501(c)(3) nonprofit · EIN 45-1332992 · Tax-deductible in the U.S. Candid profile ↗ · 636-236-9223
Since 2007 · Rural Zambia

No child should walk miles for a pencil.

We grew up in Zambia counting pencils. Now we send them home with clinic supplies and computers. Every gift also lays a brick in the first solar-powered hospital our villages will have.

Lay a brick today Watch our story unfold

Give where it matters

Straight to rural Zambian schools, clinics and the hospital fund.

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ONE DREAM

Foundation

Promoting the value of giving

Our promise

Every human being is worth the same.

That one belief has guided every pencil, every glove and every brick since 2007.

0Years of giving, since two Zambians started One Dream in March 2007
0Lubwe Radio Mix app downloads, each one a brick for the hospital
0Programs: schools, clinics, computers, albinism support, girls' education, ambassadors & crafts
0Inklusive Kulture music releases where every purchase helps build the hospital
100,000+ bricks laidGoal: 1,000,000 downloads to break ground on the hospital

10% of the way there. Every Lubwe Radio Mix download, song and gift moves this bar. Figures self-reported on our Candid profile.

Our story

From a one-dollar pencil to a hospital.

01 — THE PENCIL

It started with what we didn't have.

Betty and Oliver grew up in Zambia with single parents. After Betty's father passed, her family moved to a village far from the nearest school.

A pencil can decide whether a child shows up to class.

02 — THE SHIPMENTS

Then we found pencils for almost nothing.

In an American dollar store, we saw what a dollar could do back home. We started shipping supplies to rural schools, and never stopped.

In March 2007 we made it official: One Dream Foundation.

03 — THE LOSS

Supplies weren't enough.

A young relative's baby died while being carried to a clinic too far away. Clinic supplies became part of our work, and the dream got bigger.

Distance shouldn't decide who lives.

04 — THE DREAM

So we're building it ourselves.

A solar-powered hospital, a world-class university and a tropical disease research center, all in Zambia and for Zambia.

Help build it
Our journey

19 years. One dream.

From a box of pencils in 2007 to a hospital on the horizon. Drag, swipe or use the arrows.

March 2007

One Dream is born

Betty Phiri Chibwe and Oliver Chibwe start One Dream Foundation in Missouri to promote the value of giving to humanity.

2011

A board takes shape

Oliver and Betty begin serving as board co-chairs, guiding the work from St. Louis to Zambia.

Dec 22, 2012

Our first annual fundraiser

“A Night of Fashion & Beauty,” presented by VuVu Stone Collection, kicks off our yearly fundraising.

September 2014

Boxes for Zambia

Volunteers pack and load books, clothes and supplies bound for rural Zambian schools.

November 2014

Supplies reach the children

Pencils, crayons and smiles in rural Zambia: the reason we do this.

November 2014

A gala for the dream

Music, chitenge and a silent auction at Better Family Life in St. Louis.

2015

One download = one brick

The Lubwe Radio Mix app launches at $1.99, every download a brick for the hospital, and our charity store opens.

2016

Officially a 501(c)(3)

The IRS ruling makes every gift to One Dream tax-deductible in the U.S.

2018

Brick 4 Change

Brick 4 Change and the Good Ambassador Program rally public figures, companies and friends behind the hospital.

2018

On TV with STL Moms

Walk 4 Africa is featured on local TV, inviting St. Louis families to walk for a hospital.

May 2019

Walk 4 Africa

Families, kids and the Maryland Heights Fire District walk together for Zambia.

June 2019

A sea of red shirts

One park, one photo, one dream. Our biggest Walk 4 Africa family yet.

Sept 1, 2022

Music with a mission

Inklusive Kulture releases “In The Rain.” Proceeds help build the hospital.

Feb 14, 2024

“Gimme Your Love”

A Valentine's release on 150+ streaming services for the hospital fundraiser.

2026

100,000+ bricks and counting

Over 100,000 app downloads, 8 music releases in the new store, and a new website. Next stop: 1,000,000 bricks and groundbreaking.

Moments

Faces of the One Dream Nation.

From village classrooms in Zambia to red shirts in St. Louis. Tap any photo to see it larger.

Why it matters

Because one dream changes everything.

What we do today

Small things that change a whole school year.

Classrooms

Books, calculators, pens and pencils, plus support for outstanding teachers.

Rural clinics

Gloves, disinfectant and gauze, plus basic health education for families.

Computers

Used computers for village schools, with volunteers who teach the basics.

Sports

Soccer balls, shoes, jerseys and bags, because every kid deserves to play.

Albinism support

Sunscreen, long-sleeved shirts, hats and sunglasses for people with albinism, who face stigma and danger.

Women's crafts store

Crafts made by women in developing countries, with proceeds reinvested in health, education and tech.

The one dream

What we're building in Zambia.

No mother should carry her baby for miles to reach a clinic. No gifted student should have to leave home for a world-class education.

Solar-powered hospital

Clean, reliable power for round-the-clock care, close to the villages that need it most.

A world-class university

An Ivy League-style university so Zambia's brightest can learn, lead and stay.

Tropical disease research

A research center tackling the diseases that hit the region hardest, led by the people who live there.

Brick 4 Change

Lay a brick. Literally.

Every gift, every Lubwe Radio Mix download and every Inklusive Kulture song is a brick in the hospital wall. 100,000+ laid, 1,000,000 to break ground. Each lit brick here is about 7,000 real ones.

Add my brick
Ways to give

More than one way to build a dream.

♥

Give monthly

Steady gifts let us plan shipments ahead. Pause or cancel anytime.

Join monthly givers →
🎶

Buy music that builds

Every Inklusive Kulture song you buy helps build the hospital.

Visit the store ↗
📻

Lubwe Radio Mix app

24/7 world music. Each download is a brick toward the hospital.

Get the app ↗
🎂

Give your birthday

Ask friends for bricks instead of gifts. We'll help you set it up.

Start a fundraiser →
📦

Donate supplies

Books, calculators, sports gear, clinic supplies and used computers.

Arrange a drop-off →
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Matching gifts

Your employer may double your gift.

Thousands of companies match employee donations. Type your employer's name to get the steps and the details you'll need.

Is my donation tax-deductible?

Yes. One Dream Foundation is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 45-1332992), so gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Where does my money go?

73% of spending goes to programs and projects, 10% to fundraising and 9% to administration.

Can I give monthly and cancel later?

Yes. Monthly gifts are handled securely by PayPal, and you can change or cancel them anytime.

How close is the hospital?

Over 100,000 Lubwe Radio Mix downloads so far. Our goal is 1,000,000 downloads to break ground on a solar-powered hospital in Zambia.

Who leads One Dream?

Co-chairs Oliver Chibwe and Betty Phiri, with board members Dr. German L. Matthew, Mubanga Chanda, Joan Chuzu and Irene Silavwe Mushinge (as listed on our Candid profile).

How do I donate supplies or computers?

Call 636-236-9223 and we'll arrange the details for shipping to rural Zambian schools and clinics.

Get involved

Be an agent of positive change.

Event · St. Louis

Walk 4 Africa

Put on the red shirt and walk with St. Louis families to raise money for a hospital in Zambia. Bring your team.

 Program · Anywhere

Good Ambassador Program

Give your Time, Influence and Talent. We'll send you official materials to share.

 Volunteer · Remote & STL

Volunteer

Pack supplies, run events, teach computer skills, design or translate.
Fundraise for One Dream

Your birthday. Your walk. Your bricks.

Make your own fundraising page in two minutes and invite friends to give instead of gifts. We'll cheer you on and update your progress.

Start a fundraiser
  • 🎂 Birthdays & anniversaries
  • 👟 Walk 4 Africa teams
  • 🕊️ In memory of a loved one
  • 🏃 Runs, rides & challenges
For companies

Build something that lasts, together.

Partner with One Dream to give your team and customers a cause they can see grow.

Sponsor a project

Fund a classroom kit, a clinic shipment or a wing of the hospital.

Cause marketing

Point-of-sale round-ups and product tie-ins that build bricks.

Workplace giving

Matching gifts, payroll giving and volunteer days.

Event sponsorship

Put your name on the Walk 4 Africa shirts and banners.

Talk to us about partnering
Oliver Chibwe, co-founder of One Dream Foundation
Oliver Chibwe
Betty Phiri Chibwe, co-founder of One Dream Foundation
Betty Phiri Chibwe
From our founders
It's more than a job. It's our calling. We'll keep building until every family in rural Zambia has care close enough to reach.
Betty Phiri Chibwe & Oliver Chibwe, co-founders
Watch & listen

Stories from the One Dream Nation.

▶ Video

Help build a hospital with an app

Every Lubwe Radio Mix download is a brick in the wall.

 ▶ As seen on TV

STL Moms: Walk 4 Africa

Raising money for a hospital in Zambia.

 ♫ Music

“In The Rain”

Inklusive Kulture · Every stream helps build the hospital.

Join the One Dream Nation

Field updates from Zambia, new releases and ways to help. Or call us at 636-236-9223.

Contact

Let's talk.

Questions about giving, volunteering, Walk 4 Africa, donating supplies or partnering? We read every message.

📞 636-236-9223

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