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Photos Scanned And Provided By: Mustafa Pirmohamed
Email: mpirmohamed@gmail.com
 

Alibhai Ebrahim (1889-1962)
(Father of Fatubai Ali Toto)

Alibhai Ebrahim sailed to Dar from India in 1902 at the age of 13. He then went to Lindi and joined in the shop of his brother. In 1904 he returned to Dar es Salaam. At that time there was German rule in the country. In Dar, he started the business of hiring hand-carts and rickshaws. There were no motor vehicles at that time so hand-carts were used to move merchandise from the port. Most of the businessmen were in Bagamoyo and Dar es Salaam was a very small town.

The Ithnaasheri community in Dar was about 200. There was Imambara made up of corrugated iron sheets and namaz was also prayed in the same place. Due to cooperation from community members a masjid was built in 1907. The main mode of transport was by foot, except for the wealthy and sick who used machera (carried by others). Railway started in 1905. Most of the houses in Dar were made up of mud with the exception of German officers and some very wealthy men. Dar started booming after the construction of the railway.

Nasser Virji had some trust money from which he built Musafarkhana in 1912. A new Imambara was built in 1941. The contribution for construction was entirely by members. Mr Gulamhussein Virji had put a lot of effort towards the construction of the Imambara..

Alibhai Ebrahim was famously known as Ali Toto or Ali Maziwa. He had a dairy business selling milk as he had many cows in the area beyond Ilala.

He was allowed by the Dar Jamaat to build a Bewa Khana (home for widows) above Ebrahim Haji Medical Centre in memory of his wife. It was named Jenabai Ebrahim Alibhai Ithnaashery Bewa Khana. He also donated to Dar Jamat a three-storeyed building on Uhuru Street.

He had a bungalow-like house in the lane on the right of Abdulrasul Juma building on the corner of Jamhuri Street. A high rise building named Shreejee has been constructed in that place recently. He also owned the building next to DTV.

He had four daughters from his first wife, one of them being Fatubai Alitoto. Late Fatubai alitoto and her husband Late Akberali Hemraj will be remembered for their dedicated services to Lindi Jamat. His second wife was Sherbanu Sajan Dhirani from who he had 3 sons and one daughter.


Source: Trade Directory 1960; Alhaj Mohamed Dhirani