Fantasy Finds, as we know it today, first opened in 2003. But the roots of our company and our value system can be found in the 1950s, when Shiraz (Gulamhusein Vassanji) Nanji and Hamida (Ismail Velji) Mawani were children and their families first started trading in the East African British Colonies. As part of the Indo-Arab merchant class, their families fit economically somewhere between the African indigenous and British colonials. 
Dabbling in a little of this and a little of that, by the end of World War II, Shiraz’s family most dealt in textiles, working with military uniforms and supplies, school uniforms and other fabrics as well as the sewing and garment trades in first in Tanzania and then later in Kenya. The later part of the 1960’s found Hamida’s family spent much of their time in Kenya, dealing in African handicrafts, such as wooden carvings, beads, jewelry, fabrics and furs. (Photo: Gulamhusein & Daulatkhanu Nanji)
When Shiraz and Hamida met, Hamida was deeply ensconced in work with the American Embassy and with United Nations Status of Women’s Committee, where she represented Kenya in the late ‘60’s at the United Nations as their youngest delegate at an international conference in Madagascar. Through her work and deep commitment to the advancement of the Kenyan and East African people, she worked with amazing women such as Margaret Kenyatta and closely with many ambassadors and politicians during the turmoil in Uganda and dictatorship of Idi Amin, to help thousands of refugees flee Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania for a chance at a new life in the Western world. (Photo: Shiraz & Hamida Nanji)
Hamida and Shiraz were married in 1973 and left Kenya in 1974 to begin their new life in Canada. Their commitment to third world development, value system and Hamida’s work has continued through their daughter Zafira.
In Africa today, almost 2 generations later, the industries in which Hamida’s parents (Ismail and Sakerkhanu) and Shiraz’s parents (Gulamhusein and Daulatkhanu) once worked are vastly different. The fur and leather trade is almost extinct due to poachers and illegal gaming. For example, the Rhinoceros is nearly extinct. While once abundant in areas such as the Ngorongoro Crater, there are now only an estimated 6-20 surviving Rhinos. More commonly known are the elephants which are hunted for their ivory tusks.
As a result, hobby hunting is no longer as common and animals that once were hunted in the wild are now found in protected wilderness habitats and gaming reserves. Many of the Masai and Kikuyu tribes that once lived as hunters, gatherers and craftspeople have now moved into urban centers, such as Narobi and Dar Es Salam and work in office towers and farms, while others continue their lives in the rural Masai Mara and Ngorongoro Crater areas, continuing a closer existence to their earlier culture.
Hamida passed away suddenly in August 2004 and Fantasy Finds slowed down operations in 2006 as Zafira balanced full time work, school and the business. To fulfill Hamida's dream to return to Kenya before she passed away, in January 2007, Shiraz and Zafira visited Africa on a 4 week semi-nostalgic trip, taking Zafira back to her roots and to pay tribute to Hamida, Ismail, Sakherkhanu and Gulamhusein. Amongst the many stops were some of the places where Hamida, Ismail and Shiraz once sourced their products, the old shops they owned and even the old houses they lived in.
Zafira was very thankful that the house Shiraz lived in when he first “saw” Hamida was standing on the Tuesday she arrived in Nairobi. Unfortunately, when she returned to the Parklands area on the Friday to take a closer look, it had been bulldozed to build some new condos. (Photo: Zafira Nanji)
Hamida’s home still stands, and Zafira remembers her previous trip to Kenya at age 3-4, having her fingers stuck in the door during her aunt’s wedding, helping decorate and learning how to swim at the Oceanview Hotel in Mombassa fondly, with some scary memories of babboons jumping on the car and taking all the ghanthia and making her cry.
More importantly, business wise, on this trip, Zafira and Shiraz met with carvers and game wardens, as well as rekindling old family connections to bring some of British Colonial Africa and tribal craftware into the Twenty-First century. The most important part of these negotiations and trades was speaking with the tradespeople directly, ordering their wares, and making sure they were paid fairly for their work – not through some middleman. Ensuring their families are fed at the end of the day.
In general, Africa hasn’t really changed that much. In fact, in many ways time has stood still. In Nairobi, Dar-Es-Salam, the cities, are still bustling, busy, lively, places like New York, Toronto and London in the West. In the Rural areas, you can see zebras and wildebeest, in contrast with cows and horses in the West, and instead of the traditional Western image of the farmer, Masai tribesman and females can be seen peddling their craftwares.
Today, Tribes people may ride bicycles in on the dirt roads and tuck cell phones into their Khangas (tribal wear) and be more confident when making retail sales
to tourists, but ultimately they are still living life the way they did over 50 years ago, surviving hand-to-mouth and trying to improve their quality of life.
Fantasy Finds today is run by Zafira, best friend Sonia Fantauzzi (Photo) & guided by Shiraz.
Article/Blog Credit - Karmen Ho
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