AfricanAncestry.com announced a historic partnership with the Sierra Leone government to offer citizenship for customers whose ancestry traces back to the country.
Sierra Leone has been lauded as “the fifth most peaceful country,” in Africa.
African Ancestry, a Black-owned company, will work closely with the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and its facilitating agency, The Monuments and Relics Commission to formalize citizenship.
On April 29 in State House, Freetown, African Ancestry President and Co-founder Dr. Gina Paige and Sierra Leone Minister of Tourism Madam Memunatu Pratt marked the occasion in a special Agreement Signing. 59 Sierra Leone passports were presented to recipients under the new partnership.
Sierra Leone’s President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio was also in attendance.
The west African country served as the departure point for thousands of west African captives. Freetown was founded as a base for repatriated former slaves in 1787. The country became independent in 1961.
“This partnership is perhaps the most significant milestone for African Ancestry since we created a way for Black people to trace their African roots using DNA 18 years ago,” Dr. Paige says. “It has transformed the total experience of what it is to be an AfricanAncestry.com customer,” said Paige.
“We welcome you to acquire land, live in our communities, invest, build capacity and take advantage of business opportunities,” said President Bio.
Like most African countries, Sierra Leone, which lies between Guinea and Liberia, is rich in natural resources. Its land yields diamonds, gold, bauxite, and rutile (titanium dioxide).
African Ancestry was founded in 2003 by Dr. Rick Kittles and Gina Paige and is the world leader in tracing maternal and paternal lineages of African descent. The company has helped more than 750,000 people reconnect with the roots of their family tree.
Visit www.AfricanAncestry.com for more information.
