Ratna Wadi epitomised all the virtues of an 'ayah' – Urdu for a children's nurse.
Ratna Wadi, who has died aged 98, spent her life caring for others, either as a housekeeper and children's nanny, or in sharing her own modest earnings with those in need.
She had a great flair for looking after young children, many of whom remained in touch with her and still remembered her fondly as "Amma" or "mother" as adults. She was a shining example of the conscientious and trustworthy "ayah" – the Urdu word for the traditional children's nurse. By her own count, she cared for 19 children in her career, including three of ours. She became a much-loved member of our extended family.
She was born in Rangoon, Burma, and witnessed the Japanese bombing of the city in 1942. During one air raid she became separated from her only son, and never saw him again. On the evacuation of Burma, Ratna accompanied the family of a British army officer to Poona, India. When the Indian subcontinent was partitioned in 1947, she and her husband, Kupa Swami, a cook, settled in Karachi, Pakistan, as employees of various staff members of the British high commission.
Wadi was a highly valued ladies' maid and ayah. She kept all of her testimonials meticulously and these are now an archive of that era. The one received from the wife of a military adviser to the high commission is typical: "She is absolutely first class in every way – scrupulously clean and careful, always punctual, washes and irons beautifully and is sweet with the children – my daughter aged two adores her. She is always cheerful and helpful and intelligent. She is the first ayah I have met who appears to have no faults whatever! I wish I could keep her always."
Another commendation notes: "She has a wonderfully cheerful personality and never complains about how long or late she stays on duty. My daughter has become very fond of her and we are both very sorry to part with her ... I cannot speak too highly of Ratna." Yet another testimonial reflects the sunset days of empire: "She has done all my washing and is particularly good at ironing evening dresses."
In the late 1960s, Ratna worked briefly in Kuwait for a government minister. It was during this time that her husband died. She returned to Karachi to be closer to her stepfamily. There she was employed by a German family attached to the Goethe-Institut, to care for their young son. When they transferred to Glasgow she accompanied them and our paths crossed there in 1981. Our family had moved to the city after a post at Hairmyres hospital had beckoned. We welcomed her as a live-in nanny, but she was always far more than that for us.
She was a devout Catholic and provided financial support to many poorer relatives in Karachi, particularly for children's education. She remained mentally alert and composed right to the end. Her wish was to be buried in a grave next to her husband's in Karachi.
She had a great flair for looking after young children, many of whom remained in touch with her and still remembered her fondly as "Amma" or "mother" as adults. She was a shining example of the conscientious and trustworthy "ayah" – the Urdu word for the traditional children's nurse. By her own count, she cared for 19 children in her career, including three of ours. She became a much-loved member of our extended family.
She was born in Rangoon, Burma, and witnessed the Japanese bombing of the city in 1942. During one air raid she became separated from her only son, and never saw him again. On the evacuation of Burma, Ratna accompanied the family of a British army officer to Poona, India. When the Indian subcontinent was partitioned in 1947, she and her husband, Kupa Swami, a cook, settled in Karachi, Pakistan, as employees of various staff members of the British high commission.
Wadi was a highly valued ladies' maid and ayah. She kept all of her testimonials meticulously and these are now an archive of that era. The one received from the wife of a military adviser to the high commission is typical: "She is absolutely first class in every way – scrupulously clean and careful, always punctual, washes and irons beautifully and is sweet with the children – my daughter aged two adores her. She is always cheerful and helpful and intelligent. She is the first ayah I have met who appears to have no faults whatever! I wish I could keep her always."
Another commendation notes: "She has a wonderfully cheerful personality and never complains about how long or late she stays on duty. My daughter has become very fond of her and we are both very sorry to part with her ... I cannot speak too highly of Ratna." Yet another testimonial reflects the sunset days of empire: "She has done all my washing and is particularly good at ironing evening dresses."
In the late 1960s, Ratna worked briefly in Kuwait for a government minister. It was during this time that her husband died. She returned to Karachi to be closer to her stepfamily. There she was employed by a German family attached to the Goethe-Institut, to care for their young son. When they transferred to Glasgow she accompanied them and our paths crossed there in 1981. Our family had moved to the city after a post at Hairmyres hospital had beckoned. We welcomed her as a live-in nanny, but she was always far more than that for us.
She was a devout Catholic and provided financial support to many poorer relatives in Karachi, particularly for children's education. She remained mentally alert and composed right to the end. Her wish was to be buried in a grave next to her husband's in Karachi.
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