Kanu Family Heritage Site

In Themne tradition¹, the family unit is sacred and centered in all aspects of life. Families are the starting point from which socialization begins to prepare children for service within the family and in society and as a continuation of their ancestral lineage. Thus

‘‘Socialization is not organized to train children for academic pursuits or to become individuals outside the ancestral culture. Rather, it is organized to teach social competence and shared responsibility within the family system and the ethnic community’’²

This website is the digital manifestation of this worldview for the ancestral lineage of Dr. Sheka Hassan Kanu and Haja Fatmatta Kanu, both Themne by Sierra Leonean ethnicity. It is the brainchild of Haja Fatmatta Kanu, to preserve and continue the intention of the Themne tradition of strengthening ancestral ties and preserving and passing on family history in a digital age.

The idea for this project was seeded at a wedding where Haja Fatmatta Kanu was reminded of the importance of a couple as the foundation of families and trustees of ancestral lineage to be passed on to future generations. Thus, the website is titled Anbaki, Themne for The Elders. It is her desire and pledge that this website will serve as a repository of the history, heritage and contributions of the lineage of Dr. Sheka Hassan Kanu and herself for generations. It is her legacy and gift to her growing multiethnic, multicultural and global family.