On Dignity

Dignity. It’s one of our values at One Day’s Wages, and it’s core to everything we do.  The reason we exist as an organization is because we believe that every person matters, every story matters, every action matters.  

For us, dignity means that every person is created with inherent worth.  This concept is what drives our mission of alleviating extreme poverty.  Every human deserves to have the basic things they need to survive and thrive: food, water, health, safety, and opportunities to learn and contribute.  

The way we partner matters.  We come alongside grassroots organizations that actively engage their communities in identifying needs, designing projects, and determining their impact.  We don’t view people as passive beneficiaries, but as active participants in their own story.

The way we tell stories matters.  You won’t find stories and photos that evoke pity on our social media feed.  What we hope you’ll find is stories of strong, capable people working courageously toward the flourishing of their communities.

The way we raise funds matters.  We ask our community to give their one day’s wages because $5 matters as much as $5,000.  Every action has value because, as Desmond Tutu so beautifully put it: “…my humanity is caught up and is inextricably bound up in yours. I am human because I belong to the whole.”

This week one of our newest partners, the Berine and Bokwe Foundation, sent me a video celebrating the launch of the project that we’re supporting: a regenerative agriculture program with widowed women farmers in Cameroon.  The founder – herself a young widow – has the gift of recognizing the dignity of her neighbors.  In her darkest moments, Berine chose to believe in her worth and invest in others. 

I texted Berine when I got to the end of the video with a crying emoji and a heartfelt thank you.  She replied: thank you for believing me. 

So I pass that along to you: thank you for believing with us that every person matters.

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As Director of Global Impact, Daphne Hollinger Fowler identifies partners aligned with ODW’s values, supports partners throughout project implementation and reporting, and organizes opportunities for partners to share their expertise with each other.  Daphne has 18 years of experience in international development, food security, and grant management, including 7 years working overseas in Burkina Faso, Cambodia and Nepal.  Things that bring her joy include vegetable gardens, beautiful photos, good stories, and epic family adventures.  Daphne currently lives in Atlanta with her husband and 2 tween daughters.