Our Story
At the top of a mountain, under the hot sun stands a tall eucalyptus tree. Under the tree sit children packed tightly together on stones, dusty earth beneath their feet, no protection from the afternoon heat. There are no desks or books. Yet every day the teacher carries in the one village blackboard and begins a new lesson. And every day the children arrive, some after walking for over two hours, eager to learn.
We imagined...
working alongside a country as deeply committed to their children's education as we are: Ethiopia.
In the beginning, community leaders and village elders gathered with imagine1day in a circle under the tree. They shared their vision for the school, committed land and labour. They promised to mobilize a group of parents and teachers, and we promised to train them to lead their new school towards self-sufficiency. We agreed we would learn together.
We imagined...
a global community where every interaction is an exchange of mutual learning and contribution.
An eight kilometer road up the mountain was built by the community to make way for the construction materials. Boulders along the dusty path were cleared by the villagers by hand, one kilometer at a time.
We imagined...
every person giving with passion and creativity and having fun every step of the way.
In different corners of the world, you began to give: through online clicks, live-art shows, cycling adventures, chic soirees, corporate challenges, drum circles, water walks and an endless list of inventive CreatributionsTM. With a new currency of giving we generated one chair, one chalkboard, one wall, one bucket of paint, and one tin roof at a time.
We imagined...
removing bureaucracy and having complete transparency and accountability.
You were with us the day we broke ground. You saw the entire community clearing the rock and rubble, the villagers mixing cement with water that other villagers walked back from the river in three trips each day. You imagined a school and saw it being built before your eyes. Online and in real-time, 100% of your contribution went directly to your project.
What started as an idea...
inspired the hearts of others and will continue to grow in great circles around the world.
You imagined a school being built, but could not have imagined how it would feel to be surrounded by an entire village, enveloped in dance, song and celebration; how it would feel to look into the bright eyes of children sitting at their new desks, the first in their families with the opportunity to read and write; and how it would feel to know that the school will be self-generating and that the impact of your investment will be felt for generations to come.
The best part of all...
is that the story is just beginning.
When Chip and Shannon Wilson endowed imagine1day, they imagined an organization that directly educated impoverished communities without corruption or loss of funds. They imagined an organization that focused on developing people and elevating communities around the world. They imagined a new generation of African leaders and a new era of prosperity. They created imagine1day with fun as its most important core value.