Keti Koti / Kadena Kibrá
A day to gather in honor of freedom.
We warmly invite everyone on Wednesday 1 July to Dansateliers to celebrate freedom with Free Heri Heri. This year’s theme: heirlooms. What do you pass on – and what do you leave behind?
In collaboration with the initiative Free Heri Heri for All by KIP Republic Foundation, we will be serving 100 meals in total – available vegetarian or with fish, with a vegan option as well.
You can have a meal free of charge at Dansateliers or take it to-go (first come, first served) from 17 :00 – 20:00. A bar will be open throughout the evening where drinks can be purchased and we will also be selling delicious ice cream from Ice Qubes Rotterdam that you can enjoy.
As we have a limited number of meals available and would like to serve everyone as best as we can, we ask that you reserve your free ticket online. Trouble booking? Just walk in – we are happy to help.
Abolition of Slavery
Slavery was officially abolished on 1 July 1863. However, most enslaved people in Suriname were forced to continue working under state supervision for ten more years. As such, true freedom was only realized in 1873.
The commemoration of Keti Koti – which means “broken chains” – marks not only the official abolition of slavery but also the lived moment when freedom could truly be felt. In the Netherlands, Keti Koti has become a day of reflection and recognition, honoring the legacy of slavery throughout the Kingdom: in Suriname, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Sint Maarten.
Heri Heri
Heri Heri is a dish made with ingredients that were once given to enslaved people – nutritious, filling, and locally grown. What was once a necessity has now become a cherished delicacy: a combination of root vegetables, salted fish, sometimes an egg, and most of all – rich with meaning.
