Seychelles hosts 1st International Day for the Abolition of Slavery event at Venn’s Town

Venn's Town, the first educational institution established for the children of liberated slaves. (Seychelles Nation)

(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles marked its inaugural event to celebrate the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery with an exhibition at the Venn’s Town Cultural Landscape at Sans Soucis on Monday

The event offered visitors a journey through the archipelago’s history with slavery and its aftermath, during the French and later British colonial periods.

David Andre, secretary general of the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage, and the Arts (SNICHA), led a delegation through the exhibition during an open day. The event was organised by the Seychelles National Heritage Resource Council (SNHRC) in collaboration with the National Archives.

David Andre viewing the exhibition (Seychelles Nation) Photo license: All Rights Reserved

Venn’s Town, an iconic site in Seychelles' history, was the first educational institution established for the children of liberated slaves. Officially opened on March 20, 1876, it is located in the verdant hills of Sans Soucis in the northwest of Mahe, the main island. Founded by the Christian Missionary Society, the institution was named after Anglican evangelist Henry Venn and remained operational until its closure in 1889.

“We decided to hold the event here because this site is intrinsically linked to freed slaves. It is where liberated children came to attend industrial school,” explained SNHRC researcher Therese Jeremie during an interview with the press.

Originally opened in 1875, Venn’s Town was more than just a school; it was a self-sustaining settlement. The site included plantations of vanilla and patchouli, buildings for education, dormitories, a laundry, and even a cemetery, the remnants of which can still be seen today.

The ruins of Venn's Town (Seychelles Nation) Photo license: All Rights Reserved

“What we are showing today is what happened after the abolition of slavery here in Seychelles, which happened in 1835, as well as showing what happened to the children who brought here after being rescued by British vessels,” Jeremie added.

Neighbouring Mauritius also has a site established for freed slave children.

“Ours was different, the children came here to study, where they learnt languages - which is where our Creole nation was born,” she said.

The exhibition tells the harrowing tales of slavery in Seychelles (Seychelles Nation) Photo license: All Rights Reserved

 During their time at the school, the children planted crops to sustain the institution.

“They planted things like cocoa, which they used and also sold in order to contribute to the school’s upkeep,” Jeremie said.

While this year’s activities were low-key, Jeremie revealed plans for larger celebrations in August next year to commemorate the abolition of slavery.

SNHRC researcher Therese Jeremie (Seychelles Nation) Photo license: All Rights Reserved

Meanwhile, the SNHRC aims to enhance the visitor experience by expanding exhibits and gathering additional historical information.

“Since we were previously a British Indian Ocean Territory, we are working with Britain to gather more information through continuous research which we will make public in different ways, including publications,” she concluded.