HISTORY

2003 – Harambee Centre made an initial contribution to help build a girls’ dormitory in Sampa, Ghana. The building will accommodate 160 girls and will enable the school to increase the student population from 572 to 740.This is an increase of 168 students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to get a high school education.

2005 – Harambee raised $37,000 to build this facility, enabling 160 girls to complete their secondary school studies.

In 2005, Harambee raised $37,000 to build this facility, enabling an estimated 160 girls to complete their secondary school studies.  During the building process, the dormitory site stimulated both excitement amongst the community as well as at least fifty job opportunities for Sampa residents skilled in masonry, carpentry, electrical wiring, and plumbing.

During a trip to Sampa in 2005, Matt Essieh (former Harambee Board Chair) and his family observed the dormitory construction site.  Matt’s high school aged son also volunteered at the site.

Matt visited Sampa in July 2006 to participate in a dedication ceremony for the dormitory project.  The dormitory is now constructed and full of students!

In July 2006, Matt also performed additional project cultivation to explore additional needs of the facility.  Harambee is now tasked with ensuring that the facility is outfitted with all necessities. In January 2007, Matt returned to Sampa to conduct further project oversight and additional project cultivation.

Matt also continues to pursue a great deal of outreach work in the Portland and Beaverton (Oregon) areas regarding what he refers to as, “The Double Bottom Line.”  This relates business success and social responsibility. Matt offers his personal story growing up in Ghana, coming to Oregon for university studies, starting a successful and thriving technology based financial services company, and now passionately spreading the ethic that business success can go hand-in-hand with social responsibility.