Karmali Bhanji

Children

Karmalibhai was a Kathiawari settler in Tanganyika, who had established a thriving rations grocery store in a prime retail area opposite Toy Shop Store on Morogoro Road. Unfortunately he died at age 43, leaving behind a young family in turmoil.

Karmalibhai and his wife had been planning a big trio to Jivapar, just outside Jamnagar, to visit their relatives when he suddenly fell ill and died very shortly after. Because of his illness and because his children were young, the family was forced to give up the store. After some time, the merchant, named Jiwan Jeraj, who had taken over the store, was generous enough to return the store to her brother and sister, Guli, who ran it for a decade. It was an act of generosity that influenced the family for life.

Karmali Bhanji Shop on Morogoro Road in Dar es Salaam

The extract below is taken from the personal biography & family history of Dr. Alnoor Abdulla, FRCP(Int.Med),FRCP(Cardiology),FACC,FCCP,FACP,ABIM (Int. Med), ABIM(Card.), ABIM (Interventional Card.)

MY MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS : KARMALI BHANJI POONJA
My maternal grandparents came from Jiwapur near Jamnagar in Kathiawar, Gujarat.
My maternal grandfather, Karmali Bhanji Poonja and my grandmother, Sikinabai probably left from the same port – Porbandar around 1920 +/- 2. They came to Bagamoyo, Tanganyika and later moved to Dares-salaam. Their families were poor in Gujarat, They ran a small shop in Dares-salaam. They provided the clear medical evidence of lack of contraception at that time, by having seven daughters and one son, in between the daughters, in rapid succession. Thus, there was extreme poverty in the household.
My grandfather suffered from ill health. He had diabetes and succumbed to TB in middle age – soon after the eight child, the seventh daughter was born. He left behind my grandmother with these 7 little girls and one son. He died around 1948 +/- 1 year, before I was born. I never got a chance to know him. He was supposed to be a very kind, soft hearted, gentle person.