The Bakari Institute

What is a Harambee Circle?  Harambee (pronounced hah-rahm-bay) is an African KiSwahili term meaning to "pull together".  We utilize the concept of gathering a circle of friends and acquaintances to "pool our resources" to bring economic, social, and cultural development into our busy and hectic lives.  In our circle, we use funds to subsidize businesses, donate to local charities, and travel abroad.  By combining funds and resources we create a synergistic 1+1=3 approach to rebuilding our communities by providing a sudden unexpected  infusion of cash to local businesses, getting cheaper discounts on products and services by purchasing in bulk, and creating a database network of committed professionals with whom we can get referrals to conduct business.  The beauty of having a harambee circle is you have big results with very minimal effort.

How does it work?  It's very simple.  We meet at 5 pm on the 3rd Sunday of every month.  Once at the meeting, there is a reception from 5-6 with music (sometimes live music), games (card, dominoes, board, etc..,), and eating.  Then we sit down and discuss current event, cultural events, and some trivia.  Then comes the business component where we identify local businesses that we will be supporting for the upcoming 30 days.  Each member must pledge to contribute at least $25 to the cause.  Then we elect a fundraising activity to help subsidize our business activity and our social activity.  Then we elect the next meeting place and do it all over again next month.  Click here to see our agenda for this month. 

 Goals for the next 12 months.

1. Grow membership to 100 members and create 10 smaller Harmabee Circles for 2009

2. Begin strategic plan to start a Black-owned and operated bank in Dallas Metroplex by 2010.

3. Begin fundraising activities for trip to Kenya and supporting Black-owned businesses.

Top 5 Reasons to Join 

1.  If you are an entrepreneur, our circle is pledged to financially support you.

2. You will travel the globe at a fraction of the cost - longer stays, cheaper out-of-pocket!

3. You will be part of the solution to solve issues in our community.

4. You will develop strategies to start your own circle within the year.

5. This is an opportunity to re-connect to your heritage and embrace your culture in a fun and exciting environment.

How can I join?

There are five requirements:

1. You must at least 21 years old.
2. You must have a passport within 60 days of joining.
3. You must recruit 1 member within 30 days of joining, and'
4. You must volunteer at least 1 day in our fundraising activitiy each month
5. You must support the business voted on at the meeting.