Greeks in Sierra Leone

The Greeks in Sierra Leone represent the Greek diaspora (), in Sierra Leone. The population is small, historically being around 700 to 1,300 Greek expatriates. Since 2007, the Greek Orthodox Church has maintained a mission in Sierra Leone; members of the mission assisted authorities during the Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone.

History

Early Greek presence in Sierra Leone

In 1791, the abolitionist Alexander Falconbridge wrote in his account of the failed first settlement that, after the colony collapsed, he “dispatched a Greek” to help locate and reunite the scattered survivors.

These settlers were eventually regrouped and resettled at Granville Town, while another Greek colonist, Thomas Kallingree, cared for the remaining survivors at Fourah Bay and later served as governor of Granville Town.

Trade and commercial influence

George Basil Zochonis and his family became one of the most influential Greek families in Sierra Leone. During the 1870s, Zochonis worked with George Henry Paterson at Fisher & Randall in Freetown, and in 1879 the two established their own trading post.

PZ Cussons later traced the company’s origins in Sierra Leone to 1884, when it traded commodities between West Africa and the United Kingdom. The family’s influence continued into the twentieth century: following George Zochonis’ death in 1929, his nephew Constantine P. Zochonis became chief executive. Under his leadership, the firm expanded during the 1930s, diversified into manufacturing after the Second World War, acquired a soap factory in Aba in 1948, and became a public company in 1953.

World War II

During World War II, Freetown served as an important convoy port. One notable example was Convoy SL 78, which departed in June 1941 carrying several Greek merchant ships, including Aliakmon, George J. Goulandris, Kalypso Vergotti, Leonidas N. Condylis, and Parthenon.

Another convoy leaving the city in November 1943 also included the Greek ship Agia Marina.

Orthodox mission and humanitarian work

The Orthodox Mission in Sierra Leone was founded in December 2007 with the blessing of Patriarch Theodore II. Around the same period, Greek-Australian priest Themistocles Adamopoulos, widely known as Father Themi, relocated to Sierra Leone after earlier missionary work in Kenya.

The mission gained international attention during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and increasingly drew media coverage for its humanitarian work in the following years. By 2019, the mission had expanded significantly in their effort to combat Ebola.

Contemporary developments

In 2020, Greek media reported on a business dispute involving a Greek investor identified as Nicolas.

Support from Orthodox communities abroad has remained strong in recent years.

References

Sierra Leone Category:Greek diaspora in Africa Sierra Leone Category:History of Sierra Leone Category:Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone