Missaghiah Yaganagi Rowhani

When Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir used to visit my residence at the Tuba Palace in Bangalore city he used to advise us siblings not to be rigid in our service, but to be unrestrained as the wind when serving the Cause. It was that piece of advice that became a guiding force in my service to the Faith. Certainly, my parents would also urge us to follow the advice of Dr. Muhájir. And in 1972 I rose unrestrained as a wind that took me to a few countries to teach the Faith. The year 1972 was more than half a century ago when I undertook my first travel teaching trip abroad to East Africa, which has changed my life forever in many ways. While I have forgotten many things that had happened from my childhood days, I shall attempt to recollect within the best cooperation of my memory to present here those most memorable teaching moments.

The mission to  Africa was  to assist some African countries accomplish the unfulfilled goals of the Nine-Year Plan, which was going to end in Riḍván 1973. On 12 June 1972  a cable from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India  reached our home at Tuba Palace. My father Soroosh Yaganagi brought the cable and showed me. It read:

HOUSE JUSTICE RECRUITS YOUTH TRAVEL TEACHING AFRICA ONE YEAR STOP INFORM YOUR AVAILABILITY PHONE DELHI 387328 ALSO CABLE BAHAI FAITH.

My father asked me if I was willing to go to Africa.  I had just completed my Bachelor of Education degree and had been trained to be a teacher. When he approached me with the question I immediately responded that I was most willing to go. I knew rising to  the call of the Supreme Body would be of vital importance.  I also recalled the words of my spiritual mentor Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir to be unrestrained as the wind when serving the Cause. Wheels started to turn fast. Everything happened very fast, and all  hurdles were miraculously cleared in the most amazing manner.

Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir with my father Soroosh in Bangalore.

Meanwhile the Universal House of Justice sent a letter dated 28 May 1972 to the National Spiritual Assemblies of India, Persia, Malaysia and the Philippines. That letter from the Supreme Body  gave a clear picture of the entire enterprise and the scope of our expected responsibilities. The letter said that six countries in Africa needed urgent outside assistance in the form of manpower to help in teaching work for six months, which needed special handling and attention. The six countries were Cameroon Republic, Chad, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Swaziland. Each country needed 10 travelling teachers to spend a period of six months to one year of service. The Supreme Body had indicated the teachers were preferably youth who should be dedicated, devoted and knowledgeable believers whose presence in the teaching field will inspire, and encourage the friends and stimulate the teaching work. The letter also mentioned the Supreme Body asked  the Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir who was visiting the Holly Land to proceed to those countries and consult with the national institutions on the best methods to ensure that these believers are selected and dispatched to Africa without undue delay. The travel teachers were to be self- sufficient or deputized by others. Those who needed international funds should proceed to Africa only after their names were approved. Once the teachers are confirmed by the Supreme Body the national institutions were to contact the Board of Counselors for the respective zones and inform the name of the travel teacher and await their response. The Counsellors for Central and East Africa to be contacted were Mrs. Isobel Sabri in Kampala, Uganda and Mr. Aziz Yazdi in Nairobi, Kenya, and the Counselor for Southern Africa was Mr. Shidan Fathi-i- Azam in Salisbury, Rhodesia.

The Supreme Body ended the letter by assuring prayers at the Holy Shrines for the success of this great enterprise. The letter was copied to Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir, and Board of Counsellors in Western Africa, Central and East Africa, Southern Africa, Northeast Africa and Southeast Asia.

While this attached letter from the Supreme Body was enlightening, it also sent shivers into my spine, so to speak, as the responsibilities shouldered upon us were too heavy. But the assurance of prayers by the Supreme Body at the Holy Shrines and my own faith in the Blessed Beauty gave me some consolation in the innermost corner of my soul.

I then received a letter from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India  dated 20 June 1972 appreciating me for accepting the call from the Supreme Body to go to Africa.  The letter informed that my name along with other names from India were sent to the House of Justice to be considered for international financial assistance and that once selected I would have to proceed to Nairobi in Kenya. The National institution and the Counselors would then inform me in which of the countries I would be serving. Since I was an Iranian by citizenship, I would require visa and was requested to send in 12 passport size photographs immediately by registered post to be assisted with getting visa. I was also requested to get an International Health Certificate after getting some vaccinations as the country I was going to was Africa. Attached along with that letter was a copy of the letter from the Universal House of Justice dated 28 May 1972 to the National Spiritual Assemblies of India, Persia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

The last letter by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India  was dated 5 July 1972 addressed to all those who arose from India. Those name in this letter were Dr. Mehdi Dabestani, Miss Shanaz Furudi, Mr. Behin Mehrshahi, Mr. Ardeshir K. Furudi, Mr. Ali Suhahaliyan, Mr. Jaya Putran, Mr. Shapoor Yaganegi, Mr. Farhang Hakimi, Mr. Farokh Bidanjiri, and me. It was a general letter to wish us well  in our mission. We were all excited. Sadly, Ms. Behin Mehrshahi could not be on board with us to Africa.

My father and I lost no time, and that very night of 5 July  both of us got on to a bus and left for Secunderabad, in Andhra Pradesh state to apply for my Iranian passport.  We stayed at the house of Rustam, my dad’s nephew.  I was happy to meet my aunt and cousins. The Iranian Consulate in Secunderabad refused to issue me a passport and directed us to go to Bombay. The next morning, we boarded the train bound for Bombay. Upon arriving, we made our way straight to the Iranian Consulate, and I was able to secure a passport in a couple of days. We left for Bangalore the following day and applied for my “No Objection Certificate” valid for one year. Without this certificate we could not return to India.

I next  informed the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India that my passport was ready and in turn they informed me to get ready to go to Bombay from where I was to fly to Nairobi where I would have to meet Counsellor Mr. Aziz Yazdi for further instructions.  I had just a few days to prepare for this trip. I made a trip to the tailor shop and got some pants and dresses tailored. My dad bought me a new brown leather suitcase. He accompanied me to Bombay by train that started from Bangalore city. My sister Tuba came to the Bangalore train station to send us off. She was very kind to give me some dollars, and her own Seiko brand watch. My sister Qudsiah had gifted me with a necklace a few years earlier. These were the only things of any value I owned, other than my gold ring with the Greatest Name inscribed on it. At Bombay we stayed with our close friends, the Ayadis. In that city I was able to buy a purse to carry my passport, and some other documents. I was informed to take care of my passport at all costs. I held onto my purse for dear life.

ARRIVING IN NAIROBI

On 21 August 1972, I reached the Bombay airport where we met Mr. Ardeshir Furudi, who gave me $100, and a couple of boxes of books. I was lucky that my dad gave me 100 rupees because we had to pay airport tax to leave. I also met my cousin Farokh Bidanjiri at the airport, and we were the last youth to leave India as the others had already reached Nairobi.  We both travelled on the same Air India flight to Nairobi. This was my first time on an airplane. I had a very nice lady sitting next to me who taught me a whole lot of things to do on a long-haul flight. After a couple of stops at Aden Airport in Yemen and Addis Ababa Airport in Ethiopia we arrived at Nairobi in the late afternoon. Farokh made a phone call to Mr. Yazdi who instructed us to go to the Hilton Hotel and meet Ms. Najmi, who would arrange for us to get our accommodations for the night. However, as Farokh made the phone call, he absentmindedly left his wallet behind in the booth. When he realized his mistake, it was too late—his wallet, along with all his money, was gone.

Nairobi. L-R: Mrs. Isobel Sabri, N. S. S. Silan, Counsellor Aziz Yazdi, Miss Missaghiah Yaganagi, Miss Nargis Astani.

The money Tuba gave me came in handy as I was able to pay the porter at the airport, and also for the airport shuttle that brought us to the Hilton Hotel. With some difficulty we were able to locate Ms. Najmi. As Ms. Najmi was very busy organizing program for the other youth, her husband Mr. Sohaili picked us up from the Hilton Hotel and took me to be accommodated at the YWCA and Farokh   to the Hilltop Hotel where all the other youth were housed.

I was never so scared in my life during the first night at the YWCA.  I had not eaten, and did not dare to go out of my room to look for food, because I did not know how to go about  it. Thank God I had picked up some airplane buns, crackers and butter. The following morning at about 9:00 am I peeked out of my room and a very nice lady said “Hi”. She was Afaf Baghdadi who had come from Iraq. She took me to the dining room because they were closing for breakfast and told me to get something to eat. She had been in Nairobi a few days earlier and informed me that Counselor S. Vasudevan was coming to the YWCA to meet the other youth.  Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir had recruited Vasudevan to be one of the coordinators in our teaching activities in those East African countries. His presence made me very happy because I had known Vasudevan from India.  We had a meeting with a few people, and that is when I found out about the youth conference in Kisumu, and that all the youth were going there. I informed Afaf that I was instructed to meet Counselor  Yazdi, and she was very kind to take me to his office. Counselor Mr. Aziz Yazdi met with me and informed me to see him after we came back from the youth conference that was being held in Kisumu. Some of us youth were assigned a stipend, and it was disbursed to us in his office.

All volunteers had arrived in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital and some members of the Board of Counselors in Africa, Mr. Aziz Yazdi, Mrs. Isabel Sabri, based in Kenya and Dr. Mehdi Samandári, based in Cameroon were meeting in Nairobi and planning on how to distribute the volunteers to different African countries with Hand of the Cause Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir very closely involved with the project.

Volunteers meeting with Counselors standing in the centre L-R: Isabel Sabri, Aziz Yazdi, and Mehdi Samandári in August, 1972.

CONFERENCE IN KISUMU

Afaf and I went back to the YWCA, and I paid off my bill for the day, and took my very big suitcase with me. Counselor Vasudevan, Afaf, and I got on one taxi and there was one other person in it. We went to Kisumu. On the way we had a long conversation with this other person and informed him of the Bahá’í Faith.  This was my first chance to teach the Faith. This person had a lot of questions about the second coming of Christ.

The conference was in a Secondary Boarding School, and the women and girls slept in the female dormitory. I was housed with Miss. Shanaz Furudi who was from India and Miss Kamachee from Malaysia. This was the first time I met Shanaz, and we were travel buddies for the rest of our stay in Kenya and Tanzania.  The next morning, we all took our breakfast in the dining hall and were able to meet with my cousins Shapoor and Farokh. We had a wonderful day at the conference with so many wonderful speakers. I mostly enjoyed talks by Mr. Fananapazir, Counselor Vasudevan, Mrs. Isobel Sabri, and Dr. Neuman from the USA. During dinner on the first day of the conference, Shapoor introduced me to Mr. Bahman Rowhani. Both of them met at the Hilltop Hotel in Nairobi and had come together for the conference. Bahman is now my spouse.

VILLAGE TRIP

During the last session of the conference, we were placed into teaching teams, Shanaz Furudi, Shapoor Yaganegi, Farokh Bidanjiri and myself (all 4 of us from India) were placed on one team with Mr. Sylvester Adembo. Well, it was my suitcase that broke everyone’s back until we reached Adembo’s village. Luckily we met Adembo’s friend on the way and he took my suitcase on his bicycle. It was dark, we were tired, and very hungry.  During our trip on the bus, it stopped at a few places, and we bought some pineapples, a tub of margarine,  and bread.  It was around 8:00 pm when we arrived at  Nyatike Ogongo. Adembo’s mother cooked us chicken and ugali. Ugali is a thick, starchy porridge made from maize flour that’s a staple food in many African countries. It’s cooked by boiling the flour in water or milk until it reaches a dough-like consistency. However, the ugali in this village was made of cassava. I was fine eating ugali, because in my hometown of Bangalore we had something similar made of ragi flour called ittu. After dinner Adembo rang a bell and the people from the surrounding area started coming to visit us. We talked to these beautiful people, and in such a short time we became such close friends. The young girls were fascinated with my long hair and kept touching and braiding it.

After the visitors left, Adembo said we could all sleep in his hut. But Shanaz and I did not see it as appropriate. So Adembo took us to his mother’s hut instead. They were very kind to us and brought us a bed to sleep on with no mattress. Luckily Shanaz had bought a sleeping bag in Nairobi, and I had a towel which I spread on the spring bed. We placed our heads on opposite ends of the bed and covered ourselves with the sleeping bag. This became our routine for every night we spent in the villages. Both of us were very nervous and said our prayers really loud. It was our first time sleeping in an African village. Adembo’s mother got a visitor very late at night and both talked for a very long time. There were a lot of loud animal noises at night, and we later found out they were the sounds of the hyenas.

Adembo’s dwelling place in the Nyanza Province, Kenya. L to R: Farokh, Shanaz, Missaghiah, Adembo with his two brothers.

The next morning presented a significant challenge. With no toilets, no running water, and no way to bathe, we found ourselves in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation. But somehow, we managed to make do. Adembo’s mother woke up very early in the morning and left the house. She had to go down the hill to bring us water to brush our teeth and for her to cook. For breakfast we ate the bread and pineapple we had brought with us. We walked around this beautiful place, to realize that we were on the top of a mountain, and the huts were very scattered. This is when we realized why Adembo rang the bell. This is how he summoned people to meetings.

The second morning that we were there we asked Adembo if we could have a bath. He showed us the mountain in front of him and said we can go to the town there for a bath. The town was a mining town called Macalder Mines. Little did we know that it would take us half a day to reach it. We had to climb down the mountain we were on to the river, cross it, and then climb up on the other side. When we reached the river he suggested we could bathe in it, but it was full of buffaloes. We were exhausted by the time we reached Macalder Mines. Adembo said he needed to ask someone if we could use their bathroom. One nice lady that we met on the street agreed we could use her bathroom. After our baths she also fed us. We talked to the family about the Faith.

We bought a few things in the town and started the grueling hike back. Thank God there was still daylight when we crossed the river. The sun had set, and we were still in the valley, it was getting dark fast. We stopped at a hut on the way to get some light, because my flash light was dead really fast. At this house we were each given a piece of tire from their shoes and lit them for us in his fire. Shoes were made with tires from cars and trucks. The loud noises of the hyenas were nerve wracking. And the only reason they did not get close to us was because we had fire. When we got back, Adembo’s mother had cooked a delicious meal of chicken, beans, and ugali. Adembo rang the bell again that night and the friends from the neighboring villages all came to meet with us. We now had a picture in our minds of how far these people walked to come and meet us.

The next morning an American pioneer Mr. Richard Melman and his family were passing through Nyatike Ogongo and decided to stop and meet Adembo and the village friends. They had a nine-year-old daughter and had also adopted a nine-year old African girl. After visiting Adembo’s family they were planning to make a few more stops before going to Nairobi to meet Hand of the Cause Dr. Muhájir,  who was visiting Nairobi to meet the youth and organize them into teams. Shanaz and I decided to go back to Nairobi with this family.

At the first village we stopped, we met the Bahá’í friends and had a wonderful evening discussing future plans. Richard and his family slept in their Volkswagen van, and we slept in the host gentleman’s hut. He gave us a small oil lamp and left. Then he returned after a while and put a big rock behind the door. We were scared and prayed really loudly. There was a lot of noise at night outside our hut. The next morning, we found out that the hippopotamus had destroyed all the corn crops, and the villagers were trying to chase them away. After breakfast we drove for a very long distance and reached another village, where we again had meetings with the friends there. We had  chicken, beans, and rice for dinner. Shanaz and I were given a really big room to sleep in, it was dark. That night we got a tiny oil lamp but could not figure out what was around us. Both of us had one trick to get over with our fear, and that was to say the Tablet of Ahmad prayer aloud. At sunrise we had the rooster in our room crowing at the top of its voice, waking up all the other animals that we could not see at night. We had no bath but thank heavens we had clothes to change.

We drove to Nairobi and were lucky to be housed in Mr. Fananapazir’s house. We got a warm bath and a whole lot of food and fruit. The following day we went to the meeting that was organized for Dr. Muhájir at a hotel. After the meeting he called Shanaz and I and a few other youths to meet with him. He told Shanaz and me to go to Tanzania. He also instructed us to take care of the villagers, to clean their homes, and take care of the children while teaching the Faith. To be very kind and gentle with the African people we met. Dr. Muhájir also promised us that he would come and meet us in Tanzania.

In Nairobi, Kenya August 1972. L to R:  Mr. Shapoor Yaganegi, Missaghiah Yaganagi, Shanaz Furudi, (unknown), Mr. Sohaili.

NAKURU

After the meeting with Dr. Muhájir, the Bahá’ís of Nairobi had set up a teaching campaign to visit Nakuru in the vicinity of Mount Kenya. Shanaz and I joined the campaign for one day, as we were leaving for Dar-es-salaam the following evening. We drove in Mr. Sohaili’s car to meet Mr. Silan from Malaysia and Jaya Puthran from India in the town of Machakos. The Kikuyu tribe lived in this area. The Kikuyu people are known for their role in Kenya’s fight for independence, their agricultural traditions, and their oral culture. We walked in the area and visited many Bahá’í friends in their homes and corn fields. The view of Mount Kenya was out of this world, it seemed like I was in a dream. It was around 4:00 pm when all four of us came together in a local Bahá’í friend’s home and said a round of teaching prayers, including the Remover of Difficulties prayer  500 times. We set out to visit a Bahá’í family in a village at the foothills of Mount Kenya. It was about an hour’s walk from Machakos. The walk was all uphill and very tiring, and cold. We did not have ample warm clothes. The family boiled us delicious corn. That corn tasted like no other corn I had in my whole life. We were able to meet with some people who came to hear the “New Message.”

On our trip back it rained heavily, and the mountain was very slippery. We held onto each other for dear life. The fields were soaking, and I fell down many times while crossing the corn fields and got bruised. We had a quick wash, back in the dear Bahá’í friend’s home before setting off back to Nairobi. Shanaz and I slept in Mr. Sohaili’s house. His wife Ms. Najmi was from Bombay. The next morning some of us joined Counselor Vasudevan at a high school to present the Faith. I made a short presentation on some of the laws of the Bahá’í Faith. The students asked amazing questions on the Faith. After the school visit, Shanaz and I flew to Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, where we had been assigned to teach by Dr. Muhájir.

TANZANIA

The Bahá’ís in Tanzania were aware that we were arriving and Mr. Hussein Akida, the  Secretary of the national institution was at the airport to receive us. He took us to the Bahá’í Centre of Tanzania, and this was the base for all of us youth. We all stayed in the rooms in the Centre.  Since it was very hot, the men slept on the roof. At the Bahá’í Centre we met Mr. Bahman Rowhani (from Iran), Mr. Inbum Chinniah (from Malaysia), Mr. Mazidian (from Iran), Mr. Janbaz Bandegan e Elahi (from Iran), Mr. Gholamreza Haidari (from Iran), and many other local Bahá’ís too such as Mr. Barnabas, Mr. Prosper, Mr. Jaffeth, Miss Sally Kazi, Mr. and Mrs. Yazdani (one of the early pioneers of Tanzania), Ms. Behin, Mr. Sabet and Mr. Almasi.  Mr. Hussein Akida,  the Secretary of the national institution lived in a small house at the back of the center, with his wife and 3 children Ruth, Shabani, and Badi.

Meeting of some travel teachers at the National Bahá’í Center in Dar-es-salaam.  Standing L to R: G. Mazidian, Missaghiah, Shamar Pirmoradi, Shanaz Furudi, Bahman Rowhani. Squatting L to R: Shapoor Rowhani and Gholamreza H.

All the youth who had come to help Tanzania accomplish the goals of the 9 Year Plan were invited to a meeting with Mr. Hussein Akida, Mr. Prosper and Mr. Inbum Chinniah. The goals of the National Spiritual Assembly of Tanzania were presented to us. The Local Spiritual Assemblies were to be established as soon as the town and village had 9 declared adult Bahá’ís. Most of the people in Tanzania spoke Kiswahili. I was quick in learning a few basic sentences. The main religion was Islam. After a couple of months Mrs. Belcher from the USA joined to assist in the office. Inbum Chinniah had come to help overhaul the functioning of the  National Secretariat. We had to wait and move in Dar-es-salaam only until we got the teaching permit to teach in Tanzania which was a socialist nation.

Tanzania National Center. Standing L-R: Inbum Chinniah, Mrs. Belcher, Shahnaz Farudi, Prospect, Hussein Akida. Kneeling-LR: Missaghiah and Bahman.

Mrs. Yazdani, a longtime pioneer in Tanzania, had a small Honda car and took us on many teaching trips to villages around Dar-es-salaam and Bahari Beach. This is where Shanaz and I learned how to teach the Faith in Tanzania. The people in these villages were the Makonde Tribe. The Makonde are an ethnic group of people who live in Tanzania, Mozambique, and Kenya. They are known for their wood carvings, colorful culture, and strong sense of identity. They used Ebony Black wood to carve beautiful people, animals, and utensils with beautiful carvings on them. The Makonde people sat in groups outside their huts under the cashew trees doing their exquisite carvings. We were able to sit with them and talk about the Faith. The wives would come out and join the discussions. Many of the Makonde people were Bahá’ís. We would visit these Makonde villages whenever we would return from a trip the national institution had requested us to go to.

At Bahari beach on a hot day in September 1982.  L to R: Missaghiah  Yaganagi, Mrs. Yazdani and Rameshfar.

IRINGA, CENTRAL TANZANIA

Once we were issued our teaching permit, Shanaz, Mr. Mazidian and I were placed in a team that had to go to Iringa. When we left for Iringa, we were instructed to stay with a Bahá’í Mr. Mahinya and his family. They were immigrants from Rhodesia, now called Zimbabwe. They were a very kind couple and had 3 lovely children. Shanaz and I stayed in one of the rooms, and Mazidian slept in the living room. We paid them a small stipend for the room and food they provided us. The Hehe tribe lived around Iringa.  The Hehe is a Bantu ethnolinguistic group based in Iringa Region in south-central Tanzania, speaking the Bantu Hehe language.

Iringa had many beautiful schools and colleges. We were able to teach the Faith in these high schools and colleges. We were able to establish the Local Spiritual Assemblies in these areas as soon as there were 9 adult declarations. There was also a prison in Iringa, and Shanaz, Mazidian and I visited the prison on many occasions. There were many inmates interested in the Faith. There were many villages around the prison, and we were able to visit them and teach the Faith. There was also a village close to Mahinya’s house. Iringa had a well-established Local Spiritual Assembly.  About an hour’s walk from Mahinya’s residence there was a doctor who practiced African medicine. Shanaz and I visited his home many times. We also stayed over in his residence. When we visited the doctor would bring a lot of people over so we could teach the Faith. Shanaz was an extremely good teacher of the Faith; people were attracted to her like a magnet. Actually, both of us attracted a lot of people to us, this helped us teach the Faith. We could not believe how easily people in the surrounding area of Iringa accepted the Faith. There was a school close to their house, and many of the day students had become our friends. We visited this school regularly and talked to the students in the playgrounds. The vegetable market was a great place where we met a lot of people and talked about the Faith. We were invited to their homes.

SUMMONED TO DAR-ES-SALAAM

We were all summoned back to Dar-es-salaam because our Hand of the Cause Dr. Muhájir had come to visit with us. He was a beam of hope and light for me, because I had met him in Bangalore on many occasions, and over here he represented my parents for me. He encouraged us to stay strong, accomplish the goals of the Nine-Year Plan, and practice the laws of Bahá’u’lláh. He said people are watching us all the time and want to know what is new in the Bahá’í Faith. He emphasized over and over again to stay in the villages, and live with the families, to take care of their children, clean them, and help the mothers with their chores.

One very early morning Dr. Muhajir came to the Bahá’í Centre and chanted out loud the Tablet of Ahmad prayer with a beautiful melodious voice. I stood at the back of the hall, completely mesmerized by the power and grace of his voice.

MOMBO TOWN 

After this meeting many of us youth left for Mombo town in Tanzania. There was a Bahá’í Teaching Institute in this town and had a Local Spiritual Assembly. This enormous property was donated to the Faith by a local Bahá’í we affectionately called Mzee (Grandfather). In Mombo we all collectively helped Mr. Gholamreza Haidari plant saplings on about four acres of the property behind the Institute building, and also the whole boundary of the property, and help weed the land. Haidari had a degree in Agriculture and stayed at the Institute to develop this property. This Institute was used to train travel teachers, and for youth meetings, the rooms had hostel beds separate for men and women. There was a huge hall for meetings, a very large kitchen, several bathrooms and showers.

On the outskirts of Mombo there were many Sisal (agave) Estates. Agave was the chief export from this region, Mr. Safi was the owner of one of the estates, he was not a Bahá’í but would drive us great distances to meet the Bahá’ís. Shanaz and I visited Stella for a few days. She lived in the estate house on one of the Sisal Estates owned by Mr. Safi.  Stella was an active Bahá’í teacher, and this made it possible for us to meet with the Bahá’ís and deepen their knowledge of the Faith.

Also, Bahman Rowhani who had come from Iran helped with the building of the Bahá’í Centres on the land that was donated to the Faith around Mombo, and in the sisal estates. Although he spoke very limited English he employed local contractors that usually worked for free to build the centers.  One of them which was close to the city of Panga needed a roof. Mr. Yazdani, a long-time pioneer to Tanzania, transported zinc sheets to this building to fix the roof.

After a few days Mr. Sadegh Eghtessadi joined us in Mombo. We went with him to Moshi and Arusha and met a few Bahá’ís. He then took Shanaz, Shapar, Bahman, Haidari, and me on a safari for one day to Serengeti National Park. Shanaz and I went to the town area on many occasions to meet people and talk to them about the Faith.

MOSHI CITY

Shanaz and I left for Moshi. Moshi is a popular tourist place for Mount Kilimanjaro hikers, and on the foothills of this gorgeous mountain were many world-famous boarding schools and colleges. Many of these schools were managed by various churches. Shanaz and I stayed at the Bahá’í Centre with other Bahá’ís who were already in Moshi: Mr. Ardeshir Furudi, Ms. Razi, Rameshfar, Ms. Shapar Pirmoradi, and a few others whose names I have forgotten.

The next day Shanaz and I left early with Mr. Sabet and Mr. Almasi to visit a teacher training college. We met the principal and gave him a short presentation on the Faith and asked if we could speak to their students. Amazingly he accepted. Shanaz would introduce the Faith and talk about the principles of the Faith to the faculty and students, and I would speak of the history of the Faith. After a round of questions we asked if anyone was ready to accept the Faith and explained the significance of the Bahá’í Declaration Card. To our surprise about 20 students declared that day. All the faculty and students received  a copy of a prayer book, The New Garden book, and Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era book. Mr. Sabet had bought a large shipment of Bahá’í books for distribution. His goal was to visit every college and high school and distribute these books. On our way back we stopped at another college to meet with members of a Local Spiritual Assembly. The members of this Assembly lived in the dormitory, and all were college students. In one of the rooms of the dorm they had a well stacked Bahá’í library. Mr. Sabet and Mr. Almasi visited them regularly. Shanaz and I explained the station of Bahá’u’lláh with them, and some of the laws as well. Drinking of alcohol was very common among college students. We informed them that it was important to show who Bahá’ís are, and that alcohol was forbidden. The Faith was well established in Moshi and had a functioning Local Spiritual Assembly, and they held regular 19 Day Feasts. Mr. Wanyama, a local Bahá’í accompanied us on teaching trips.

LUSHOTO HILL STATION 

At the end of December 1972, we accompanied Mr. Sabet and Almasi to Lushoto. It was a beautiful resort town in the mountains.  A Bahá’í youth conference was going to be held there, and we went to plan and prepare for the sessions. We held the conference in a Christian Boarding School. We could use the school and its boarding facilities because it was closed for the winter break. Many of the travel teachers joined us at this conference. The conference was a success. Shanaz and I were able to stay at Mr. Sabet’s palatial house.

Youth Conference in Lushoto in December 1972. Missaghiah is second from left  on the  front row. To her right is Ms. Razi. Standing left with white shirt is Sabet. Shanaz Furudi is holding baby. Inbum Chinniah from Malaysia standing to the extreme right.

All of us returned to Mombo and continued with visiting the surrounding villages.  And of course, to help water the saplings we had planted. There were three scary things in Mombo, the humongous Nile Monitor lizards that looked like crocodiles, the mosquitoes, and the killer ants. The killer ants ate a whole sack of dried beans in one night when they entered the Institute kitchen. Better the beans than us.

ARUSHA CITY 

It was now the  30  January 1973 all of us youth headed to Arusha city because Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and Mrs. Violette Nakhjavani were returning from their Great African Safari. Some of us stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Ranjbar. Rúhíyyih Khánum had meetings with us all day in the Ranjbar house. Many Tanzanian Bahá’ís came to this gathering. She was in Arusha for 2 days.

On 1 February 1973 a few of us were invited to a young Bahá’í couple’s house for lunch. After lunch was over we asked Rúhíyyih Khánum if she would officiate Bahman and my engagement ceremony. She was very happy and said she would give a short talk on Bahá’í marriage. After the afternoon session was over she said she had good news to share with all the friends that had gathered. She announced our engagement and presented me with a beautiful Maasai necklace. The Ranjbar family had prepared a delicious meal for everyone.

Engagement of Bahman and Missaghiah on 1  February 1973. L to R:  Mrs. Violette Najhjavani, Rúhíyyih Khánum, Missaghiah  and Bahman Rowhani.

Rúhíyyih Khánum at the extreme right and partly hidden addressing a group of friends in Arusha at the Ranjbar home on 1 February  1973. Seen in this photo are from left Missaghiah, Shanaz, Haidari, Bahman.

Rúhíyyih Khánum and Mrs. Violette Nakhjavani at a meeting in Nairobi.

BACK TO IRINGA

The National Spiritual Assembly directed Shanaz and me to go back to Iringa. We were able to meet up with Mr. Mazidian in Dar-es-salaam and go back to Iringa. The halfway point was the city of Morogoro. We were able to buy some special snacks for the Mahinya children. On this visit we were instructed to go to a remote border town to the west of Iringa and meet with the Local Spiritual Assembly, this town was a 10-hour bus drive from Iringa. We stayed there for 2 days. Our movement was restricted in this town, and we were always accompanied by a government official. The first night we met with the Local Spiritual Assembly and planned our 2 days stay. An incident that occurred during the Local Spiritual Assembly meeting is of significant importance. During the Local Spiritual Assembly meeting a bowl of local liquor made from rice was passed to each member. However, Shanaz, Mazidian, and I refused to drink it.  When the meeting was over we spoke to the chairperson of the Local Spiritual Assembly that in the Bahá’í Faith alcoholic drinks are prohibited. He immediately went outside his hut and emptied all the barrels filled with this harmful beverage. The people were shocked. He mentioned to all of them that it is prohibited in the Bahá’í Faith. It was an excellent propagation for the Faith. All this time, the local government authorities were keeping a close eye on us.

The next morning, we met again in the Chairman’s house for devotions.  We said many prayers for teaching, then we walked through the town, and met many local people and spoke to them of the Faith. The chairman of the Local Spiritual Assembly translated for us. On the 2nd day we were not followed by the government official, they found out that we were not a threat to their security. We visited a high school. Most high schools in Tanzania were boarding schools.  We were able to make great connections with the students after our talk was over. The chairman of the Local Spiritual Assembly was very excited and mentioned that they would be visiting the students. Many times, Shanaz and I wondered how it was possible that we were allowed so easily by these school principals to speak to their students about religion, other than it being blessings from the Blessed Beauty. They even allowed us to distribute Bahá’í pamphlets and meet with them after the talk.

After we returned to Iringa, we stayed for a few more days. It was the fasting season. We visited our friend the African doctor many times, although we had to walk for an hour to his village. On the way we would meet a lovely young lady with a gorgeous baby boy. Malaria was a killer, and parents lost their babies to this horrible disease which is spread by mosquitoes.  We took a special pill once a week, which we bought when we were in Nairobi. One day when we stopped by this lady’s hut on our way to the doctor’s village, we got the news that the baby had died from Malaria. It broke our hearts.

We went down the hill from where the prison was to visit the villages in that area. We were able to hold deepening sessions for the newly declared Bahá’ís. As mentioned by the  National Spiritual Assembly we established the Local Spiritual Assembly as soon as there were 9 adult declarations. After celebrating Naw-Rúz with the Bahá’ís of Iringa we returned to Dar-es-salaam.

BACK TO MOSHI

We were immediately sent back to Moshi to visit the Local Spiritual Assemblies that were already established and remind them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies during Riḍván. Shanaz and I walked many, many miles each day. At times we had to go to their mshamba (farms) to meet with them, because it was either planting season or harvesting season. We stayed in so many different homes and ate so many different kinds of food. The hospitality in these villages was unbelievable. They would feed us chicken and beans and ugali. Lots and lots of delicious bananas. We would always buy them vegetables and fruit when we visited. The village children would love to braid my very long hair. We sat outside their homes in the evenings talking with each other, and braiding each other’s hair, which was a daily routine in most villages. Such love, unity and friendship could be seen nowhere. Some of the members of the National Spiritual Assembly had gone to Israel for the International Bahá’í Convention to elect the Universal House of Justice. Our secretary Mr. Akida went too.

OUR MARRIAGE

Bahman and I had to wait for Mr. Akida to return from the International Bahá’í Convention to get married, because he was the only official permitted by the Government of Tanzania to officiate Bahá’í marriages. Mr. Akida returned on 2 May 1973. He had to post an official no objection notice on the Notice Board at the Bahá’í Centre. On 5 May 1973 we held our matrimony ceremony at the Bahá’í Centre in Dar-es-salaam in the presence of many African Bahá’ís and pioneers, Mr. Yazdani, Mr. Gary Kerns from the USA, Mr. Brown from Canada, Mr. Janbaz from Iran, and most importantly Shanaz, who I would miss dearly.

Wedding of Bahman and Missaghiah at the National Bahá’í Centre in Dar-es-salaam on May 5, 1973 . Shanaz Furudi standing next to Missaghiah. The children were our honored guests.

NATIONAL CONVENTION

The date of the National Convention to elect members to the National Spiritual Assembly was postponed due to the International Convention, and was held at the National Bahá’í Centre in Dar-es-salaam from May 25 to 27, 1973. Many of us travel teachers, and pioneers were present. We were able to discuss all the accomplishments, and most important was that we had accomplished all the goals for the Nine-Year Plan that were assigned to Tanzania. All the Bahá’ís assembled were very happy and proud of all of us. We were happy to assist with the election. About 75 Bahá’ís were present these 3 days. It was good to see the people we had met during our travels through the country. There was a lot of planning. They discussed how to deepen and consolidate all the new Bahá’ís, how to maintain all the new Bahá’í Centres, and the best way to use the Mombo Teaching Institute.

OUR LIFE IN MOSHI 

After the National Convention was over Bahman and I met Mr. Yazdani as he knew top government officials. We decided to live in Moshi and open a repair shop there because Bahman was an electronics technician and had previously worked with National Electronics in Iran. So, he went to the National head office in Dar-es-salaam and bought spare parts to start an electronics business in Moshi. We stayed in the back room of the Bahá’í Centre.

It was very difficult to rent a place to start a business, because we were placed on a waiting list. Tanzania was a socialist country, and all property was disbursed through the Government. But with the help and influence of long-time pioneer Mr. Yazdani we were given an old bakery for rent. It was going to be very expensive to remodel this old, dilapidated building, and had to scrap the idea. We stayed at the Moshi Bahá’í Centre and continued with teaching the Faith around Moshi, until we decided to leave for India in February of 1974.

RETURN TO INDIA

We left for Nairobi and found out that the borders for Uganda were opened again, so both of us decided to go to Kampala to visit the Bahá’í House of Worship. We met an Iranian family at the temple who took us to their home. They gave us a tour of Kampala where we saw the devastation caused during the civil war. We returned to Nairobi after 3 days. We stayed at the home of Radha and Tim Rost. We left for Mombasa and then for Bombay on the ship S. S. Haryana. The ship was to take 10 days to reach Bombay, but stopped at many ports, and at Mombasa had to fix some mechanical problems. It took us 20 days to reach Bombay. I got very ill on this ship. Shapoor received us in Bombay. He helped us get a refund on our unused plane tickets and this money helped pay for our stay in India and later in Laos until I got employed.

First  picture taken on 6 August 1975 after my return from Africa.  Missaghiah with her parents Soroosh and Firoozeh, my sister -in -law Hamra, and my nieces and nephews.

Bahá’í Children’s Class at Karianapalya Baha’i Centre, Bangalore, 1976. I am standing tallest  at the back . My co-teacher Mr. Gowreesh is at the extreme left on the 4th row.

OUR SERVICE CONTINUED 

After reaching Bangalore, Bahman immediately contacted the Pioneering Committee of Iran. The committee informed us to pioneer to South Korea. They sent us the airline tickets; we had to go to New Delhi to get our visas. We left Bangalore on 2 March  1974 to New Delhi by train. To our surprise, Hand of the Cause Dr. Muhájir was visiting New Delhi to meet with the National Spiritual Assembly of India. We met him at the National Bahá’í Centre. He was very surprised that we did not stay on in Tanzania. On hearing that we were about to pioneer to Seoul, South Korea, a smile came upon his radiant face. He loved pioneers! But he advised us to go to Laos instead of Seoul, because my brother Faiz Yaganagi and his family would be able to support us in Laos until we got settled. Faiz was already a pioneer in Laos at that time.

LAOS

After a quick visit with my sister Tuba, her husband Mohan, and children Tina and Muhit in Calcutta, we left for Vientiane, capital city of Laos. After a short stay at Faiz’s residence, I was able to find a teaching position at the Philippine School and we were able to rent a house in the Filipino compound.

With Missaghiah’s  8th grade students at the Philippine School in Vientiane, Laos.

My sister-in-law Mueng Ma was a tower of strength for us. I was able to serve on the Local Spiritual Assembly and teach children’s classes in two separate locations in Vientiane. She accompanied us to all the government offices so that Bahman and I were able to obtain our permanent residence. Bahman was then able to travel out of Vientiane and accompany Mr. Kanna Baran, a Malaysian pioneer on teaching trips on their motorcycles to Thakhek, Luang Prabang, and many other towns and villages. Bahman and Kanna Baran returned to Vientiane after a couple of months from their long trip.

Vientiane had two Bahá’í Centres. The new centre was in downtown as an Information Center to attract students and people from the various government offices and schools in its vicinity. Bahman and I opened the Information Center every morning for dawn prayers. But one morning there were many Pathet Lao soldiers in the next building. When I enquired from them about what was going on, one of them told me that the monarch was overthrown, and the government had changed.

Bahá’í youth in Laos assembled for a one day conference at 555 Park. Kneeling L to R: Missaghiah Yaganagi, Farrage Yaganagi. Kneeling R to L : Chantana, Rita.

With the overthrow of the Laotian monarchy in 1975, the Pathet Lao Communist government instituted a planned economy of the Soviet-style command economy system, replacing the private sector with state enterprises and cooperatives.

LEFT LAOS

People started leaving Laos in droves and went to countries that gave them visas. We didn’t know if we could continue to work there, because the Filipinos were leaving too. I had developed very serious health issues; hence we decided to leave Laos and return to Iran. I completed my school year at the Philippine School until June 1975. We bought airline tickets from Air France, returned our rental house to the owner, took our furniture to the Bahá’í Centre, packed a suitcase with some clothes, and left Laos. My brother Farrage also left with us. His wife Hamra and children had left a few months earlier. We were very sad to leave our many friends behind, especially my brother Faiz, his wife Mueng Ma, and their sweet children Hooshmand, Aroun, and Sengprachan. We were sad to leave all our Bahá’í friends. We made a quick stop in Bangalore, India to consult a doctor about my health issues, and on 15 September 1975 proceeded to Tehran, Iran.

IN IRAN  

In Tehran, Bahman went back to his old job with the National Electronics Company. We stayed with the Ashraf family in Tehran for two months. The company transferred Bahman to Kerman city. Our son Vahid was  born in 1976 in Bangalore, India. In 1978 I was pregnant with our daughter Anita when the Iranian revolution was starting. I left with our 2-year-old son Vahid to Bangalore, India. Bahman stayed behind in Kerman.

Visit to the House of The Báb, Shiraz in August 1975. I am at the extreme right in the back row. 

Meeting with Bahá’ís of Ahwaz, Iran in 1976. Missaghiah is seated at the extreme left.

Bahman was unable to leave Iran because of the revolution that was building up. In December 1978 he left from the Zahedan border to Pakistan, and with a lot of difficulty reached Karachi. From Karachi he came to visit us in Bangalore. He had to return to Kerman in Iran to hand over to the  National Electronics Service Center back to the company in Tehran. He distributed everything he had.  For the second time he had to leave Iran. But before that he went to Bandar Abbas and gave some of our valuables to an owner of a dhow going to Dubai, and informed him to store it until he came to Dubai sometime in the future to claim it.

In India he secured a visa for the United Arab Emirates. Our children Vahid  who was 3 years and six months old , Anita who was 18 months old  and I joined him in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates on 2 April 1980.

LIFE IN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Bahman was able to work at Emirtel Telecommunications. I secured a teaching position first at the Sharjah Private School and then at the Rosary School. Our children Vahid and Anita studied in an Arabic medium school. We were very restricted in teaching the Faith. We served as pioneers in Sharjah until June 1985. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we left the United Arab Emirates and journeyed to the United States of America.

LIFE IN CALIFORNIA

On 31 October 1985, we arrived in Los Angeles and soon made Culver City, California, our home. Shamim Ashraf and his dear wife Amy employed Bahman before we left Sharjah. They knew each other in Tehran, Iran. With no family in California, our family had to go through a lot of hardships to get permanent residence. We were awarded Political Asylum by the US government.

Initially I was not able to work as a teacher in the USA. I had to go back to college and re-do my Bachelor of Science degree. My goal was to get a job that best serves my fellow men and also to financially support my family. I also had to be of service to the Bahá’í Faith.  So, with this in mind I continued my education in Los Angeles and obtained a teaching credential. I was able to get a teaching position in a Middle School in mid-city Los Angeles. I continued with my education and received a Master of Arts in School Administration, and then a Master of Science in School Counseling.  My job as a school counselor was an extremely rewarding job which allowed me to meet the goals for service that I initially set for myself. I have served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Culver City for the past 39 years. I have also served as a Children’s Class teacher for many years. Our children Vahid and Anita strove hard and were able to obtain a good education. Vahid is married to Chelsea, and they have twins Georgia and Zane. He is Senior Director of University IT Experience at California State University, Los Angeles. Anita has 5 children -Ava, Samuel, Aria, Adira, and Samir. She is the Director of Motility at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.  I thank Bahá’u’lláh for setting this amazing path for me and my family.

We went back to Laos in 2007 to meet the family and friends.

A memorable reunion in Vientiane, Laos, in 2007.

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in March 2007. L-R: Anita, Missaghiah, Bahaman and Vahid.

My family in Culver City in November, 2024. Standing L-R: Ralph, Bahman, Chelsea, Missaghiah, Samuel, Aria and  Vahid. Front row L-R:  Zane, Adira, Georgia, Anita, Samir and Ava.

Unrestrained as the wind, we embraced each new chapter with unshakable faith and resilience. Today we have landed ourselves in the United States of America, a country very much mentioned and praised in our books.  As I look back, I reflect on this line in a prayer revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, “…I find myself to be as a leaf which lieth at the mercy of the winds of Thy decree and is carried away whithersoever Thou dost permit or command it.” Through every challenge and transition, the Blessed Beauty has been our constant guide and refuge. Without His divine intervention and spiritual sustenance, we would not have survived nor reached where we are today.

 

Missaghiah Yaganagi Rowhani
Culver  City
California
USA

28 February 2025 

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