Khatija Velshi

Mohamed Dhanji and Khatija Velshi and Zera Dhanji

Hassam Mohamed Dhanji and Family

Khatija Velshi at her house in Kisumu

The quote below is taken from the book "THIS IS MY LIFE - Gujarat, East Africa, Canada - A FAMILY BIOGRAPHY ", a personal biography by Naznin Hebert which is also a lively, poignant life history of both sides of Naznin's large family.

(The book makes great reading and is available for a modest price of $10 plus shipping from Naznin nazninh@gmail.com

My nanima was born in 1908, in a small town of Rajkot, Gujarat, in India. Her name was Khadijah Velsi. She had four siblings, two brothers and two sisters. She was the second born. Ma’am had no formal education, like most girls of that era. The language they spoke at home was also Gujarati. Religion they practiced was Ismailis. She wore the traditional costume of a long ankle length dress with a thin scarf covering her head.
Her marriage was arranged at a very young age, when she was around 12 or 13 years old. After her wedding she moved in with Bapa at his parent’s home. This is where she learnt to cook, and other household chores from her mother- in- law. This was a common practice in those days and continues to be even today in traditional families in India.
Once Bapa was settled in Kisumu he returned to British Indiato fetch Maa and his mother and brought them both back to Kisumu, Kenya.
This is where they settled. Maa, had her first daughter, my mom at the age of seventeen. She had eleven children in all, eight girls and three boys. My mom being the eldest born in 1925, and Almas the youngest born in 1949. Two of her children died at an early age.
Her family was her life. Maa was religious and went to JK almost everyday. She died at the age of 62 in Jamal Khana, a shocking news to all.