The Meaning of Harambee
Harambee is a Kiswahili word meaning “coming together as a community to address an issue”—a rallying call for collective action. Inspired by this ethos, Project Harambee! is a research initiative designed to partner with the largest African immigrant communities in King County—Ethiopian, Somali, Eritrean, and Congolese—to tackle barriers to HIV testing and improve access to care.
Our Journey So Far
1. Harambee! 1.0: Health Fairs and Screening
- What We Did:
Hosted mini health fairs in residential complexes with large populations of African-born individuals. These fairs provided free, integrated health screenings, including tests for HIV, hypertension, diabetes, and more.
- Key Insight:
Through discussions with community partners, we found that addressing HIV-related stigma was critical before expanding HIV testing efforts.
2. Harambee! 2.0: Understanding Stigma
- What We Did:
Conducted key informant interviews and focus group discussions to explore HIV-related and intersectional stigmas—barriers compounded by factors such as race, immigrant status, and language. - Key Outcome:
Developed insights to create culturally tailored stigma reduction interventions for the community.
3. Harambee! 3.0: Reducing Stigma and Increasing HIV Testing
- What We Did:
Collaborated with the Ethiopian Community Center in Seattle, the Eritrean Health Board, and the Congolese United Foundation to host health fairs in faith-based settings. These fairs offered free, point-of-care HIV testing alongside other health services like diabetes and blood pressure screenings. Additionally, we piloted a faith-based HIV stigma reduction workshop, Project FAITHH, adapted for local use.
- Results:
- Hosted four health fairs with 105 attendees, 69% of whom accepted HIV testing.
- Identified HIV stigma, privacy concerns, and fear of results as major barriers to testing.
- Engaged religious leaders and community members to foster safe, supportive spaces for health conversations.
Looking Ahead
As we continue to build on these efforts, sustaining the relationships and partnerships established with African immigrant communities remains our top priority. By addressing stigma and promoting culturally relevant interventions, Harambee! aims to create lasting change in HIV prevention and care in King County.
