Jambo News

Jambo Harambee Friends and Supporters,

As the COVID-19 guidelines start to ease, there is hope and excitement in the air and activities are starting to pick up! Let’s do our part as we start to enjoy the beautiful summer season and thank you for your always faithful support!

On June 16th, we highlight the International Day of the African Child whose meaning is also embodied in our mission. This day has its origins in 1976 when more than ten thousand black children from Soweto marched to protest the poor quality of education in their country. Many hundreds of these children were massacred during the protests and thousands more were injured. In 1991, the Organization of African Unity finally designated commemoration of this day to honor the victims who died. This day is mostly celebrated in Africa to bring awareness to and address the present conditions of the African child. Thank you for helping us address the plight of the African child through our own projects in rural Kenya and Uganda throughout the year as we strive to make a better world for children and their families we serve.

On June 19th, we celebrate Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day when emancipation of the last slaves from the Confederacy was fulfilled on June 19, 1865. This celebration recognizes the end of slavery and is observed in the United States and beyond.

Cooking in Africa is directly related to climate change issues and the quality of women’s lives. Grace discussed these issues in detail in the first session of her class. Here are what two participants had to say about their experience:

“I want to thank you for the work you are doing and for introducing me (through your website) to the work of Wangari Maathai. I can only say I’m inspired by you both. I’ve started reading her book Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World and am enjoying it so much I’ve proposed that my book group read and discuss it sometime this summer. If you have any interest in joining, you are most welcome.” Kaila from Arizona

“I found your discussion class very enlightening. I find myself appreciating the conveniences we have more.  The cooking class was fantastic.  The next time we have company for dinner the curry chicken will be on the menu. I had sauce left so I cooked it down to thicken and cracked an egg on top - yum. I am not a fan of cooked spinach but the nut sauce elevated it - I will make it again. Thank you so much for sharing!” Carolyn from Kansas

Harambee Centre kicked off 2020 with a goal to connect the Rotary Clubs in the Pacific Northwest to the cultures, people, and projects in East Africa. Because of our generous supporters, like you, we were able to fulfill a successful virtual fundraising partnership with the Portland Metropolitan Rotary Club for a Water Harvest Project at St. Andrews Secondary school in Matale, Uganda despite the challenges of COVID-19. We look forward to cultivating more collaborative relationships with Rotary Clubs and other partners in the Pacific Northwest.

Thanks to your contributions we are heading towards finishing the three-story project that will house a dedicated girls dormitory at St. Andrews Matale Secondary School. This phase of construction will involve finishing windows, walls, floors and electrical installation. We are still fundraising to finish the plumbing and painting needed to complete this space, and to buy furniture (chairs and desks). Our goal is to raise $28,000 to cover these items.

When complete, this girls dormitory will not only create a safe place, but will also provide an opportunity for young women in Matale to be aspirational and apply themselves to realize their potential. Many of the female students walk miles to school. After a whole day at school, they have daily chores when they get home leaving little to no time to focus on school. This leads many girls to drop out of school. The dormitory will empower girls to focus on their education. In turn, this will allow girls to be educated, healthy, safe, and economically empowered in the long run.

Inspired by last year’s successful collaborative fundraising efforts for the Water Harvest Project, White Salmon-Bingen Rotary Club in Washington state has committed to another Harambee Centre project, in Kenya this time. The Najijali Project (means “I care for myself” in Swahili) will provide vocational skill training for high school girls who cannot return to school because of their pregnancies. Due to COVID-19, Kenya’s schools were closed from March to December 2020, and this culminated with epidemic pregnancy numbers among high school students, some due to incest and rape.

This project was born out of the mental/social health program at Chwele Community Resource and Peace Centre which continues to provide needed support sessions to the community members. Because of the support of this program, three community members have successfully gone through 3-month rehabilitation treatments and are now sharing their healing experiences with others through community support groups.

Due to school closures and disruptions because of the pandemic, our sister school relationships suffered a long period of no contact with each other. While COVID-19 dominated the world’s attention, Harambee Centre turned its attention to specific projects to help improve our sister schools’ infrastructure for better communication and water supply. Thank you for helping Harambee Centre raise enough funds for our Water Harvest Project (see above) in partnership with Portland Metropolitan Rotary Club.

We also recognize and thank the students at Mountainside High School for raising funds for an internet connection at their sister school, Chwele Girls High School in Kenya. Students from these two schools are hoping to connect via Zoom before their school terms end.

Harambee Centre extends a special congratulations to Mountainside students Holden Kays and Abbie and Emily Payne who worked closely together to found and sustain the Kenya Club at Mountainside. They organized and led meetings, raised funds and educated the school about Kenya. The students had planned a sister school trip with Harambee Centre board members to Kenya and Uganda in the summer of 2020 before the Coronavirus outbreak required the cancellation of those plans.

As members of the first graduating class of 4-year students at Mountainside High School, they have established a strong foundation for a sister school relationship with students at Chwele Girls School in Kenya. For their commitment to international community service, they will receive the Harambee Centre Malaika Award at their senior assembly. “Malaika” is a Swahili word that translates to “angel”, but reflects a deeper expression of care for the community. Congratulations to Holden, Abbie and Emily!

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Harambee Centre is a small grass roots non-profit organization based in Portland Oregon with the mission to connect the people of the Pacific Northwest with the people and diverse cultures of Africa. With your past and continued support, we are achieving giant results with our quiet but effective approach to sustainable development in rural Africa. To continue your support, please consider a tax-deductible donation: