often included too.

Attention and appreciation

For many of those who receive the buckets, the food provides a welcome addition to what little they have. However, distributing food involves much more than just handing over supplies. Volunteers who deliver the buckets take the time to chat, offering personal attention that makes older people feel seen and valued. These interactions restore dignity and offer renewed hope for the days ahead.

A snowball effect

The Blue Bucket Campaign has been running in Romania since 2009. Food and monetary donations are collected from supermarkets and other locations.

‘Our campaign grows every year. It truly has a snowball effect. Last year, we almost doubled our efforts, collecting an impressive 5,860 buckets of food,’ explains Mihai Coste, Programme Coordinator at Dorcas Romania.

‘This year, we aim to expand the campaign further. We are seeking to engage more partners and have established a volunteer committee to coordinate the initiative here in Cluj, where our office is located. By involving additional stakeholders, we can reach and assist even more people.’

A social safety net

The Blue Bucket Campaign has a significant impact on communities. It raises awareness of the difficult living conditions often faced by the older generation. It encourages people to look out for one another and offer support to those in need.

Mihai adds: ‘We strive to involve as many community members as possible. We collaborate with churches, volunteers, local development organisations and businesses. Through this approach, we aim to build stronger communities. Ultimately, this creates a social safety net within the community itself, reducing long-term dependency on our assistance.’

> Find out more about the Blue Bucket Campaign <

At Dorcas, we believe in creating lasting change by enabling communities to become self-sufficient. One of the key ways we achieve this is by developing social enterprises: businesses that exist to generate income and achieve a clear social mission. Designed to address pressing societal challenges, these enterprises operate on sound business principles. They create jobs, provide training opportunities, and reinvest profits in community development. For Dorcas, social enterprises are a pathway to dignity, inclusion and long-term resilience. 

Social enterprises aim to solve social problems through entrepreneurial strategies, balancing economic sustainability with social impact. These businesses generate income through selling goods or services, and they often qualify for government subsidies, which enables them to sustain their operations and expand their impact. 

The Fairytale Oven

Cuptorul de basm (The Fairytale Oven) in Trușești, Romania, is more than just a bakery. It is a prime example of a social enterprise that fosters inclusive employment, strengthens communities and promotes sustainable impact in rural areas. By providing training in bread production, marketing and basic business skills, it supports participants to build confidence and gain valuable professional experience. Dorcas Romania has played a pivotal role in supporting this enterprise by providing financial investment, expertise in social economy development and capacity building for the local association. 

Understanding social farming

Another example of a social enterprise is Dorcas’s work in social farming. Social farming involves using agricultural resources, such as plants and animals, to provide health, social and educational services to groups in vulnerable circumstances. These groups include individuals with mental or physical health needs, those facing social exclusion, long-term unemployment or addiction recovery. Unlike clinical settings, social farms offer a natural, non-institutional environment where people can engage in meaningful work, build self-esteem and improve their well-being. 

Activities on social farms can include animal care, vegetable cultivation, fence maintenance and food production. Often run by family farmers in partnership with care providers, these farms offer flexible, community-based alternatives to institutional care. Financing comes from a combination of product sales, government subsidies and payments from care organisations for services provided. 

Dorcas’ strategic approach 

Dorcas implemented social enterprises in Romania, Moldova and Albania. These initiatives support people in vulnerable circumstances and provide farmers and the bakery with additional income streams and a sense of purpose. The benefits extend beyond the individual to the wider community, fostering inclusion, reducing stigma and strengthening local economies. Our broader vision is to transition from providing assistance to promoting sustainable, locally driven initiatives. This involves supporting our partners and community organisations so they can become self-sufficient. By adopting social enterprise models, these organisations can generate their own income and, in some cases, qualify for government funding. 

In essence, social enterprises are not just projects; they are movements. They represent a shift in how we think about development, moving from dependency to dignity and from giving to growing. 

1 October is the UN International Day of Older People, and one of its aims is to ensure that people can grow old with dignity and continue to participate in society. In the countries where Dorcas works, older persons are often marginalised, lack access to basic services and struggle to survive on meagre incomes. With its community safety net programme, Dorcas tackles these issues by enabling local communities to care for and protect their older people. 

What are community safety nets? 

Dorcas started to develop and implement the community safety nets (CSN) approach in 2017. A community safety net (CSN) mobilises different organisations in a community to provide a safe and supportive environment for older people in which they can flourish. It also raises awareness about the issues older people face.  

‘I have a large number of people to talk to now, and I feel like a human. I am back to normal.‘ – Quote from a project participant.

Evaluation of the CSN approach 

This year, Dorcas commissioned an evaluation of its CSN projects in Albania, Egypt, Ethiopia, Moldova, Romania, Tanzania and Ukraine to discover the impact of the programme and which best practices can be implemented to make it more sustainable.  

Older people’s dignity restored 

The dignity of older people is restored through the wide range of social, intergenerational, income-generating and spiritual activities that CSNs offer. Participants become more active in their local communities and feel valued. Less able-bodied participants are not forgotten either: those who are bedridden receive home visits. Valuable traditions are created, social cohesion is strengthened, and communities discover that they can do more than they originally realised to enable older people to flourish. 

‘CSN taught us how to cook healthy food.‘ – Quote from a project participant.

Challenges encountered 

However, the transition from Dorcas’ original Adopt-a-Granny approach to sustainable community safety nets that make full use of local resources is not a straightforward path. There have been many challenges along the way for example:  

Best practices?  

The various CSN projects are still in a state of transition. As a result, no clear set of best practices has emerged from the evaluation. However, various successful practices were found, such as actively involving participants, churches as natural allies in caring for older people, creating a shared and diverse ownership of a CSN, and holding governments accountable. 

‘Peer-to-peer and social support systems are gaining traction. What began with volunteers inviting attendees has flourished into a self-sustaining cycle where attendees extend the invitation to their friends. This exemplifies the power of social support in fostering a safe and inclusive community.‘ – Actor from Egypt 

Next steps for CSNs 

The evaluation report made various recommendations about the next steps for CSNs. These include:  

In the coming months, the Dorcas country offices in Albania, Egypt, Ethiopia, Moldova, Romania, Tanzania and Ukraine will use the evaluation to take appropriate measures to improve the sustainability and impact of their CSN projects. 

Curious to learn more? Read the evaluation report below:

Dorcas Evaluation report on community safety net approachDownload

ALMERE/NIJKERK – Eastern Europe lacks a stimulating business climate, hindering entrepreneurs in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from developing their businesses. Obtaining loans is complex and very costly. Moreover, specific knowledge, such as expertise in export, is not accessible to smaller entrepreneurs. These factors prevent otherwise successful companies from growing into solid SME enterprises. The Dutch foundations Dorcas and Kom over en help aim to offer entrepreneurs a new growth perspective through the investment company SharInvest, which they have jointly established.

SharInvest connects investors in the Netherlands with entrepreneurs in Eastern Europe. This initiative focuses not on startups but on established companies with growth potential. This growth aligns a healthy financial return with social impact. To qualify for an investment from SharInvest, companies must demonstrably contribute positively to the local community, for example, by creating jobs for people with fewer employment prospects. Investors in the Netherlands provide not only financial input but also knowledge and access to their networks to Eastern European entrepreneurs.

SharInvest offers Dutch investors a return that consists of social impact on local communities and a modest financial return. Dorcas and Kom over en help, the initiators, have been active in Eastern Europe for decades and possess extensive knowledge of the local (business) culture and social structure. Both foundations also have a large network and contacts with local churches, social organisations, and governments.

Several Dutch entrepreneurs are involved in the establishment of SharInvest. Over the coming years, the investment company aims to grow significantly to give a positive boost to local communities and increase the self-reliance of individuals. Investing in SharInvest is possible starting from €100,000.

Go to website SharInvest

About SharInvest

SharInvest invests in local small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging countries in Eastern Europe. The investment company is a driving force behind growth and sustainability by contributing to access to finance, knowledge, markets, and relevant networks. Through this, SharInvest invests in tangible and sustainable impact in Eastern Europe.

Arendje is a thematic expert on Community Safety Nets at Dorcas. She is also one of the driving forces behind CPOE, a network of Christian humanitarian assistance organisations and other NGOs operating in Eastern Europe.  

Arendje: ‘In Eastern Europe, numerous Christian NGOs are active. Some organisations specialise in specific areas, working within a niche, while others engage in various activities. Several years ago, CPOE was established by larger organisations, including Dorcas. CPOE aims to connect both large and small Christian organisations to share knowledge and expertise, provide a platform for networking, enhance external visibility, and serve as a catalyst for joint projects. This approach has proven effective: organisations previously unaware of each other’s existence are now collaborating.’ 

‘As CPOE, we can assist more participants in strengthening their capacities and train our members on current topics such as project cycle management, agriculture, and the history of the Roma in Eastern Europe. From Dorcas, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience that supports others in their work and opens doors to additional knowledge partners. We are eager to witness positive change in Eastern Europe, and CPOE can contribute to that goal. A while ago, we, along with nineteen organisations, wrote a letter to informer Ronald Plasterk, drawing attention to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. We could make a collective impact that individual organisations could not have achieved alone. Together we are joining forces for a flourishing Eastern Europe.’ 

Conference 
‘As CPOE, our goal is to connect people. Therefore, we are organising a conference in Romania in June, bringing together participants from the network. During this engaging conference, we will focus on interaction and knowledge-sharing, taking time to truly listen to each other’s stories and experiences.’ 

‘Lectures will cover topics such as human trafficking, Roma issues, working methodologies, and economic development. I am proud that we, as CPOE, can organise this conference and look forward to a rewarding time.’ 

For more information about the CPOE conference, please visit: Conference Eastern Europe 2024 – Prisma (prismaweb.org) 

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘢𝘴’ 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘯. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦. Human Rights: Contributing to a just society – Dorcas

Each year on the first of October, we celebrate the international day of older persons. This is an important international day for Dorcas, as we focus on supporting marginalised people and communities and older people are often marginalised and their rights neglected. They often have little income and limited access to health care and social security. In addition to that, they face discrimination and stigmatisation based on cultural norms and social prejudices, like ageism. 

According to the United Nations, the number of people aged over 65 is expected to more than double from 761 million in 2021 to 1.6 billion in 2050. The number of people over 80 years old is projected to grow even faster. These numbers increase the urgency of taking the unique set of challenges older people face seriously. In this article we elaborate further on why older people require more of our attention and share some recommendations on how you can include them in your programme.  

Lack of income and social protection 

Dorcas has community safety nets programmes for older people in seven countries: Albania, Egypt, Ethiopia, Moldova, Romania, Tanzania and Ukraine. A main problem in these countries is that older people often have little income and that pensions are so low that they are hardly sufficient for covering their daily needs. Insufficient pensions put them in a much greater risk to external shocks as they have less margin to absorb these financially. In Ukraine for example, many older people who were already marginalised have been affected greatly by the ongoing conflict that led to a massive increase in inflation. Their already challenging socio-economic position has therefore become even more dire. Our local colleagues see that older people in Moldova will often accept poor paid jobs in order to survive. All in all, the lack of social protection causes many problems for older people in the countries Dorcas works in. This must become more of a priority for civil society organisations and government actors in the coming years, as the number of older people is rapidly increasing. 

Loneliness and stigmas 

Another major issue that older people face, is loneliness and isolation. In Albania, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine for example, many older people either have no family to support them or their families moved to the cities or abroad. In Egypt, local Dorcas colleagues have experienced that older people are also often neglected by their families. Next to the practical and financial needs, this is one of the most pressing issues. Loneliness greatly affects their well-being. Older people need connection, community and the opportunity to contribute. 

Another reason why older people require our attention, is because of the challenging stigmas and prejudices they face. In Egypt, this is a major issue. There is a stigma that older people’s duty has ended, they are solely recipients of care and are no longer productive. Supporting older people and inviting them to participate in certain activities may therefor lead to opposition in certain contexts.  

Seven ways to include older people in your program

Dorcas supports older people through our community safety nets programme. In this programme, the community plays a central role in making sure people have access to the support structures they need. There are different types of community safety nets, depending on the level on which actors are involved, and a mix of different types is needed to meet the different needs of older people.  

One of the participants in this programme, is Moges from Ethiopia. Before joining the programme five years ago, Moges did not have the means to get enough to eat or pay for medical treatment. He would only eat one meal a day. His house was in very bad shape, as the back wall and roof of his house were falling apart. When Moges joined the Dorcas programme, his life has changed drastically. He is now able to eat three times a day, he gets medical treatment, his house was renovated, he actively participates in the programmes social gatherings and has made many new friends.  

Dorcas supports older people by building a social safety net around them, so that the community increasingly looks after them. We encourage different groups in the community to use their resources to support and involve them in the community. We also advocate for the rights of older people among government actors and encourage to governments to improve the social security services. 

Dorcas has seven recommendations for (I)NGO’s and other actors who are involved in contexts where older people are marginalised, in order to better protect their rights:  

Last July, Jochem Duinhof, political advisor at Dorcas, visited the Dorcas offices and community safety nets programmes in Moldova and Romania. Jochem elaborates on the challenges older people face in Moldova and Romania and how the support of the community equips them to overcome these challenges and build meaningful relationships.  

Community safety nets 

In situations where people are marginalised, safety nets are needed to support them. In a community safety net, the community plays a prominent role in making sure people have access to the support structures they require. Community safety nets are formed by multiple community actors, such as churches or volunteer organisations, and complement the social protection that is provided by the government. The community safety nets programmes of Dorcas Moldova and Romania focus on supporting older people, as they are often marginalised and excluded. A community safety nets programme for older people respond to the different needs they have, such as: a cooking club for fellowship, a social club to decrease isolation or groups that undertake income-generating activities together.  

Jochem: Older people in Moldova and Romania face some major challenges. Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, the gas prices have risen tremendously. They already had to make tough financial choices in the winter and now the situation has become even more dire. They often don’t have enough money at the end of the month to buy food and medicine. One of the ways they cope, is by buying preservable goods in the summer when they are cheaper. When winter comes, they chop their own wood or only heat one room in the house to safe costs. Older people also often face loneliness and isolation. Their children move away to work in the cities or abroad and it is more common that they send money back to support their children, not their parents.’ 

Jochem continues ‘What stood out to me when I visited the community safety nets programmes is what a big impact the role of the community has in the lives of older people. Their need to feel they are valued and belong is just as important as their financial needs. I spoke with several women in Moldova, who mentioned that the community helped them out of loneliness. They form friendships, visit each other outside of the organised meetings and help one another in whatever way they can. Doras contributes to a community environment in which all people, even the most marginalised, are seen and get opportunities to participate. Community structures become stronger as community members get more empowered. This is a big part of the work of Dorcas.’ 

Dorcas also supports older people through the community safety nets programmes by supplying food parcels every two months. Furthermore, Dorcus supplies seeds and materials for the cultivation of crops. The older people tend to a vegetable garden together and this supplies them with fresh produce to share among the community. There are also groups that make crafts together, which they sell. These activities increase their income, give them a great sense of achievement and it offers the opportunity to overcome some of the challenges they face together. 

About Dorcas’ community safety nets 

Community safety nets are part of our long-term objective to have an increased number of vulnerable people receive support through a community safety net. We aim to achieve inclusive social development of vulnerable people within empowered communities. The prime focus is mobilising and organising communities to take ownership of problems and work on opportunities in an asset-based way. Dorcas has community safety nets programmes in Albania, Egypt, Ethiopia, Moldova, Romania, Tanzania, and Ukraine. 

For the third time in a row Dorcas Moldova organised a food collection campaign. In a time where a lot of Moldovan struggle with high prices and a worsening health and economic situation, Dorcas Moldova still distributed more than 3,000 buckets full of food. Many people in Moldova are suffering and living under difficult circumstances, especially those without financial stability, who are suffering from an illness or simply have no ways to provide for their basic needs.

Dorcas Moldova organised food collections, in blue buckets, and offered these buckets to marginalised people, such as older persons and families living in difficult circumstances. In the context of the situation created by the pandemic, which led to isolation, fear, stress and concern about what’s coming, Dorcas Moldova continued to support people who struggle with difficulties every day, helping them look to the future with hope. A total of 3,278 families received a bucket full of food products during the Blue Bucket Campaign 2021 edition. This is the third year in a row that Dorcas Moldova is organising the Blue Bucket Campaign. In the first two editions of the campaign, more than 3,000 buckets full of food arrived in the homes of families facing difficulties or at risk.

The campaign team is deeply moved by the generosity of the people, and the results far exceeded expectations. For the 2021 edition, they wanted to support 1,500 families in need. The actual number of buckets that needed to be filled with food reached 3,278. But the “Blue Bucket” means more than just a bucket of food. It’s a way to show love and empathy for their neighbour through concrete deeds, to meet the needs of those in difficult circumstances. The Blue Bucket Campaign is a joint contribution to bring the joy of the winter holidays to the families of those who fight for existence every day.

On this occasion, Dorcas Moldova would like to thank everyone who contributed to these wonderful results: the local partners and churches, the team of teachers, students and parents from the private institutions and high schools, and the diaspora. Additionally, people donated money which resulted in 60 buckets of food for families with limited possibilities of existence. 

Dorcas Moldova also received great support from our International Office in the Netherlands.  Through our shared vision, we exchange knowledge and other resources. Together, we speak out against injustice. This is how we amplify our impact.