Chronicle Editor
Sandisiwe Gumbo, Sunday Life Reporter
LITTLE has been told about how and why the Indians found their way into parts of Southern Africa, the struggles for women emancipation and how knowledge sharing among women has been used to build bridges and ultimately a healthier society.
Fatima Kara — a United States-based Zimbabwean author delves into the subject with cutting edge research and artistic precision in her book — Train House on Lobengula Street. The book takes a look at the lives and challenges of the Indian origins community in a fictionalised representation of Bulawayo using the stories Fatima heard as a child. She takes the reader into a fictionalised and distant world of experience, support, struggle and hope.
In her review of the book Shaheena Kaarbanee, an Indian author praised Fatima for her careful research and storytelling which bring to life the untold stories of the Indian diaspora. The book represents an achievement in researching and telling the stories of the little-known Indian diaspora, who travelled from India to settle in the unknown world of then southern Rhodesia from the late 1800s. Kaarbanee expressed a sense of personal affirmation, noting that the novel has brought to light familiar stories and lives from her own history, inspiring the heritage of Indian women.
“Reading this novel, I felt excitement and recognition — I was reading about the lives and struggles of people who, in one form or another, are part of my DNA. No longer was I, the reader immersed and tapping into my empathy to connect with a novel; instead, familiar stories and lives from my own history are given air and lifted out of obscurity. Part of me, the heritage of Indian women, is affirmed. Fatima’s determination to tell the stories of those who have been marginalised by colonisation, patriarchy and capitalism spans decades; she has mastered her craft beyond academia and incorporated her strong affinity for nature, in her telling of this story. In her own life, she has grown hundreds of tree saplings and worked to have them planted and nurtured in rural schools in her home country, Zimbabwe,” Kaarbanee added.
“The Train House on Lobengula Street” is admired for its portrayal of grassroots activism, highlighting the transformative power of hope, faith, hard work, and community support. The novel sheds light on the complex struggles faced by families and individuals, particularly through the lens of education as a pivotal tool for liberation and societal progress.
“It is an exciting read,” Kaarbanee expressed. “We experience the evolution of Kulsum, the story’s protagonist, in a stream of loving gentleness blended with a steely determination, as she demonstrates the healing, nurturing powers of both women and nature. We see how Indian women struggle within their homes, as well as with society, and as part of the larger struggle against colonisation and for Zimbabwean Independence.”
Fatima’s rounded view of education as a means of empowerment and liberation resonates strongly with the narrative, showcasing the importance of knowledge sharing among women and its role in fostering a healthier society. The novel also highlights the author’s commitment to promoting female education, a legacy rarely lauded, particularly within Indian families in Uganda and Zimbabwe during the 1960s. “We see how knowledge held by women – of any race, in any form — is shared among them and used to build bridges and a healthier society. This novel speaks of a legacy that is rarely lauded – both this work of fiction and its author’s life reflect a commitment to female education that was rarely seen, much less expressed, in Indian families in Uganda and Zimbabwe in the 1960s.”
In her review, Kaarbanee extends her congratulations to Fatima on the publication of her first novel.
“I congratulate Fatima on the publication of this, her first novel, as well as for her determination to ensure that it is locally available and affordable, so that it can be read by and nurture those whose history it tells.”
Online Reporter