– Melina, have you studied social entrepreneurship?
– No, my first studies were in philosophy and then I made a shift towards marketing and communications, and I worked in this sector for several years. It had little to do with social economy, I offered my help to many non-profit organizations, but I did not think this could be my next professional step. The truth is that I became conscious that what we intended to create was a social enterprise after 6 months of work on the project. I had no idea that this term even existed and when I read it in a book, I said “Eureka”, because I realized it was what I was doing.
– How was Wise Greece started?
– Wise Greece is a child of the crisis. It began 5-6 years ago when Greece was in the headlines under the title “Grexit” or “Lazy Greeks”. On the other hand, Greece is a huge brand, well known far and wide. There is no one who does not know a Greek person or who has not heard anything about Greece. At that time, I noticed that small, individual efforts by producers with award-winning products and very nice packaging had gradually begun to emerge, but because most people turned their attention to bigger companies with faster development, they remained invisible. So, through Wise Greece, we wanted on the one hand to unite the small producers, and on the other hand to offer food to institutions, orphanages, soup kitchens and, generally, to people in need, since a significant percentage of the population is below the poverty line. Our aim is to tackle this problem in a sustainable way, while contributing to the development of a Greek branch, which was in great need of being promoted.
– Are there any products that you would highlight, apart from those already known abroad as Greek?
– In recent years, many innovative products, such as sugar-free spoon sweets or postcards with herbs on which you can just place a stamp and send anywhere in the world. Also luxury products, such as oil with flakes of edible gold in certain markets, as well as Greek coffee with orange zest, bergamot or mastic. There are many products that are not known to be produced in Greece and the truth is that the climate helps in making excellent products. People from abroad are interested in these goods and we are currently exporting to 8 countries.
– What is the social model under which you operate?
– The profit from the sale of the products involved in the Wise Greece movement is transformed into food, which we give to orphanages, soup kitchens and social grocery stores. So, on the one hand, by buying an excellent Greek product, the consumer helps a Greek producer to be viable, and on the other hand, they offer a meal to someone in need. So far we have been working with 100 producers; more than 2,500 products are involved in the Wise Greece movement and we have provided over 30-35 tons of food for institutions. The products we offer are bought from the producers and are items that the institutions are in great need of. Our goal is not to just offer food in quantity, but also products that are not considered as essentials or are expensive, such as oil, sweets and cookies. Furthermore, our purpose is not charity, but the emergence of a social problem and the invitation for somebody to participate in the solution in a fun way. That’s why our slogan is fun-food-social good.
– Have you always been aware of these issues or you did you become aware throughout your engagement with Wise Greece?
– I have always volunteered and offered my help in various entities, but I never imagined that such an activity could be viable and feasible. However, finally it is.
– How is such a social project set up?
– By burning the midnight oil and working without time limits, simultaneously with another job in my own case. Until your project reaches a specific level, you have no personal life, but there is no other way to do it. In addition, you should not be afraid of failure, especially at the beginning. And by the beginning I do not mean the first month but the first years. When your environment tells you that this is not going to work and it takes time for the first producer to become involved, telling you that this is crazy and it will not work, you think that what you are doing is wrong. And always when you attempt a new endeavour, you have failure in mind, you just do not let that thought swallow you. It is important to keep in mind that even if the business you have created fails, during this course you will have learned so much that you would not in any school or university.
– Several times our generation has been described as a lost generation. Do you think it is true?
– It is a lost generation, because we have come out of university to experience a crisis, which means lack of work, great difficulty in creating a family, and the future being sorely ominous. However, the positive sign of the crisis is that there has been a great mobilization and development of social entrepreneurship, because we have focused on social problems that we either did not see before or did not concern us. Yet when unemployment and lack of basic food is something that happens in your family and you personally experience, you have to get motivated and put your mind to work in a more creative direction, finding solutions.
– Have you noticed a change in Greek society in recent years?
– Of course. That is why I am optimistic. I believe we have made a shift towards what is true and we have learned to be more human. Surely we have a long way to go, but the first steps have been made.
