Presentation for Harambee in New York

Harambee, a charitable foundation established in 2002 on the occasion of the canonization of the founder of Opus Dei, launches fundraising efforts in NYC.

"All together for Africa" is the motto of "Harambee." Harambee recently announced four new African development initiatives – all focused on helping women and girls.

Rosalinda Corbi, the international coordinator of Harambee based in Rome, launched a fundraising effort in NYC with several presentations to groups of potential donors and volunteers.

Corbi explained that along with the four new initiatives Harambee will support this year, Harambee will also award the second edition of its “Communicating Africa” prize for television reports that show African development issues in a realistic and positive way. (The guidelines for this award can be downloaded at www.harambee2002.org.)

Harambee 2002 was begun at the canonization of St. Josemaría Escrivá. The idea was to encourage people grateful for the canonization to show their gratitude through social outreach and monetary contributions to those in need. Since 2002, Harambee has financed 24 African-run projects in 14 African countries.

“All the projects are promoted by local African organizations,” said Corbi. “Africa will resolve its problems thanks to the Africans. They are already working for the development of the continent, and the only thing they need is a hand to help out.”

Four new projects

This NYC Harambee fundraising effort is part of an international fundraising campaign for the following four projects:

1) Sudan: a professional training program for women and youths from South Sudan who have fled the civil war afflicting the country.

2) Kenya: a training program for elementary and high school faculty.

3) Madagascar: professional training for craftswomen and their families.

4) R. D. Congo: a health service program for women and children in the rural outskirts of Kinshasa.

“The 2006 campaign aims to foster hope in Africans,” said Corbi. “We know that these four projects are only four drops of water in the desert. Still, they are important because they encourage those already working for African development and they are achieving good results.”

“The four new projects also aim to offer people a way to respond to Pope Benedict XVI’s call to charity in his recent encyclical “Deus Caritas Est,” said Tona Varela of Murray Hill Conference Center, one of the Harambee presentation hosts.

Harambee is an initiative of ICU, a NGO with headquarters in Rome, which has promoted development projects around the world since 1966.

For more information on how to contribute and/or volunteer, send an email to info@harambeeUSA.org.