Ottawa Pioneer Residents

THE HUMANITARIAN GIANT OF OTTAWA – SEWCHUL STALEJ ( S S ) MAHARAJ  S S MAHARAJ AND HIS BROTHERS – DICKY AND D S – WERE PART OF YET ANOTHER PIONEERING FAMILY OF OTTAWA  (Mr S S Maharaj with his wife, Umee, and other members of the Maharaj family.) By SUBRY GOVENDER  One of the South African Indian-origin sporting giants of the 1940s who won the national tennis championship at the age of 21 rose to become a humanitarian of note and leader of the Ottawa village, north of Durban, from the 1950s to the mid 1980s.  Who was this super humanitarian, who not only owned the Flash Clothing Manufacturers factory at the corner of the Main Road and School Road, but also played a significant role in the school building programme and other community and social projects in Ottawa?  (S S Maharaj with family members and friends.) He was none other than Mr Sewchul Stalej or S S Maharaj, who was well-known for his achievements as a national tennis player and h

  ("Medicine Ayah" or "Nurse Partee" - Mrs Ponnamma Muinsami - seen here with her four sons - from L to R -  Ganase -  George, Yagambaram -  Zadick , Govindsamy - Firni, and Thirumudi - Doc) MRS PONNAMMA MUNISAMI DELIVERED BABIES AND PROVIDED TRADITIONAL MEDICAL CARE AT A TIME WHEN THE LOCAL WOMEN OF OTTAWA FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO VISIT HOSPITALS (Mr Munisami Munisami)       (Mrs Ponnamma Munisami)               By Subry Govender   In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s an adult lady, who lived with her large family in a property near the new Jhugroo Primary School, earned herself the name, “Medicine Ayah” and “Nurse Partee”, for helping pregnant women in the Ottawa village to deliver their babies. At that time not many families could afford to travel to hospitals and it was in this environment that Mrs Ponnamma Munisami came to their rescue. Ponnamma Munisami helped to deliver scores of babies in Tin Town and other parts of Ottawa and in the process became f