Afrykanie ze Sri Lanki - Redux

Members of the Afro-Sri Lankan community gather at St Mary's Church on the event of the 500 year celebration held on September 24th. The date of the event was decided by them and roughly relates to the time they believe the first African slaves were brought to the Island by the Portuguese at the beginning of the 16th Century. It began with Sunday Mass at the Church. Out of all communities of African diaspora that surround the Indian Ocean those of Sri Lanka are by far the smallest and most fragile, first brought by the Portuguese, the Dutch and eventually the British as slaves. After the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act was passed in the British Parliament in 1807, the process of putting an end to slavery began in British controlled countries. On being emancipated most Africans stayed and a century ago the Afro-Sri Lankan population was believed to be around 6000 people. Today that number has dwindled to less than 500 and are likely to totally disappear in a few generations.