Free Heri Heri for All
Sunday 30 June 2024
2–4 pm
2–4 pm
Each year we celebrate Keti Koti by taking part in Free Heri Heri for All, a nation-wide commemorative meal given freely to the public. This year we join with Kunsthal Rotterdam to celebrate this day on Sunday 30 June. Please come and join us for food, music and community.
About Keti Koti
Keti Koti is an originally Surinamese Commemoration on 1 July. Keti Koti means “the breaking of chains” and symbolizes the end of slavery. On 1 July 1863, the Kingdom of the Netherlands abolished slavery in Suriname and the former Netherlands Antilles with the Emancipation Act. However, it took until 1873 before actually all enslaved people were free. 1 July 2023 marked 150 years since then.
About Heri Heri
Heri Heri is a traditional Surinamese dish consisting of cassava, plantains, sweet potatoes, fish, and eggs and was cooked by many enslaved people during the transatlantic slave trade. It is a symbol of remembrance and honors the ancestors. Free Heri Heri for All, founded by Arya and Ira Kip, aims to raise awareness about this historic day and foster community through a shared meal. In memory of the slavery past of the Dutch Kingdom and to connect the past with the present, throughout the country, the Surinamese dish Heri Heri can be eaten for free and together. In this way, the past is not forgotten and the promise of a more just future is possible.
Food, Music and Community
You can pick up your free meal at Kunstinstituut Melly on Sunday 30 June from 2 to 4 pm. In our MELLY Bookshop and Café, DJokai will perform from 2.30 until 3.30 pm. The Rotterdam-based DJ has his roots in Suriname and is going to spin a diverse selection, expect a mix of new Surinamese artists and other music from the diaspora community. See Kunsthal Rotterdam's website for their times and program.
This event is free and no reservations are required.
Special thanks to Ed de Meijer, Lilian Rigters, and Bernadette Mowlabaks from Jan van der Ploeghuis. Free Heri Heri For All is an initiative of KIP Republic and collaborating partners.
