What We Do

Meaningful Work

How We Operate
to Transform Lives

1 BY ONE helps people make a start or recover from a downturn or contribute in a meaningful way to the community in which they live. We do so by providing financial help to individuals.

By donating to 1 BY ONE, those who feel like they can’t give a lot to charities because they don’t have a lot to give can actually make a real difference. Because of the discrepancy in currency values, the donations we make go a long way.

I have personally met each recipient and the funds are delivered into the hands of those who need it, without a middleman.

We find our beneficiaries through personal contact. We have trusted supporters in the home countries of people we serve who bring their needs to our attention. In order to avoid those who might take advantage of our generosity, we then travel to meet our prospective recipients and review their living conditions and assess their suitability for our program aid.

How We Have Helped

Helping Those Who Need Us Most

Helping with Housing

With climate change, weather around the world has gotten severe and unpredictable. When the rainy season literally blew the roof off of Maribeth’s grandmother’s home in the tropics of San Carlos City in the Philippines, the wood support structure also suffered damage. We built her a new house with a concrete block foundation and permanent roof that would not bow under the heavy rains.

Cost of the project: $1,600

Helping Orphans

We provided a laptop computer to Lyn, a volunteer for an orphanage in Manila so that she could do their accounting for them. We also provided a Christmas meal for orphans and staff.

Cost of the project: $650
Annual cost for the Christmas meal: $150

Helping Get to Work

Trae, a young woman from Limuru received a three-month contract to work in Nairobi for KOICA, a Korean agency. The cost of her commute was almost half of what they would pay her, so we covered that cost (well, a little over half; she insisted on contributing).

Cost of the project: $200

Helping Indigenous Tribes

We paid for a borehole to extract water for a traditional Masai tribe in the Mara. This was done with to the help of Dashanaba King, Queen Mother of Ghana, who is a sponsor of the tribal village.

Cost of the project: $125

Sasha's Salon: A Success Story

The salon BEFORE

The salon AFTER

KENYA: Sasha, a hairdresser in Nairobi, is developing a clientele and doing well in establishing herself and gaining a reputation. However, she has to either visit her clients at home or work in a stairwell because her apartment of 10 years is tiny (that's Sasha on our home page). However, the cost of rent in Nairobi is incredibly affordable, and a container where she can set up her trade goes for a little over $100/month. With a simple microgift of $1,400, Sasha got a year lease and established a self-sustaining business.

Herman's Sidewalk Storefront:
Success Story 2

KENYA: Herman had a small sidewalk storefront but couldn't buy and sell enough to generate consistent income for his family. With a microgift injection of $775, he was able to buy a more varied inventory and also pay to promote his shop. He gets increased traffic and sales have boomed, especially in the run up to the holiday season. (In case you were wondering, there are lock-ups where vendors can safely store their open-store items overnight or whenever the shop is closed.)