Reflections from Kenya, Part II :
Harambee
When I first began writing about my time in Kenya, Hakuna Matata felt like the perfect phrase to capture those early days - the warmth, the calm, the easy laughter that lightened even the most hurried moments. But as the months unfolded, I discovered another layer of Kenya’s soul. Harambee - “all pull together” - is more than a motto; it’s a lived philosophy, a quiet current of generosity that runs through everyday life.
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Over the past three months, I’ve felt this spirit in the smallest interactions - from Uber drivers and delivery riders to security guards, salon girls, and supermarket cashiers. One driver insisted on helping me carry my bags into a new Airbnb, even though the ride cost less than 3 USD. A girl who did my pedicure offered to bring me home-cooked food. The cleaner who visits each week offered to cook too - and has since become a friend.
These may seem like small gestures, but together they reveal a deep cultural truth: in Kenya, generosity isn’t charity; it’s a way of being. People help not because they have to, but because that’s who they are.
In the education and entrepreneurial circles I’ve been part of, I sense the same rhythm. Growth here feels organic - built on collaboration, openness, and mutual respect. Ideas flow easily, networks form naturally, and progress feels like something everyone contributes to.
The Indian community - many rooted here for generations - also embodies this harmony. At a school event run by the Swaminarayan Trust, Kenyans, Ethiopians, Somalis, Sikhs, and South Indians celebrated together as one. It struck me how unity and racial harmony here is practiced, not preached.
Beneath Nairobi’s skyline of cranes and constant motion, there’s a hum of belonging that threads through it all. If Hakuna Matata is Kenya’s smile, Harambee is its heartbeat - a reminder that we rise by lifting each other.