Firman Community Services was founded in 1872 as a settlement house and currently provides a wide-range of human services foe “at-risk” children and families. To address the issue of obesity plaguing our youth and society at-large, Firman has instituted Project Harambee. Firman’s Project Harambee is funded by the Carol M. White PEP Grant via the United States Department of Education and the grant was awarded in October 2004.

Harambee is a Swahili word meaning community unity and uncompromising commitment to solving a life-threatening situation. The program focuses on the poor physical fitness and unhealthy eating/nutritional behaviors in the community.

The programs activities are provided five afternoons per-week during the school year, all day during school year breaks, four weeks in the summer, and selected evenings and weekends.

Additionally, Project Harambee provides nutritional/healthy choices classes for children and their caregiver.

Activities

Children engage in various physical activities as part of Project Harambee. These activities include, but are not limited to, basketball, volleyball, baseball, badminton, hockey, soccer, tennis, weight training, aerobics and other cardiovascular exercises. Alongside the activities taught in-house, field trips will provide opportunities for the students to engage in hands-on experiences outside the confines of the Urban City. Students will participate in an array of activities such as hiking, ice-skating, and other outdoor activities.

• Have caregivers of the participating children involved in nutrition/healthy choices workshop.
  
• Provide physical fitness and nutritional/healthy choice education to children.
  
• Have teachers from the collaborating schools participate in physical education development training.
  
• Increase participation in physical education activities by the children.
  
• Increase the number of children who meet the Illinois State Physical Education Standards.
  
• Decrease unhealthy behaviors and increases healthy behaviors.
  
• Participating children and adults will achieve a better understanding of the importance of physical fitness and nutritional/healthy choices.
  

• DO NOT eat after 7:00 p.m.
  
• Consume the required daily intake as recommended by the food guide pyramid.
  
• Exercise daily, the United States Department of Agriculture recommends 1 hour of moderate intense exercise 5-7 times a week.
  
• Take the stairs whenever possible instead of the elevator.
  
• DO NOT DO grocery shopping while you are hungry.