Ref: AF/PR/26/17
Alhaj Hassan Ali M. Jaffer visits AFED Archives Section
in Dar es Salaam
Africa Federation Archives Section:
In 2007, the office bearers of Africa Federation (Afed) decided to create an Archives section within the Afed Secretariat. In Archives section, old documents, photographs, books and records are maintained with proper index references. Several appeals were sent out to request Jamaats and community members who possessed historical records, photographs etc. to send them to the Archives section thereby they would make copies and return the originals to their respective owners. Only few responded to the appeal. There is also a plan to digitize the records, photographs, documents etc. for posterity, safe keeping and future use by the Federation.
Regular bulletins from the Archives section secretariat are issued covering different topics including events that took place in the Jamaats of Africa several decades ago, profiles of the past leaders and history of our community in Africa from the early days of migration from India where it all started !!
On Wednesday, 12th July 2017, Archives section was privileged to host a prominent member of our community, a prolific writer and a historian of the Khoja Heritage, Alhaj Hassanbhai Jaffer from Mombasa, Kenya. Hassanbhai has authored several books, his latest book is titled “The Endangered Species”. The book is available from the Afed Secretariat office and from KSI Jamaat of Dar es Salaam Bookshop.
A meeting was held with Hassanbhai, the Archives sectional secretary, Alhaj Murtaza Jivraj and the Archives administrative secretary, Arifa bai Somji. The Afed office bearers, Alhaj Aunali Khalfan, Alhaj Mohamed Hemani and Alhaj Hussein Karim also attended the meeting. The meeting was held over a lunch at the Archives office which is located in the Afed sub-office.
The discussion covered a wider spectrum of subjects, including the importance of maintaining historical records and preserving them for the future generations, similarly for using as references when such a need arise, it was also emphasised that the Archives section should obtain modern equipment like, a good quality colour scanner, a digital camera cum video recorder and a computer with bigger capacity to store data, information and also back-up facilities. Murtaza bhai Jivraj explained that the equipment required would cost approximately US$10,000.
Upon the request from Afed, Alhaj Hassan Jaffer has kindly agreed to take up an important assignment of compiling a book on the history of the Africa Federation since its inception in 1946 which, Afed intends to launch in April 2018 marking the celebrations of 72 years of the existence of the Africa Federation – The mother of all Federations.
We are very grateful to Hassan bhai Jaffer for accepting to take up this mammoth task. On this note, we shall request all our community members and particularly the elders of our community to provide him with full support and cooperation to enable him complete this task successfully. We pray for his good health, long life and success in his endeavours, Ameen.
The Africa Federation Secretariat is thankful to Alhaj Hassan bhai Jaffer for his visit and for providing useful guidance on the subject of Archives and the importance of preserving the history of our community.
SECRETARIAT