Harambee

This article is about the Kenyan tradition. For the gorilla, see Harambe. For other uses, see Harambee (disambiguation).
Coat of arms of Kenya

Harambee is a Kenyan tradition of community self-help events, e.g. fundraising or development activities. The word means "all pull together" in Swahili, and is the official motto of Kenya, appearing on its coat of arms.[1][2]

Harambee events may range from informal affairs lasting a few hours, in which invitations are spread by word of mouth, to formal, multi-day events advertised in newspapers. These events have long been important in parts of East Africa, as ways to build and maintain communities.

  1. ^ Musau, Mwende Mutuli (5 October 2020). "Harambee: The law of generosity that rules Kenya". BBC News.
  2. ^ Ng'ethe, Njuguna (1983). "Politics, Ideology and the Underprivileged: The Origins and Nature of the Harambee Phenomenon in Kenya". Journal of Eastern African Research & Development. 13: 150–170. JSTOR 24325584.