Last Saturday, Programme Action Officer Dr. Anne Kelly and three fellow club members travelled to Cardiff to the Wales Millennium Centre in order to take part in Rhythm of the Diaspora, a one day event in Black History Month.

BMH Wales takes place annually around the month of October and aims to educate people, challenge negative perceptions, and celebrate the positive contributions of people of African Diaspora heritage from a Welsh perspective.

The main task for SI Tenby was to help man SI Cardiff's stall giving information about modern-day slavery and the Purple Teardrops Campaign. The stall attracted considerable interest, particularly in the work that has been carried out by Soroptimists over the past six years to help raise awareness of human trafficking.

In addition, a petition to help support the Purple Teardrops ban 'sex for sale advertisements' lobby was available. Many 'sex for sale' advertisements are placed by traffickers and so contribute to the demand for sexually exploited women and children. The Purple Teardrops petition gained a considerable number of signatures from those attending the Black History event.

SI Cardiff's stall was one of many offering advice and support to people experiencing inequality in Wales, including such organisations as Diverse Cymru, Barnardo's, the National Assembly. Cardiff Museum, Race Council Cymru and the African Community Centre.

However, Rhythm of the Diaspora was the main focus of the day, with a rich diversity of performances on the Glanfa Stage, including the Bristol Reggae Orchestra, the South African Male Voice Choir and Tan Teddy's Jamaican Folk Songs.

All agreed that it had been a most rewarding and interesting day and one which continued to confront modern-day slavery, human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women and children.