Sadrudin Ali Nanji
- Babu
- 1919
- Parents
- Siblings
- Partners
by Jamalu Nanji, October, 2012, Abbotsford, BC
My paternal grandparents, Aly and Jenabai Nanji, originally from India, lived in Pangani, about 50 kilometres south of Tanga
They ran a retail shop of kapad
They went on to be chalu mukhi/mukhiani of Pangani for life
My father, known to everyone as “Sadru Mukhi”, was born in 1918 in Pangani
He was the younger of only two children
His elder sibling, Fatma, married into the Sajoo family, of Tanga
Ten years younger than his sister, he was called Babu
He grew up in Pangani but later his father sent him to sister Fatma in Tanga for his schooling
His first job, while still a student, was with Ismail Jetha & Company in Tanga
His first hodo was mukhi of students' majlis
He paid for juro for his majlis from his own salary
Later on, he worked for Motor Mart & Exchange Limited in auto parts
With the experience in auto parts, he opened a successful business, Automobile Stores
More hodas followed, including chalu mukhi for most of the 1950s
Every New Year's Day grandfather would phone from Pangani asking what hodo dad got
He married Dolatkhanu Habib Kassam Dewji also of Tanga
We are four siblings: Amir, myself, Shokat, Khatun
We Nanji and Sajoo cousins spent many holidays together in Pangani
Mum & dad both passed away in B.C., Canada but all of us siblings are still here in B.C.
