Afrykanie ze Sri Lanki - Redux

Sherine Alexander (right), Juliet Josephine (centre) and Maria Jasintha (left) walk to a rehearsal for their 500 year celebration at St Mary's church. The date of the event was September 24th 2017, 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. 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.