Mohammad Sisei was born about 1788 or 1790 in the Gambia.
“Born in the village of Niani-Maru, state of Niani (present-day Gambia), on the north bank of the Gambia River. He was later known as Felix Ditt, a “liberated African” soldier in the British West India Regiments. His parents, Abu-Békr [Abu Bakr] and Aiseta [Aisha], were Muslim Mandinka people. Mohammed spent much of his childhood away from home at a Koranic school called Dar Salaami [House of Peace]. There he learned to read and write Arabic, and later returned to his village a highly educated teenager. Soon after his return, he married and established a school in his home village.”
Resources
“Mohammedu Sisei.” Oxford Africa American Studies Center. https://oxfordaasc.com/ Accessed 10/20/2020.