Blog — One Day's Wages

What Was USAID, and What Now?

USAID has made news headlines constantly over the last few months. You may find yourself wondering: what is USAID, and is One Day’s Wages affected by its dismantling? As a global development organization, we at ODW care deeply about the people who depend on foreign...

Growing Love, One Drop at a Time: How One Woman Turned Her Birthday into a Gift of Clean Water

When Sara, a graphic designer and mother from Oregon, started thinking about how to celebrate her birthday, she decided to do something different—something meaningful. With a belief that “we are all connected… with the power to affect change by how we live our own...

Bridging the Gap: An Update on Our Response to the Funding Freeze

In Matoh, Cameroon, a mother prepares to give birth. Life in a conflict zone means getting to a safe facility with trained health workers is nearly impossible. Fortunately, a new mobile clinic begins offering prenatal care and transportation to a birthing clinic,...

Why We Invest in Women

There’s an old Ghanaian proverb: “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a family.” On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate the power of women—how their resilience, leadership, and determination transform not...

The Case for Social Inclusion

Today is the World Day of Social Justice! Never heard of it? Never fear, we’re here to fill you in. In 2009, the United Nations General Assembly launched the World Day of Social Justice to recognize our on-going need for inclusive economic development and decent work...

From Captivity to Care: Supporting Cambodian Women in Crisis

In Cambodia, women facing unplanned pregnancies often experience severe stigma and isolation. Unlike in many Western countries, single mothers are frequently judged as promiscuous or morally corrupt. Many of these women come from vulnerable backgrounds, including...

The U.S. Foreign Aid Freeze: What It Means for our Grassroots Movement

From the beginning, One Day’s Wages has defined itself as a grassroots movement: all of our donations come from ordinary donors, and all of our program funding goes directly to local partners. We come alongside partners that design their own poverty-alleviation...

More Than Soap: A Hygiene Center Bringing Health and Opportunity to Bukamba

Indigenous ethnic groups in Rwanda, including the Batwa, face significant barriers to health and economic well-being. Traditionally living in the forests of central Africa, the Batwa were evicted in the 1970s to protect endangered gorillas and were relocated to...

Rowing for Change: How One Teen is Turning Cardio into a Force for Good

What if your daily workout could help change the world? For high school student John Zhang from Washington State, this isn’t just a hypothetical - it’s a mission. Through his unique fundraising initiative, John is using his passion for rowing to raise funds for...

ODW Updates, February 2025

February is often celebrated as a month of kindness — a time to express care and affection for those we love. This message feels especially meaningful to our team this year. The past few weeks have been particularly challenging for those of us in the humanitarian and...

Threads of Change: A Woman’s Bold Business in Post-Pandemic Congo

While the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) boasts a wealth of natural resources, 62% of Congolese live below the poverty line, and the country has endured decades of political instability. High unemployment rates fuel conflict, with youth frequently targeted by...

Impact Beyond Numbers

At One Day’s Wages, impact is one of our core values—and we believe it goes beyond the number of wells drilled, classrooms built, or farmers trained. It’s about long-term, sustainable changes that shape communities for generations. As a movement committed to locally...

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