Early Asian African dukas in East Africa. Bead Bai is the story of the woman behind the store front.

Photo by Sultan Somjee

In towns and remote rural areas, women raised families and also managed stores. They came as teenage or child brides and died as grandmothers here. A woman's dowry ornaments often provided security for businesses and sometimes even capital for expansion or restart after collapse.

Photo courtesy Asian African Heritage Exhibition 2000 - 2006

Bead Shop, Embu, Kenya 1930s. Bharat Patel identified this store as that of his grandfather Gordhan Bhai Javer Bhai Patel. The home was often behind and attached to the duka. Notice the beads on right. Each ethnic region had a completely different scheme of beads that patterned body ornaments. Kenya alone has forty ethnic groups. Hence the trade in beads in the first half of the last century was huge. The Bead Bais worked on tribal beads in their family stores in the most remote places in Africa at the equator.

Photo courtsey Shameen Manji

Small town rural duka. Notice sweets in jars in front (2 for tongolo, 1 for dhururu)). Often the Bais cooked sweets like simsim balls for these window jars. They would also arrange and display strings of beads. Notice some strings of beads hanging at the back in this small rural duka.

Comments

Thank you for the update on Splendours.... If I were to conjure up a portrait of Sakina, it would be very close to the picture on the book cover. Gulam Gwadry on  Anonymous Hi Atula: How nice to read your email. In 1920s my mother's family lived in Jugu Bazaar where my grandfather sold dried fish. In my childhood I used to come to the Bazaar with my aunts and mother. There was a shop there called Atul's - famous for threads and buttons. Rajan Lajli's bead shop was on the opposite side. Would you know of other bead families? I will certainly visit your shop when I am in Nairobi. Thank you for the invitation. I live in Vancouver now. If you are around this part of the world, please contact me so we can meet for coffee at least. best regards, Sultan Somjee on Who were these Bead Bais of East Africa who came to Canada as grandmothers? Sultan Somjee Hi Sultan, I just got the link to the post today. Well Juggu bazaar as it was known in those days is now known as Njugu lane. Around the 60's, 70's, 80's till up to 2000, the shops in the lane were owned by Indian gujarati traders, all wholesale shops dealing in textile fabrics. Well that has changed just one shop now dealing in textile fabrics, some have been turned into stores, few restaurants, a Cocacola distributor, few shops selling various items. We are family owned business still in Njugu lane for the past 50years, my grandfather & father retired some years ago. We are using the shop as an office. We had been talking of moving to Westlands area, however the charm of being in the CBD & in the lane is not anywhere else. You are most wellcome to visit us on Njugu lane. Atula Shah on Who were these Bead Bais of East Africa who came to Canada as grandmothers? Atula Shah To all you people, nice work (from Dev) on Early Asian African dukas in East Africa. Bead Bai is the story of the woman behind the store front. Anonymous Hello Hussain: Yes there were Bead Bais across the mainland in EA. Many of the Bead Bais were Khojah women. The men collected their bead stock from Nairobi's Moti Bazaar also called Khojah bazaar that was the street behind the main jamat khana on Government Road. The book keeps on getting delayed. Now I estimate the publication in Summer this year. My apologies to the readers once again. Soon I will be posting the cover design that took a while mainly because of my changing thoughts about this multi-layered story of the Satpanth Khojah Bai on the savannah. Sultan Somjee on Who were these Bead Bais of East Africa who came to Canada as grandmothers? Sultan Somjee Never knew we had Bead Bais among us. It must have been a big trade and a nice vocation for some of us. I was born in and grew up in Zanzibar. Never seen this kind of occupation undertaken by our khoja ladies there. Do you have a definite date when this book will be up for sale to the public. Anyways thanks for the intro to this segment of our khoja involvement in the East African commerce. Hussain NY on Who were these Bead Bais of East Africa who came to Canada as grandmothers? Anonymous Anonymous Hello VC: The book is in the stage of cover design and then it will go to print. I would say Bead Bai will be out in two/three months. You could purchase directly from Amazon. I will be posting the details on the Blog http://thebeadbai.blogspot.com/ From early 1900s, it was the Kutchi/Kathiwari (Saurastrians, as my grandmother used to say) who carried the bead trade across Africa at the equator. Beads are singularly the most important art material of many tribal societies. My book, a historical fiction, is about African beads and a Gujarati rural family in Maasailand. Based on true characters and events, though a work of fiction. Thanks for writing, Sultan Somjee on Who were these Bead Bais of East Africa who came to Canada as grandmothers? Sultan Somjee When your book is out ..about bead bias of e africa..!! Many thanks. Would be very interested to read your account of our e african Kathiawar/kutch lot's history ..! Cheers, V C on Who were these Bead Bais of East Africa who came to Canada as grandmothers? Anonymous Yes, I agree 'Hats off to our grandmothers and great grandmothers. This could be the story of your and many a grandmother and great grandmother not spoken of in history. They were a part of development of commerce in East Africa besides raising families in the remote corners of the tropics. My interest is in the Bais who carried the most important African aesthetic material i.e. beads. Hence, I have been researching on stories of Bead Bais. Many Asian African families sold beads as they established stores inland. Bead Bai is a story of one woman but is based on stories of many grandmothers and great grandmothers who lived at the time. Thanks for remembering the mothers who nurtured at least two generations in East Africa and who as you say `persevered in a men's world` . Sultan on Early Asian African dukas in East Africa. Bead Bai is the story of the woman behind the store front. Sultan Somjee Hats off to our grandmothers and great grandmothers . Thjs could easily be a story of my grandmother ,who a widow at 25 with children, persevered in a men's world and did very well. Thanks on Early Asian African dukas in East Africa. Bead Bai is the story of the woman behind the store front. Anonymous I found your contribution very interesting and illuminating. I liked that display "Khota Moti Na Sacha Vepari" From the late 1930's my father operated a tailoring shop for ladies garments on Khimji Road off River Road - about a kilometer away from the Khoja Mosque. He had a very large Khoja/Ismaili clientele who came to him specifically on Khusali for their typical long dresses to be tailored by him. The shop name was Naranbhai Nagarbhai Tailor and Sons. He closed the shop in 1962. He passed away in Nairobi in 1991. Maybe you or your parents or some relation have memories of my father. Kind regards Kantilal on Who were these Bead Bais of East Africa who came to Canada as grandmothers? Kantilal Yes there is a vacuum when it comes to how much we know about our pioneer ancestors, especially women pioneer ancestors. Sultan Somjee on Who were these Bead Bais of East Africa who came to Canada as grandmothers? Sultan Somjee Imagine a little storefront like that to sustain part of the family income in the African hinterland! It makes one reflect on our journey and the strength and sense of adventure of our ancestor pioneers. I remember echos and the words Juggu Bazar being uttered in my household when I was just a little boy. Thank you for writing this untold history, so neglected from textbooks. on Who were these Bead Bais of East Africa who came to Canada as grandmothers? Anonymous Bead Bai will be released in Spring 2012. Meanwhile it would be nice to share memories of Bead Bais in all your families. A photograph of the Bead Bai or your bead duka in East Africa would be great. Though my experience has been among Satpanth Khojah, there were also Bead Bais among other communties. Hope they can also write and expand our knowledge of our shared Asian African history. More importantly we will have the names and memories of the Bead Bais recorded for posterity. What is not said in history is that the Bead Bais' industrious work helped the transport of Africa's most important art and aesthetic material i.e. the beads. Sultan Somjee on Who were these Bead Bais of East Africa who came to Canada as grandmothers? Sultan Somjee I am looking forward to your published book, please keep us updated on Who were these Bead Bais of East Africa who came to Canada as grandmothers? Anonymous Dear Dr somjee, my name is njeru marclus njamwea,and really this is inspiring and wish to read the book,and any other book you may have produced.i remember you,those days in the university of nairobi,and afterwards,i regret having lost contact with you.thank god for the internet! on Anonymous Hi, I just read your blog on the bead workers. I really enjoyed it and can hardly wait to hold it in my hands and read the whole thing. Jacqueline Weinstein on Anonymous Dear Sultan, I've been keeping up with the wealth of material at your site - I can't wait for the book to come out! Many thanks, and keep writing for all of us - and the generations to come :-) -- Shailja Patel My book, Migritude, comes out from Kaya Press in October 2010 http://kaya.com/books/28 "A work of unwavering moral conscience, a battle cry for justice, expressed through a poetic talent that deserves a global audience." - - - Dennis Brutus on Anonymous Congratulations Sultan! We are proud of you! Dinesh Bhagani Farmington, CT USA on Anonymous Congratulations Sultan! We are proud of you! Dinesh Bhagani Farmington, CT USA on Sultan Somjee Sultanbhai , I have just finished reading those chapters from your book ,'' Splenders of dawn in my English suitcase ''which Dineshbhai had forwarded to the Forum. While reading, it gives a feel of watching a pictorial of the history of East African Asians. I am sure your Suitcase will be full of memories for many of us .I will be on the look out for it ! Congratulations , and wishing you all the best .Urmila Jhaveri , DSM, TZ. on Anonymous Vali: It's a wonderful idea to exchange stories and comments on different experiences stimulated by the chapters in Splendours of Dawn ! I think the chapter that your son sent you was from No 9 in the Archives on my Blog. It’s called Tooko Faarak. Faarak is Gujarati from frock as you may know. That was our grandmothers’ and mothers’ contribution to modernity. Hope you get many stories on Tooko Faarak on your Blog. In Splendours of Dawn there is more about the loss of dress and language (Gujarati) in the Khojah community of East Africa. Regards Sultan on Sultan Somjee Hello friends and family, My son has posted this chapter about the aftermath of the Evian conference from Sultan Somjee's on-going book. Sultan writes beautifully of our East African past. I have always said for us to write an honest book we need to include this just-off-the-JK kind of goings-on and even boy-meets-girl-in-khane. I'll write in my comment about how it was for my mother to adopt the "simple colonial dress." Go to http://thebeadbai.blogspot.com/ for Sultan Somjee's book. And visit www.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. and leave a comment. Kindly pass this on to people on your lists. on Vali Jamal Ref: 11 Riziki tells the story of Bibi's kanga Oanali said... Thanks for writing about kanga/lesso.My parents and brothers had/has shop in Mariakani. I still remember the days when sale of lesso was not complete until the reading of the words was undertaken by salesperson or my brother.If it was satisfactory to customer than only the price was negotiated. Oanali Zavery Mariakani/Lindsay ontario. on Sultan Somjee Ref: 15 Early Asian African dukas of East Africa. Bottom photograph of store in Embu. Anonymous said... Thats my grandfather's store!! Made our day when we came across it,,thanks Bharat K Patel September 21, 2009 1:44 PM Sultan Somjee said... Bharat: What was your grandfather's name and the name of the store. I can add below for memory's sake. Thanks Sultan September 21, 2009 5:53 PM Anonymous said... Dear Mr. Somjee Sultan, that is my father's shop. His full name is Gordhanbhai Javerbhai Patel, would like to know more about the photograph and if my father was known to the Photographer. Seeing this meant a lot to us. all family members April 25, 2010 3:42 AM on Sultan Somjee Correct. Its the character who speaks and exposes her prejudice. Hope you get to read the whole book. Regards, Sultan on Sultan Somjee Ref: 10 Episode 6 Anonymous said... You mention Gujarati 'bania' with such disdain yet never ever once mention an Ismaili leech on Anonymous Ref: Episode 6 My Country,My President Yasin said... Yes I have also gone through this humilation in my country Tanzania which I love dearly,but I am afraid to tell my Tanzanian born children that there is racial discrimination openly in East Africa in the daily life and in equal opertunity for work in goverment is nil for Asians. We are presently in USA which too has discrimination because of our Muslim names,sad.Can never run away from these problems of being an immigration for gernerations. on Anonymous Dear Mr. Somjee Sultan, that is my father's shop. His full name is Gordhanbhai Javerbhai Patel, would like to know more about the photograph and if my father was known to the Photographer. Seeing this meant a lot to us. all family members on Early Asian African dukas in East Africa. Bead Bai is the story of the woman behind the store front. Anonymous Bharat: What was your grandfather's name and the name of the store. I can add below for memory's sake. Thanks Sultan on Sultan Somjee "Early Asian African dukas in East Africa": Thats my grandfather's store!! Made our day when we came across it,,thanks Bharat K Patel on Anonymous Bharat: What was your grandfather's name and the name of the store. I can add below for memory's sake. Thanks Sultan on Early Asian African dukas in East Africa. Bead Bai is the story of the woman behind the store front. Anonymous Thats my grandfather's store!! Made our day when we came across it,,thanks Bharat K Patel on Early Asian African dukas in East Africa. Bead Bai is the story of the woman behind the store front. Anonymous Hi, Shravan Vidyarthi is the grandson of Girdharilal Vidyarthi and great grandson of Shamdass Bootamal Horra. Girdharilal is the one who spent a few years in prison fighting the British Colonials. on Anonymous Just looking forward to the book! Can say only one word- EXCELLENT! Upen on Upen Reading your book I feel I am back in time and some of the events that we now understand were not in the forefront when we were kids. Example was of the short dress or frocks. I remember the picture as my Mom had it but your discussion on the subject was over powering. Mohamed Lalani on Anonymous Assalaam Alaykum , It was good to read old fiction stories from our homeland.It reminds a lot of the good old days to where we belong. Wish all the best and look forward to read the book in future. H.Adnan on Anonymous Such a tremendous wealth of history, imagery, story and language......many congratulations and thanks for creating this archive of riches for all of us. -- Shailja Patel on Anonymous Dear Naila: Thanks. The latest posting on April 2nd 2009 is in No 11 if you click in the Archive. I was teased Khoaj moja... when I attended the Government Indian Primary School in Nairobi. This was in the fifties. I think the boys made it up. Regards Sultan on Anonymous I have read all the pages -really good and nostalgic . I wondered where the chant 'Khoja moja---" came from. Naila on Anonymous Dear Mr. Somjee, Please let me know when this is for public consumption e.g. the book for sale etc. It did bring me a lot of memories and love the history. Thanks Amin Mawji on Anonymous On your post "10 Episode 6: My country, my president!": Yes I have also gone through this humilation in my country Tanzania which I love dearly,but I am afraid to tell my Tanzanian born children that there is racial discrimination openly in East Africa in the daily life and in equal opertunity for work in goverment is nil for Asians. We are presently in USA which too has discrimination because of our Muslim names,sad.Can never run away from these problems of being an immigration for gernerations. Yasin on Anonymous I am the 4th generation of my family who were born in Africa and my children the 5th,The first generation was born in 1890 in Dar es Salaam.I have never been to India but this story moved my inner roots.I have heard from my parents and grandparents same story of famine and comming to Africa and never going back. I only know that we came from Kucth Mandvi. Anonymous Thank you Barbara. I will keep you in mind when the book is available. I will also be posting the cover on this Blog. Take care, Sultan on Anonymous Dear Somjee, I would be interested in reading your book.When will you publish it and where could I get a copy? I enjoy the fact that they are pictures to illustrate your story. Barbara Sun on Anonymous Dear Sultan, I read your input on the A-O Forum.You have penned together some wonderful memories in a very captivating manner. I have to re read the stories from your Blog again it is really very interesting the way you have written them. Reader on Anonymous Hello Farouk: Thank you for writing about your family's connection with beads. Trade in ethnic beads and later in trade beads was huge in East Africa. Asian Adrican families such as yours depended on it and helped to create and expand the commerce. Families such as your own became creative and skilled. They stored and carried African art material and told stories. My book is about one such a family and the Khoja Bai who worked in beads as well as zari work. store. Your mother is certainly a Bead Bai who should be better known for her love of bead art and her creativity. Warm regrads Sultan Anonymous  Dear Sultan, Excellent writing. Very good read. I thank you for sending me the link and look forward to its publication. I look forward to you coming to monthly storytelling to inform of your book and your stories. May is the last event of this season and we start again in September. Mary Gavan