Host a Harambee

What’s a Harambee? A Harambee (hah-RAHM-beh) is simply, a “party with a purpose”.

In the tradition of many East African countries, communities pull together to work for a common cause, organizing fundraising and community support events called Harambees. It makes sense that as part of the global family, Give a Day supporters gather in this same way, to raise funds in support of our global family and those living with HIV/AIDS in Africa.

A Harambee is a gathering of people, talking, listening to great African music, sharing and learning about what they can do to be a part of the solution to HIV/AIDS in Africa. It’s an exciting opportunity to come together to do some good.

Click here for photos from Give a Day Harambees

6 easy steps to hosting a Give a Day Harambee:

  • Step 1: Choose the day and time.
  • Step 2: Choose a venue.
  • Step 3: Invite your colleagues, family, friends, and friends of friends!
  • Step 4: Gather up your Give a Day party tools and head out to your party. Don’t forget to register your Harambee by emailing coordinator@giveaday.ca.
  • Step 5: At the Harambee, encourage all of your guests to give a day’s pay to recognize World AIDS Day. See how much you can raise together!
  • Step 6: Thank your guests and share your party success – pictures, stories, the amount you raised – with Give a Day.

Harambee Toolkit

NameSize
HARAMBEE - Donation Request Letter46.5 KiB
HARAMBEE - Email Invitation372.5 KiB
HARAMBEE - Materials Order Form89.3 KiB
HARAMBEE - Thank-you93.5 KiB
HARAMBEE - We Gave A Day Banner90.0 KiB

Harambee Tips

Tip #1

Because you want people attending to make donations to Give a Day, we suggest you don’t ask them to bring or do anything else. (“What? I have to give money – I already brought the pasta salad!”) As the host, you can provide the venue, food, music and information. If you incur a cost for the venue or food - you can choose to make that your Give a Day donation. By donating your support to host a Harambee – you bring in all those new donations to Give a Day!

Tip #2

Give a Day would like you to keep the focus of the party simple and clear – an opportunity to educate/update people about HIV/AIDS and encourage the donation of a day’s pay. Other information and fundraising ideas (i.e. silent auctions, raffles etc.) can distract from the message of Give a Day.

Tip #3

Remember - YOU are a valuable speaker at your event!!

Even though having a speaker can be a great resource, we have found that the most effective and compelling way to get donations is for the host to speak to their friends briefly, and from the heart, about why they think this is an important issue, and why they are making a donation themselves.

Tip #4

Here’s a list of items you’ll need for music and video at your Harambee:
1) CD player or laptop with speakers
2) LCD projector (with all the right cords!)
3) Screen or white wall to project video on. Many bars/restaurants may have these items so ask if they’re available to use!

Tip #5

Bring a Calculator to leave on the donations table. Write or print this message for the table.

TO CALCULATE A DAY’S PAY:
Your annual pay (pre-tax or after tax – it’s up to you) ÷ 210 (# of working days in a year)