Naznin Hébert

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The book "THIS IS MY LIFE, Gujarat, East Africa, Canada - A FAMILY BIOGRAPHY, ", is 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 here nazninh@gmail.com)

"In one’s life, certain events have such a transformative impact that they literally alter the individual’s anticipated or imagined trajectory.
For me it was the untimely passing of my beloved mom at a young age of 47; I was only 24 and felt gipped. This personal loss was so deep that even with the passage of time, I had not come to terms with it; to use a modern-day expression, I needed some kind of closure with the knowledge that my mom would never ever leave my heart and my very being. To say that I still deeply miss her would truly be a gross understatement.
So, in 2009 – 36 years after my mom’s passing – I decided to return to Tanga, Tanzania where I lived and grew up for 19 years. In all honesty, I did not know at the time what “closure” would entail but I was convinced that I had to go back home and somehow pay my respects to my late mother. On the bus ride from the Moshi/Arusha International Airport to Tanga, memories of my childhood came flooding back in droves as I recognized the names of the towns and villages I had once visited with my parents. In Tanga, my parents had a retail/wholesale business of Baring Biscuits of the House of Manji. My mom ran the business with the part-time help of my dad who at the time worked as a foreman at Motor Mart and Exchange. Once a month, they travelled to the surrounding regions of Tanga to deliver the goods to the local shops. And I often accompanied them.
I had worked in our retail shop in Ngamiyani barabara (street) 5 for almost a year while I was awaiting my acceptance at a hospital in the U.K. for my nursing training after completing my “O” levels at the Karimjee Secondary School in Tanga. During that time, working closely with my mom made me realize how strong, efficient and a successful businesswoman she was in the men’s world of that era.
When I checked into my hotel in Tanga, the previous 36 years flashed before me in stark relief: the old Jamat Khana (J.K.) was just next door. On the ground floor of the J.K., I saw the dispensary where my mom had worked as a receptionist when we first arrived at Tanga from Mogadishu where I was born. Behind the J.K. was our one-bedroom tin roof house where we first lived before moving into the Aga Khan flats #6. Rudimasi’s house, where she used to sell snacks of Chana batata, roasted jugu etc., was still barely standing just opposite the J.K. The Blue Room Café next to the J.K. was still there. They sold the best daal bhagia’s (lentil fritters) in Tanga. Anjari Soda factory, the Majestic Cinema and many other familiar places brought back such fond memories. Yes, the buildings had deteriorated, and it lacked the vibe and the aura of flourishing businesses that existed four decades ago, but I was looking at it all with my eyes of the ‘50s and the 60’s (not to mention the subtle influences of my intervening years living in Western countries.)
As part of my pre-planned itinerary, I visited the house where I grew up in the Ismaili Community flats. Of course, it was not the same house that I had lived in, a home that used to be so bright and spotless, which had beautiful rose bushes that my mom had brought from their trips to Lushoto and Soni, a very fragrant jasmine bush in the front, papaya and other fruit trees in the back, and a huge mango tree on the side. Nonetheless, visiting the house enabled me to visualize all the happy moments that we had in that house for 18 years.
The next day turned out to be a truly memorable experience that I shall always treasure for the remaining years of my life. I went to visit the cemetery where my mom rested. The day was Feb. 17th, the day of my daughter’s birthday. While I was trying to find my mom’s grave in this overgrown, unkempt cemetery, she came to my rescue once again. All of a sudden, I looked down to my left and saw her gravestone beckoning me and standing tall in the bright light of the sun. After I recovered from my uncontrollable emotional state, I performed some religious rituals to honour her. Then, I sat down with her and told her about my dad’s and siblings’ lives and their families. I told her about my life of the past 36 years. She probably knew but I told her anyway. At the end, I felt relieved, liberated, complete. I finally felt and understood what “closure” was – I was at peace and not angry at the universe for taking my mom away from me. On my way back to the hotel, I reflected upon her short life on this earth. I always knew but now even more so than ever before, what a spectacular woman she was. A loving, hard-working mother, businesswoman, and wife. She had served as the president of the Ismaili Women’s Association, the only female member of the Ismaili Council among ten men. Her charity work with the Children’s hospital, the local African women, and families. Her love for animals and life in general. One of the best tributes I can pay my mom is that I am proud to have inherited some of her traits such as determination, adventure, family values and hard work.
After my mom’s passing, I was determined to complete my nursing training in the U.K. and become a certified midwife; she would not have expected anything less. Indeed, it was during that period that all my formative years and upbringing in East Africa helped me mature and become an independent successful woman. It was there that I took control of my life. I made friends, I travelled, I enriched my life experiences but at all times remembering my values and everything that I had been taught and demonstrated by my parents and my community. With the political situation deteriorating in East Africa, I worried about my dad who still remained in Tanga. It was then I decided to move to Canada and eventually sponsored my dad and my brother.
It was here in Canada that my life became constructive and meaningful. I worked as a health care professional and accomplished all my aspirations as an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). However, my greatest achievement was meeting my partner for life and having my three daughters. There is nothing that can give you that immense pleasure of seeing your own children grow up to be successful and happy in their careers and family lives. Once again, a salute to my mom who blazed the trail for us so that we could walk in her footsteps. My only regret is that she did not get to experience and enjoy the fruits of her phenomenal legacy.
My dad lived a happy life in Vancouver until the age of 90, when he passed away peacefully. My brother Aziz became a successful businessman in Edmonton, Alberta.
Today, in my retirement I can sit back and enjoy everything that I have accomplished. But most of all, I enjoy my relaxed life with my partner, my children, and my five grand children. One day, when they are grown up, they will read this biography and know who their nanima (grand mother) really was, and all the sacrifices their ancestors had made for them to have a better life here in Canada. In addition to the transformative impact of my mom’s passing, the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic delivered an unexpected result that I had not quite foreseen: this biography. It has been a labour of love, a bittersweet reflection, and a heightened sense of gratitude for a life well-lived."
Naznin

A Photo Album of Naznin's Life

From left to right: Naznin mom, Zera, sister Azmina, brother Aziz and father Kamrudin, Tanga.
Tanga old Jamatkhana.
Naznin's Mother - community leader, Tanga
Naznin's visit to Mum's grave in 2009, Tanga.
Naznin with family at her dad’s 90th birthday in Vancouver, Canada.