AS A young journalist, I came to admire Hassanali Rattansi for his dedication to sport and sports administration. He gave his all. And he was very frank (within limits of the politics of the day) about various aspects of sports admin and management. I found the following piece. Hassanali was born on March 14 1923 and passed away on 1-12-2003.
Dr. Hassanally Rattansi was born in Nyeri, in a valley nestling between the Aberdares and Mt. Kenya on 14 th March, 1921. He was the fourth child, in a family of ten, of Maniben and Mohamedally Rattansi. He started his early education in a makeshift school in Nyeri. In those days, the government made no provision for Asian schools in the rural areas. In small towns, such as Nyeri, Asians typically clubbed together to hire a teacher or two from India and set up their own school. More often than not, a leading merchant would make rooms available in his house for classes.
In 1931, Hassanally
completed whatever schooling Nyeri could offer. He then enrolled in the
Government Indian Senior Secondary School, now Jamhuri High School, in Nairobi.
He passed his London Matriculation Examination in 1936 and hoped to study
medicine or pharmacy in the United Kingdom. But his parents moved to Nairobi
and left him and his elder brother to look after their Nyeri business. This abruptly
cut short his ambitions for further education.
A born sportsman who
represented Kenya in tennis and cricket, at international level, Hassanally
started his sports business, Nairobi Sports House in 1948.
From these humble
beginnings, he had an illustrious career as a sportsman, businessman, civic
official and philanthropist. Over the years, he played a leading role in the
development of sports in Kenya as a sportsman or sports administrator. He held
various elected positions in sports organizations dealing with cricket, lawn
tennis and badminton. For example, he was Chairman of the Asian Sports
Association in 1958-59, Kenya Table Tennis Association in 1962, and Kenya Lawn
Tennis in 1965. He also served as Treasurer of Kenya Cricket Association in 1965
and the Kenya National Sports Council between 1966 and 1984. And between 1994
and 1997, he served as a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Kenya
National Sports Council.
Equally, he ably
represented Kenya in the international arena. For instance, he was
player-manager of the first East Africa Cricket Tour of South Africa in 1957
and team manager of the Kenya table tennis team to Cairo in 1962, and lawn
tennis team to the first African Games in Brazzaville in 1965.
Dr. Hassanally Rattansi
took over the management of the Mohamedally and Maniben Rattansi Educational Trust following
the death of his father, Mohamedally Rattansi, on 28 th July, 1957, and the
Chairmanship in 1962. He devoted his life to administering and developing the
Trust, and together with his wife, Dr. Vijoo Rattansi (Mrs.), have made it into
what it is today, 50 years later.
He believed that helping
others opened values for him. In order to effectively do this, he sold his own
business in 1987 in order to devote his energies and talents to the Trust. Even
before they sold the business, Hassanally worked for the Trust with a zest only
he possessed and started to realize his parents, dream. He did this free of charge
and on a daily basis for sixteen years, thus fulfilling his dharmic duty.
Former Beneficiaries
fond of him urged the Trust to start an endowment fund to which they would
subscribe and one that will help more students to pursue education and make
Hassanally's dream of eradicating poverty through education, a reality.
He believed that, “If
God has given you something more than you need, whether it is money or talent,
you are only a Trustee. Use what you need and give the rest to the people
around you.”
THE QUIET GIANT By Elkanah
Odembo
The author is a former
Director of Ufadhili Trust
I think about Hassan
Rattansi. I think about him often. It is not clear to me why Dr. Rattansi is so
often in my thoughts. Perhaps it is that so much of what I do on a daily basis
touches on some aspect of what Dr. Rattansi represented and worked for. Peace,
social justice, philanthropy, fairness, hard work, good governance, social
responsibility, etc.
Often I have talked
about the uniqueness of Hassan Rattansi. I am increasingly convinced that he
lived a full life and that his life is testimony that there is still hope for
mankind.
I miss his sense of
humor and ability to laugh at himself and others. The things he would say about
his lawyers, doctors, accountants. The wisdom of Hassan Rattansi was easy to
detect if ever you spent any time with him. His ability to see and internalize
the many opportunities and challenges that face Kenya today, and the
generations to come. I don't know anyone who knew so much about so many different
things. The economy, governance, peace and security, nature and conservation,
culture, and human development are all issues Hassan read about and discussed
passionately. It was the kind of passion that if found in some 100 or so
Kenyans could truly bring about change in this society. I can imagine his
reaction to the President's appointment of a "Dream Team" to deal
with Kenya's inequalities. He would probably say something like "This team
will be dreaming while the inequalities continue to rise".
Hassan was a great
admirer of nature and all good things in God's world, and believed strongly in
preservation and conservation of nature for future generations.
Hope is a great asset
for mankind and Hassan hosted it well. It was amazing how a man could sustain
such hope in the face of the unpleasant realities that we are faced with.
Hassan believed that people matter. That they matter, irrespective of age,
race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, creed or station in life. He also
believed in the importance of preserving people's dignity regardless of the
level of distress and destitution. What a gift!
Hassan's response to the
fundamental injustices in our society was also unique. He was the ultimate
reformer. He used his position in society extremely well. While committed to
care giving, he also pursued change. Remedy and rehabilitation are important,
but he also believed in reform. While he lived a life of service, he was also a
champion of social development. In this way he served the true interests of the
country and its people.
I listened to Dr.
Rattansi speak at many events and meetings. What was consistent at each of the
occasions was the warmth, reflection, inspiration, openness, directness and the
quiet passion. He was the embodiment of the values and ideals of a social
worker. But what impressed me the most about Hassan was the quality of the
person in him. He had an incredibly balanced approach to life, people and
events.
Encouraging others is
not a thing that comes easily for most of us. For Hassan it was second nature.
At many events that I attended with him he was considered the
"Wiseman", combining the qualities of great attention to detail,
while keeping focus on the big picture.
He truly was a quiet
giant. He has built the Rattansi Educational Trust into a tremendous powerhouse
institution with a remarkable track record of commitment to social justice. He
gave a strong moral force to the work of local nonprofit institutions.
I would conclude by
saying that for me there are two qualities that Dr. Hassan Rattansi has
exemplified. The first is that he has served as an inspiration to continually
challenge myself and to always reach a bit further. The second has been his
strong moral compass, directing that there should be a sense of social justice
and fairness, and making the world a better place.
Long live his dream
Dreamer & Achiever by Professor
Godfrey Muriuki
The author heads the
Department of History, University of Nairobi
Mr. Rattansi was born in Nyeri on 14th March, 1921. Walking all the way from
Nairobi, his father, Mohamedally, had settled in the newly-established boma of
Nyeri, at the turn of the century. He then bartered beads, salt, sugar,
amerikani, and blankets with the Dorobo and Kikuyu. Several years later, his
bride, Maniben, joined him. He had married her when he was only twelve years
old and she was ten. It was a typical Indian child-marriage. By Prof. Godfrey
Muriuki
Hassanally started his
early education in a makeshift school in Nyeri. In those days, the government
made no provision for Asian schools in the rural areas. In small towns, such as
Nyeri, Asians typically clubbed together to hire a teacher or two from India
and set up their own school. More often than not, a leading merchant would make
rooms available in his house for classes.
In 1931, Hassanally
completed whatever schooling Nyeri could offer. He then enrolled in the
Government Indian Senior Secondary School, now Jamhuri High School, in Nairobi.
He passed his London Matriculation Examination in 1936 and hoped to study
medicine or pharmacy in the United Kingdom. But his parents moved to Nairobi
and left him and his elder brother to look after their Nyeri business. This
abruptly cut short his ambitions for further education.
From these humble
beginnings, he had an illustrious career as a sportsman, businessman, civic
official and philanthropist. Over the years, he played a leading role in the
development of sports in Kenya as a sportsman or sports administrator. He held
various elected positions in sports organizations dealing with cricket, lawn
tennis and badminton. For example, he was Chairman of the Asian Sports
Association in 1958-59, Kenya Table Tennis Association in 1962, and Kenya Lawn
Tennis in 1965. He also served as Treasurer of Kenya Cricket Association in
1965 and the Kenya National Sports Council between 1966 and 1984. And between
1994 and 1997, he served as a member of the Central Executive Committee of the
Kenya National Sports Council.
Equally, he ably
represented Kenya in the international arena. For instance, he was
player-manager of the first East Africa Cricket Tour of South Africa in 1957
and team manager of the Kenya table tennis team to Cairo in 1962, and lawn
tennis team to the first African Games in Brazzaville in 1965.
His love of sports was
exemplary. It is this life-long commitment to sports that led the Rattansi
Educational Trust, of which he was a long-standing chairman, to offer financial
support to a variety of sporting bodies as well as purchasing sporting
equipment for many educational institutions.
His civic duties were
multi-faceted. They include serving as a councillor in the Nairobi City Council
(1960-65) and being a member of the board of governors of Highway Secondary
School, Kenya High School and St. Theresa's Secondary School. He also served as
a member of His Highness The Aga Khan Nairobi Provincial Council and Nairobi
Hospital Board.
But it is in the field
of education where his contribution has been most significant. His father and
mother established the Rattansi Educational Trust in 1956. Hassanally became
the chairman of the Trust in May 1962. Over the years, he developed it into one
of, if not, the leading charitable organizations supporting post-secondary
education and youth programmes in Kenya. In order to effectively do this, he
sold his own business in 1987 in order to devote his energies and talents to
the Trust. He did this free of charge and on a daily basis for sixteen years.
Like his father, he
strongly believed in social justice and that education is vital for the
advancement of individuals and Kenya as a whole. For this reason and since its
inception, the Trust awards bursaries to deserving Kenyans drawn from
polytechnics, teacher training colleges and local and overseas universities.
For example, annually it awards bursaries worth over sixteen million Kenya
shillings. In this regard, University of Nairobi has benefited from the Trust
since the inception of the cost-sharing policy in 1990-91 academic year.
The Trust has
contributed to the education of many prominent Kenyans. To mention only a few,
these include: Raju Batavia (Batavia Enterprises Ltd., Mombasa), the late
Justice J.M. Gachuhi (Court of Appeal), Mohamed Hyder (former Professor of
Zoology and Principal, College of Biological and Physical Sciences, University
of Nairobi), J.B. Karugu (former Attorney General), B.E. Kipkorir (former
academic and Kenya's Ambassador to the United States) and Sadru Ramji (Wyco
Paints, Nairobi).
Mr. Rattansi
passionately believed in the value of sports. He had also an abiding faith in
the youth of this country. For this reason, he fully participated in the
administration of youth organizations, such as the President's Award scheme of
which he had been a member since 1966. Indeed, he made the resources of the
Trust available to other youth programmes, particularly the Outward-Bound
School, Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. This is a clear demonstration of his
patriotism and commitment to the welfare of Kenya.
Finally, Mr. Rattansi
was a scholar in his own right. Deeply religious, he avidly read books on
religion, world affairs and Kenya. In particular, he took a keen interest in
the history of Kenya. To this end, he sponsored studies on the history and
culture of Asians in Kenya and East Africa.
To date, this venture
has yielded three books all written by Cynthia Salvadori. These are: Through
Open Doors: A View of Asian Cultures in Kenya, published in 1983, Two Indian
Travellers, published in 1997 and We Came in Dhows, 3 volumes, published in
1997 also.
In short, Mr. Rattansi
made an outstanding personal contribution to social justice, development of
sports and philanthropic support to education in Kenya. For that reason,
University of Nairobi awarded him an honorary Doctor of Letters degree and the
Government of Kenya a Silver Star in 1998. It is such a friend that Kenya lost
on 30th November, 2003. We shall certainly miss his gracious company and great
sense of humour.
A Fascinating Narrator By Charles
Njonjo
The author was a former
Attorney General of Kenya
Hassan is an extraordinary man. I don't think in my life I have met a man who
you meet for the first time and you feel an affinity towards him. In 1962 I
returned from England as a young lawyer and was employed by the government. I
had a job but where was I to stay? The residential areas were still strictly
segregated with the Europeans in Karen and Westland suburbs, the Asians in
Parklands and the Africans in the slum areas. Hassan heard about my predicament
and immediately, without a second thought, invited me into his home. I stayed
with him for two months before I moved on to spend another two months with Sir
Ernest Vasey before I was finally given a government house just opposite State
House.
Hassan was a remarkably
open and cosmopolitan thinker. He, together with Ibrahim Nathoo, John Mutura,
Derek Erskine, I and others, formed the United Kenya Club which was founded on
a concept of multi-racialism. He was a very conscientious person and in the
days, late 1950s, when councillors truly served the citizens without any
remuneration, Hassan was appointed to the finance committee of the Nairobi City
Council.
In 1957, Kenya was
moving towards independence. Mohamedally Rattansi foresaw the great need for
education and established the Mohamedally and Maniben Rattansi Education Trust
to assist needy students. He handed over the title deeds for the prime
properties to Sir Evelyn Baring, Governor of Kenya. A year later he passed away
and Hassan took over its management He devoted the rest of his life to
administering and developing it and I have been privileged to serve on its
board since 1964.
Hassan was a much sought
after after-dinner speaker as he had a store of fascinating stories to narrate
and his sense of humour was fabulous. He could be quite merciless with his wit,
not sparing himself or his family members. I remember his words as he poured me
a glass of whisky in his home: "Now drink it slowly and savour it, it is
very expensive," he advised!
An Inherited Legacy By Dr Vijoo
Rattansi
Hassanally has finally been granted his famous, "Boarding Pass". It is very difficult to believe that Dr Hassanally Rattansi is
no longer with us. Born in Nyeri, in a valley nestling between the Aberdares
and Mount Kenya on 14 March, 1921, he was the fourth child, in a family of ten,
of Mohammedally and Maniben Rattansi.
A fascinating story
teller and accurate to the last detail, Hassanally often went down memory lane
and recollected with great enthusiasm how his father and mother would walk to
Nyeri, via Naivasha and then over the Aberdares. This was in the early part of
the 20th century, to trade with the various tribes, living there. Bartering was
the way of trade then. It was during this early part of his life that young
Mohamedally and his very young bride were surrounded by the Wakikuyu,
Wandorobo, Wakamba and Masaii. This experience impressed upon them the
essential unity of humankind, which they passed on to their children.
Hassanally always
recalled how lucky he was to have parents who did not compromise their ideals
of truth, honesty and integrity. The simple and noble principles they tried to
follow throughout their lives deeply influenced Hassanally who always lived by
them, and shared the same with us, his family. I remember him telling the
children when they were young. "Never tell a lie. To cover that one lie
many others will follow. Truth, is the answer whatever the consequences."
In keeping with the
abiding cultural tradition in India, Hassanally's parents strongly believed in
"Dharma" or duty. This places an
obligation upon us to pay back to the fullest extent we can, all that we owe to
the society that has made it possible for us to mature and prosper. Hence the
birth of "The Rattansi Educational Trust" in 1956.
A born sportsman who
represented Kenya in tennis and cricket, at international level, Hassanally
started his sports business, Nairobi Sports House in 1948. In the 1980's,
Hassanally and I decided that we would devote all our time to the Rattansi
Educational Trust, to realize his parents' dream of expanding the Trust to
greater heights and doing our part of "Dharma" this time round. We
sold Nairobi Sports House thus making a clean break from the material world.
Even before we sold the
business, Hassanally worked for the Trust with a zest only he possessed and
started to realize his parents' dream. The little ground floor building that
was the Trust soon became the four storey building it is today, with plans to
go higher a couple more storeys should the need arise. Working at the Trust
with Hassanally's laughter and jokes to keep us going made the myriad problems
we had to face, so easy to surmount. Nothing was a problem to him; a joke he
made out of anything and everything. Ever ready to laugh, many a joke was cut
at my expense, all in the name of a good laugh! Until the end, his sense of
humour never failed him. While he was in the ICU in hospital, I asked the older
children to fly in from England. On the morning they arrived we went to see
Hassanally in hospital, I said to him, "Look who I've brought". He gave us his naughty but happy smile, looked at all the five
children and said to me, "A lot of protein!"
Although the children
and I will always miss Hassanally tremendously, we also realize that we must
follow the ideals he stood for and we must also celebrate his life at the same
time because he drank deeply from the cup of life. How fortunate, privileged and
humbled we are to have been part of his very full and enriched life.
From XXXX
AS A young journalist, I came to admire Hassanallly Rattansi for his dedication to sport and sports administration. He gave his all. And he was very frank (within limits of the politics of the day) about various aspects or sports admin and management.
I found the following piece. Hassanally was born on March 14 1923 and passed away on 1-12-2003.
Dr. Hassanally Rattansi was born in Nyeri, in a valley nestling between the Aberdares and Mt. Kenya on 14 th March, 1921. He was the fourth child, in a family of ten, of Maniben and Mohamedally Rattansi. He started his early education in a makeshift school in Nyeri. In those days, the government made no provision for Asian schools in the rural areas. In small towns, such as Nyeri, Asians typically clubbed together to hire a teacher or two from India and set up their own school. More often than not, a leading merchant would make rooms available in his house for classes.
In 1931, Hassanally
completed whatever schooling Nyeri could offer. He then enrolled in the
Government Indian Senior Secondary School, now Jamhuri High School, in Nairobi.
He passed his London Matriculation Examination in 1936 and hoped to study
medicine or pharmacy in the United Kingdom. But his parents moved to Nairobi
and left him and his elder brother to look after their Nyeri business. This abruptly
cut short his ambitions for further education.
A born sportsman who
represented Kenya in tennis and cricket, at international level, Hassanally
started his sports business, Nairobi Sports House in 1948.
From these humble
beginnings, he had an illustrious career as a sportsman, businessman, civic
official and philanthropist. Over the years, he played a leading role in the
development of sports in Kenya as a sportsman or sports administrator. He held
various elected positions in sports organizations dealing with cricket, lawn
tennis and badminton. For example, he was Chairman of the Asian Sports
Association in 1958-59, Kenya Table Tennis Association in 1962, and Kenya Lawn
Tennis in 1965. He also served as Treasurer of Kenya Cricket Association in 1965
and the Kenya National Sports Council between 1966 and 1984. And between 1994
and 1997, he served as a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Kenya
National Sports Council.
Equally, he ably
represented Kenya in the international arena. For instance, he was
player-manager of the first East Africa Cricket Tour of South Africa in 1957
and team manager of the Kenya table tennis team to Cairo in 1962, and lawn
tennis team to the first African Games in Brazzaville in 1965.
Dr. Hassanally Rattansi
took over the management of the Mohamedally and Maniben Rattansi Educational Trust following
the death of his father, Mohamedally Rattansi, on 28 th July, 1957, and the
Chairmanship in 1962. He devoted his life to administering and developing the
Trust, and together with his wife, Dr. Vijoo Rattansi (Mrs.), have made it into
what it is today, 50 years later.
He believed that helping
others opened values for him. In order to effectively do this, he sold his own
business in 1987 in order to devote his energies and talents to the Trust. Even
before they sold the business, Hassanally worked for the Trust with a zest only
he possessed and started to realize his parents, dream. He did this free of charge
and on a daily basis for sixteen years, thus fulfilling his dharmic duty.
Former Beneficiaries
fond of him urged the Trust to start an endowment fund to which they would
subscribe and one that will help more students to pursue education and make
Hassanally's dream of eradicating poverty through education, a reality.
He believed that, “If
God has given you something more than you need, whether it is money or talent,
you are only a Trustee. Use what you need and give the rest to the people
around you.”
THE QUIET GIANT By Elkanah
Odembo
The author is a former
Director of Ufadhili Trust
I think about Hassan
Rattansi. I think about him often. It is not clear to me why Dr. Rattansi is so
often in my thoughts. Perhaps it is that so much of what I do on a daily basis
touches on some aspect of what Dr. Rattansi represented and worked for. Peace,
social justice, philanthropy, fairness, hard work, good governance, social
responsibility, etc.
Often I have talked
about the uniqueness of Hassan Rattansi. I am increasingly convinced that he
lived a full life and that his life is testimony that there is still hope for
mankind.
I miss his sense of
humor and ability to laugh at himself and others. The things he would say about
his lawyers, doctors, accountants. The wisdom of Hassan Rattansi was easy to
detect if ever you spent any time with him. His ability to see and internalize
the many opportunities and challenges that face Kenya today, and the
generations to come. I don't know anyone who knew so much about so many different
things. The economy, governance, peace and security, nature and conservation,
culture, and human development are all issues Hassan read about and discussed
passionately. It was the kind of passion that if found in some 100 or so
Kenyans could truly bring about change in this society. I can imagine his
reaction to the President's appointment of a "Dream Team" to deal
with Kenya's inequalities. He would probably say something like "This team
will be dreaming while the inequalities continue to rise".
Hassan was a great
admirer of nature and all good things in God's world, and believed strongly in
preservation and conservation of nature for future generations.
Hope is a great asset
for mankind and Hassan hosted it well. It was amazing how a man could sustain
such hope in the face of the unpleasant realities that we are faced with.
Hassan believed that people matter. That they matter, irrespective of age,
race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, creed or station in life. He also
believed in the importance of preserving people's dignity regardless of the
level of distress and destitution. What a gift!
Hassan's response to the
fundamental injustices in our society was also unique. He was the ultimate
reformer. He used his position in society extremely well. While committed to
care giving, he also pursued change. Remedy and rehabilitation are important,
but he also believed in reform. While he lived a life of service, he was also a
champion of social development. In this way he served the true interests of the
country and its people.
I listened to Dr.
Rattansi speak at many events and meetings. What was consistent at each of the
occasions was the warmth, reflection, inspiration, openness, directness and the
quiet passion. He was the embodiment of the values and ideals of a social
worker. But what impressed me the most about Hassan was the quality of the
person in him. He had an incredibly balanced approach to life, people and
events.
Encouraging others is
not a thing that comes easily for most of us. For Hassan it was second nature.
At many events that I attended with him he was considered the
"Wiseman", combining the qualities of great attention to detail,
while keeping focus on the big picture.
He truly was a quiet
giant. He has built the Rattansi Educational Trust into a tremendous powerhouse
institution with a remarkable track record of commitment to social justice. He
gave a strong moral force to the work of local nonprofit institutions.
I would conclude by
saying that for me there are two qualities that Dr. Hassan Rattansi has
exemplified. The first is that he has served as an inspiration to continually
challenge myself and to always reach a bit further. The second has been his
strong moral compass, directing that there should be a sense of social justice
and fairness, and making the world a better place.
Long live his dream
Dreamer & Achiever by Professor
Godfrey Muriuki
The author heads the
Department of History, University of Nairobi
Mr. Rattansi was born in Nyeri on 14th March, 1921. Walking all the way from
Nairobi, his father, Mohamedally, had settled in the newly-established boma of
Nyeri, at the turn of the century. He then bartered beads, salt, sugar,
amerikani, and blankets with the Dorobo and Kikuyu. Several years later, his
bride, Maniben, joined him. He had married her when he was only twelve years
old and she was ten. It was a typical Indian child-marriage. By Prof. Godfrey
Muriuki
Hassanally started his
early education in a makeshift school in Nyeri. In those days, the government
made no provision for Asian schools in the rural areas. In small towns, such as
Nyeri, Asians typically clubbed together to hire a teacher or two from India
and set up their own school. More often than not, a leading merchant would make
rooms available in his house for classes.
In 1931, Hassanally
completed whatever schooling Nyeri could offer. He then enrolled in the
Government Indian Senior Secondary School, now Jamhuri High School, in Nairobi.
He passed his London Matriculation Examination in 1936 and hoped to study
medicine or pharmacy in the United Kingdom. But his parents moved to Nairobi
and left him and his elder brother to look after their Nyeri business. This
abruptly cut short his ambitions for further education.
From these humble
beginnings, he had an illustrious career as a sportsman, businessman, civic
official and philanthropist. Over the years, he played a leading role in the
development of sports in Kenya as a sportsman or sports administrator. He held
various elected positions in sports organizations dealing with cricket, lawn
tennis and badminton. For example, he was Chairman of the Asian Sports
Association in 1958-59, Kenya Table Tennis Association in 1962, and Kenya Lawn
Tennis in 1965. He also served as Treasurer of Kenya Cricket Association in
1965 and the Kenya National Sports Council between 1966 and 1984. And between
1994 and 1997, he served as a member of the Central Executive Committee of the
Kenya National Sports Council.
Equally, he ably
represented Kenya in the international arena. For instance, he was
player-manager of the first East Africa Cricket Tour of South Africa in 1957
and team manager of the Kenya table tennis team to Cairo in 1962, and lawn
tennis team to the first African Games in Brazzaville in 1965.
His love of sports was
exemplary. It is this life-long commitment to sports that led the Rattansi
Educational Trust, of which he was a long-standing chairman, to offer financial
support to a variety of sporting bodies as well as purchasing sporting
equipment for many educational institutions.
His civic duties were
multi-faceted. They include serving as a councillor in the Nairobi City Council
(1960-65) and being a member of the board of governors of Highway Secondary
School, Kenya High School and St. Theresa's Secondary School. He also served as
a member of His Highness The Aga Khan Nairobi Provincial Council and Nairobi
Hospital Board.
But it is in the field
of education where his contribution has been most significant. His father and
mother established the Rattansi Educational Trust in 1956. Hassanally became
the chairman of the Trust in May 1962. Over the years, he developed it into one
of, if not, the leading charitable organizations supporting post-secondary
education and youth programmes in Kenya. In order to effectively do this, he
sold his own business in 1987 in order to devote his energies and talents to
the Trust. He did this free of charge and on a daily basis for sixteen years.
Like his father, he
strongly believed in social justice and that education is vital for the
advancement of individuals and Kenya as a whole. For this reason and since its
inception, the Trust awards bursaries to deserving Kenyans drawn from
polytechnics, teacher training colleges and local and overseas universities.
For example, annually it awards bursaries worth over sixteen million Kenya
shillings. In this regard, University of Nairobi has benefited from the Trust
since the inception of the cost-sharing policy in 1990-91 academic year.
The Trust has
contributed to the education of many prominent Kenyans. To mention only a few,
these include: Raju Batavia (Batavia Enterprises Ltd., Mombasa), the late
Justice J.M. Gachuhi (Court of Appeal), Mohamed Hyder (former Professor of
Zoology and Principal, College of Biological and Physical Sciences, University
of Nairobi), J.B. Karugu (former Attorney General), B.E. Kipkorir (former
academic and Kenya's Ambassador to the United States) and Sadru Ramji (Wyco
Paints, Nairobi).
Mr. Rattansi
passionately believed in the value of sports. He had also an abiding faith in
the youth of this country. For this reason, he fully participated in the
administration of youth organizations, such as the President's Award scheme of
which he had been a member since 1966. Indeed, he made the resources of the
Trust available to other youth programmes, particularly the Outward-Bound
School, Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. This is a clear demonstration of his
patriotism and commitment to the welfare of Kenya.
Finally, Mr. Rattansi
was a scholar in his own right. Deeply religious, he avidly read books on
religion, world affairs and Kenya. In particular, he took a keen interest in
the history of Kenya. To this end, he sponsored studies on the history and
culture of Asians in Kenya and East Africa.
To date, this venture
has yielded three books all written by Cynthia Salvadori. These are: Through
Open Doors: A View of Asian Cultures in Kenya, published in 1983, Two Indian
Travellers, published in 1997 and We Came in Dhows, 3 volumes, published in
1997 also.
In short, Mr. Rattansi
made an outstanding personal contribution to social justice, development of
sports and philanthropic support to education in Kenya. For that reason,
University of Nairobi awarded him an honorary Doctor of Letters degree and the
Government of Kenya a Silver Star in 1998. It is such a friend that Kenya lost
on 30th November, 2003. We shall certainly miss his gracious company and great
sense of humour.
A Fascinating Narrator By Charles
Njonjo
The author was a former
Attorney General of Kenya
Hassan is an extraordinary man. I don't think in my life I have met a man who
you meet for the first time and you feel an affinity towards him. In 1962 I
returned from England as a young lawyer and was employed by the government. I
had a job but where was I to stay? The residential areas were still strictly
segregated with the Europeans in Karen and Westland suburbs, the Asians in
Parklands and the Africans in the slum areas. Hassan heard about my predicament
and immediately, without a second thought, invited me into his home. I stayed
with him for two months before I moved on to spend another two months with Sir
Ernest Vasey before I was finally given a government house just opposite State
House.
Hassan was a remarkably
open and cosmopolitan thinker. He, together with Ibrahim Nathoo, John Mutura,
Derek Erskine, I and others, formed the United Kenya Club which was founded on
a concept of multi-racialism. He was a very conscientious person and in the
days, late 1950s, when councillors truly served the citizens without any
remuneration, Hassan was appointed to the finance committee of the Nairobi City
Council.
In 1957, Kenya was
moving towards independence. Mohamedally Rattansi foresaw the great need for
education and established the Mohamedally and Maniben Rattansi Education Trust
to assist needy students. He handed over the title deeds for the prime
properties to Sir Evelyn Baring, Governor of Kenya. A year later he passed away
and Hassan took over its management He devoted the rest of his life to
administering and developing it and I have been privileged to serve on its
board since 1964.
Hassan was a much sought
after after-dinner speaker as he had a store of fascinating stories to narrate
and his sense of humour was fabulous. He could be quite merciless with his wit,
not sparing himself or his family members. I remember his words as he poured me
a glass of whisky in his home: "Now drink it slowly and savour it, it is
very expensive," he advised!
An Inherited Legacy By Dr Vijoo
Rattansi
Hassanally has finally been granted his famous, "Boarding Pass". It is very difficult to believe that Dr Hassanally Rattansi is
no longer with us. Born in Nyeri, in a valley nestling between the Aberdares
and Mount Kenya on 14 March, 1921, he was the fourth child, in a family of ten,
of Mohammedally and Maniben Rattansi.
A fascinating story
teller and accurate to the last detail, Hassanally often went down memory lane
and recollected with great enthusiasm how his father and mother would walk to
Nyeri, via Naivasha and then over the Aberdares. This was in the early part of
the 20th century, to trade with the various tribes, living there. Bartering was
the way of trade then. It was during this early part of his life that young
Mohamedally and his very young bride were surrounded by the Wakikuyu,
Wandorobo, Wakamba and Masaii. This experience impressed upon them the
essential unity of humankind, which they passed on to their children.
Hassanally always
recalled how lucky he was to have parents who did not compromise their ideals
of truth, honesty and integrity. The simple and noble principles they tried to
follow throughout their lives deeply influenced Hassanally who always lived by
them, and shared the same with us, his family. I remember him telling the
children when they were young. "Never tell a lie. To cover that one lie
many others will follow. Truth, is the answer whatever the consequences."
In keeping with the
abiding cultural tradition in India, Hassanally's parents strongly believed in
"Dharma" or duty. This places an
obligation upon us to pay back to the fullest extent we can, all that we owe to
the society that has made it possible for us to mature and prosper. Hence the
birth of "The Rattansi Educational Trust" in 1956.
A born sportsman who
represented Kenya in tennis and cricket, at international level, Hassanally
started his sports business, Nairobi Sports House in 1948. In the 1980's,
Hassanally and I decided that we would devote all our time to the Rattansi
Educational Trust, to realize his parents' dream of expanding the Trust to
greater heights and doing our part of "Dharma" this time round. We
sold Nairobi Sports House thus making a clean break from the material world.
Even before we sold the
business, Hassanally worked for the Trust with a zest only he possessed and
started to realize his parents' dream. The little ground floor building that
was the Trust soon became the four storey building it is today, with plans to
go higher a couple more storeys should the need arise. Working at the Trust
with Hassanally's laughter and jokes to keep us going made the myriad problems
we had to face, so easy to surmount. Nothing was a problem to him; a joke he
made out of anything and everything. Ever ready to laugh, many a joke was cut
at my expense, all in the name of a good laugh! Until the end, his sense of
humour never failed him. While he was in the ICU in hospital, I asked the older
children to fly in from England. On the morning they arrived we went to see
Hassanally in hospital, I said to him, "Look who I've brought". He gave us his naughty but happy smile, looked at all the five
children and said to me, "A lot of protein!"
Although the children
and I will always miss Hassanally tremendously, we also realize that we must
follow the ideals he stood for and we must also celebrate his life at the same
time because he drank deeply from the cup of life. How fortunate, privileged and
humbled we are to have been part of his very full and enriched life.
From XXX
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