Campus buddies enjoying the free home-cooked lunch...

Eating away at my assignment....The Akni...

Where do i come from???

Tracing my heritage through four generations of women.

ME - MY MOTHER - MY GRAND MOTHER -MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER

4 Generations of Women. One Dish.

Tracing my heritage through 4 generations of women.

me - mother - grandmother - great grandmother

my very own Akni dish....Yip, made it myself!

layered to perfection...

this is where i come from....

Tracing back 3 generations of women in my heritage I have discovered a lot about who I am and where I come from. The things I have discovered about my heritage is best conveyed through a famous Cape Malay dish known as, Akni. This is due to the fact that Cape Malay culture and tradition can be dated very far back in my heritage. The Grandparents  of my great grandmother were slaves who were brought to the Cape from Java. For as long as I can remember this rice dish has been a common serving at almost every special event within my family. When these slaves were introduced to the Cape so were their languages, culture, tradition, etc. This gave rise to the invention of  many Cape Malay foods which can still be found in our family today. One of these dishes being Akni. Which is a rice based meal mixed with a richly spiced filling. Either meat, chicken or fish. This dish was taught to me by my mother which was taught by her mother and the chain continues for  many earlier generations of women in my heritage. So not only is this dish rich in taste but more importantly it is filled with my historical Cape Malay heritage explaining who I am and where I come from.

My Father, Mogammad Sidiek Jacobs (5 January 1963)

My Mother, Noeria (Galant) Jacobs (27 July 1966)

My Grandmother, Ghalima Galant. D.O.B 5 April1943

My Grandfather, Yusuf Galant. D.O.B 3 December 1933

A recent family record of my Great Grandparents that includes their dates of birth.

My Great Grandmother, Fatima Jacobs

My Great Grandfather, Abbas Ryklief

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This is an original document of a written record of the family of my great grandmother, Fatima Abbas. it states the names of her parents, siblings, husband and children. it is assumed that this document was written up during the 1930's.

Me at 5years old and My Grandmother

Me, Saadiqah Jacobs (15 September 1991)

My Grandparents, Yusuf Galant(3 December 1933) & Ghalima (Ryklief) Galant (5 April 1943)

Oldest Family tree

This is an historical family tree that traces my grandmother's heritages from the 1800's up until my grandmother herself. The tree starts with a man by the name of Philip Ryklief and his wife Sophia who later became Ayesha after embracing Islam. More information on Philip Ryclie was found in the book referenced; 

"Cape Town:

The making of a city,

an illustrated social history.

by Nigel Worden, E Van Heyningen,

Vivian Bickford-Smith

Publisher: Cape Town: David Philip, 1998".

"On page 202 of Cape Town: The making of a city, an illustrated social history (by Nigel Worden, E Van Heyningen, Vivian Bickford-Smith)
"One feature of the early Wynberg development was its multi-ethnic character. The Dutch formed a continuing presence; some residents like Tennant and Maynard were British; Eggers, Ellert and Morgenrood were German in origin; yet other were free blacks or emancipated slaves. In general the holdings of the last mentioned were less substantial but they were established family properties that remained integral to the Wynberg area for generations. When Jan Sintler of Klein Oude in Wynberg died he left the estate to his common-law wife, Rachel van die Kaap. She later married Abraham Zasman, a carter, and the deeds were registered in his name, although part had been sold. The Zasman property became a Muslim enclave in the centre of Wynberg village. In 1838 in lower Wynberg Phillip Ryklief, described in the Cape Almanac of 1830 as a free black and wagoner, bought land strategically placed on the Simon's Town road, originally part of the Rust en Werk farm. Ryklief was the son of an Englishman, probably called Ratcliffe, and Johanna Barbara , the daughter of Jan van Bougies and Samieda van die Kaap. Ryklief himself had married Sophia, whose mother was English and who was the step-daughter of an imam of the Palm Tree Mosque in Long Street, Cape Town. Such family connections may have assisted Ryklief in his purchase but he was not the only free black to buy land in the area. Others included Jan van Mauritius, Hammat, Pedro, Abdol van die Kaap, O'Deane, Sarah Adams, John Rabboula (Rabullah) and 'Frida'. listed in the 1830 Cape Almanac as a prize negro.""