Harambee

“Harambee!” was first adopted by porters in eastern Kenya, who shouted it when they needed to work in unison to lift something heavy. The word took on new meaning in 1963, when Kenya gained its independence from British colonial rule. Invoking harambee in his early speeches, the country’s first President Jomo Kenyatta exhorted the Kenyan people to come together in a spirit of unity and patriotism to help the government build the new nation.

Under Kenyatta’s leadership and that of his successor Daniel Arap Moi, harambee self-help and fundraising events drove grassroots projects to build local schools, health centres, water infrastructure, roads and other public works. With government support, the harambee movement did much to advance Kenyan development, reducing disease and material poverty, increasing literacy levels and improving quality of life, particularly in rural communities. 

Unfortunately, the movement became vulnerable to corruption, as some wealthy individuals and politicians donated lavishly to harambee funds in order to influence community agendas and voters. Cases also arose where government officials manipulated communities in the name of harambee, exploiting their free labor to defray government costs on public development projects. 

Despite its difficult recent history , the harambee movement remains a vital force in contemporary Kenya. When an individual needs help to pay for a wedding, repair a car, care for a sick child or something else –or when a community requires a school, health center, or improved water supply – the community organizes a harambee. The event brings together friends, family, neighbors and coworkers who contribute their money, time, skills and other assistance with no strings attached. 

Meanwhile, the methods by which Kenyans pool funds are diverse. Today, harambee fundraising is often coordinated through a chama. Taken from the Swahili word for “group” or “body,” a chama is a cooperative micro-savings club, where individuals pool their funds for community investments. The enormous popularity of chamas in Kenya today offers clear testament of the country’s deep and enduring commitment to the principle of harambee, or mutual aid. 

Contributors: Maha Tazi, Erin Brown