Munira Dhanani
Munira Dhanani and her two younger sisters were all born in Uganda. Her parents were second generation Ugandans who ran several local businesses. Her father was even the team leader for Uganda’s national table tennis team. Munira recalled the difficulties her family faced when fleeing Uganda after the expulsion decree.
Since her father was well known within Uganda as well as within the Ismaili Muslim community he was a potential target for Amin’s military regime. Initially they were able to seek asylum in the UK since her mother had retained a British passport. After a few months in the UK her family decided to move to Canada in February of 1973.
Munira moved into the life insurance business following her father’s footsteps. She remembered the turbulence and excitement of adapting to Canadian society. She also provided a detailed account of her father’s transition to life in Canada and the major role he played in the family’s resettlement.
The interview was conducted at a local Tim Horton’s in Toronto, Ontario.