Harambee Citybuilders

Within Harambee, youth ages 12-18 are trained in the skill of tuckpointing, preparing them not only for union trades careers, but also for hard work in any field. Our youth learn this profitable skill by providing free work primarily for low-income homeowners within our neighborhood.

Apply now for an apprenticeship!

The Harambee Model

Harambee Citybuilders is modeled after a successful ministry in St. Louis, Missouri which began in 1996 to provide work experience, mentoring and basic job training to inner city youth focusing on the construction trade of tuckpointing (replacing worn-out mortar in brick homes).

“Harambee” is a Swahili word that means “let’s push together to get this thing done!” Today, many people from Chicago and beyond “push together” to make a difference in our target neighborhood of Humboldt Park in Chicago’s West Side. During 2017,  the Harambee model was adopted as part of River City Community Development Center’s Citybuilders Apprenticeships as the final stretch of our cradle to career path for community youth. Michelle and Anthony Johnson co-founded Harambee in Chicago and R CITY is thrilled that the program is now coordinated by Lance Harris.

Each year our students complete several projects in our community for low-income homeowners for just $200 as a training opportunity. If you would like to find out if you or a family member qualify for free tuckpointing on our home, find out how you can apply.