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Chapter 24. Nairobi
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Most of the people who settled down here were either uneducated or less educated but were hungry to learn. An adult school was started in the evenings to teach Gujarati and English languages. The classes in the initial phase were conducted at various business places. Books were bought. As there was no communal place available, small libraries were established at various business places to keep the books. As the number of people went on increasing a small house was rented in 1925 A.D. opposite Jeevanji gardens (Ranibaag) on Mokhtar Dada Street. The library was moved there and the classes were held in this rented property. In spite of being busy with their personal businesses and jobs, there was no lack of volunteers to run the classes. Because the place was small, numbers had to be limited which was a disappointment for many. Community functions were generally held in large shops or warehouses.
As more people were settling down permanently the number of people in families was increasing and the children were growing up. A larger communal place was needed to hold communal dinners, social gatherings, religious activities and even marriages. To fulfill this dream a trust fund was established in Nairobi. The Nairobi and Thika community willingly donated money. An empty lot was bought in Canal Road from the firm of Messrs. Imtiazali with the help of Raishi Lakhamshi. The foundation stone was laid in 1926 A.D. and the work was completed in 1927 A.D. The place was named as Jainshala. It had a big hall with a small domed Jain temple at one side and several rooms in the back. The hall was used for evening classes for adults and social activities. A small part of the hall was used as library. One room in the back was used as a kitchen during small functions, but for large functions cooking was done in the back yard under the shade where several fireplaces were dug in the ground.
Youth League: As the younger generation was getting more educated, coming in contact with other communities
