Bhanji Hirji, my grandfather, was born in Jiwapur, Gujarat around the year 1908, the eldest of 4 brothers and one sister. He grew up in this small village one hour outside of Jamnagar, which is currently the home to about a population of 4000 people. He grew up here, working on a farm owned by his father, and worked in a store that sold grains and other rations to the local villagers. He came from a poor family, and food and water were not always available. Living in such poor conditions, guidance came from Imam Sultan Mohamed Shah that him and others in Gujarat should move to Africa and start businesses there, where they were more likely to be prosperous. With this spark of hope, Bhanji left home at the age of 17, and stowed away on a sailboat that would take 3 months to reach the island of Zanzibar, just off the coast of Tanzania.
via Homecoming – The Make Change Project.
Earlier: Make the Change Project at Fidai Ismaili Women’s Orphanage in Mumbai
Ismailimail 