SOUTH AFRICA: Life's So Good At Age 114

There are many more years to come DURBAN (The Post), January 11, 2006: She was arrested for fighting for her rights and had to endure the deaths of her children, but this feisty old granny is still going strong. She is one of the oldest surviving passive resistance campaigners, at a ripe old age of 114, and believes she still has "many more years to go because life has been so good". Somaria Ramdeen, a resident of Govenda Road, Northdale, reminisced with POST about her days as a freedom fighter. Her first recollection was of the time when her infant son had to be guarded by family members while she was imprisoned for six weeks because of her proactive stance on apartheid in 1946. A teary-eyed Somaria spoke of her gutsy days when she joined her son Lutchman Ramdeen, now dead, during his freedom fighting days. Going back to her jail experience, Somaria telling her story in fluent Hindi said she was arrested and taken to the old Pietermaritzburg Prison where "the food wasn't too bad" before being transferred to a Durban prison. "I wasn't scared of being arrested or interrogated because I believed in what I was doing. I can't remember much about the struggle, but I don't think I will ever forget the ice cold showers we took each morning while inside (prison)," said the centenarian. Little Girl in Early 1900s Even though her recent ID book states that her birth date is January 2, 1909; Somaria said this was incorrect because she remembered celebrating her birthday during October while "I was a little girl in the very early 1900s". Somaria said she was born in Pentrich in the early 1890s and her parents, Laljeeth and Markekuie, were very strict. While two of her siblings died at birth, the others, Rampersadh, Ramnanan, Surenday, Sunderkow and one other whose name she has forgotten are now dead. Living a quiet life as farmers, Laljeeth and Markekuie were so strict that a young Somaria wasn't able to attend school because she might meet boys. Met Her Man At 13 When Somaria was at the tender age of 13 she met her gardener husband, Thulsie, through an arranged marriage and she said she was consumed by the love bug. She lived blissfully married until her husband's death in 1948 at the age of 58. Living to such a ripe old age does have its setbacks - four of Somaria's children, Gordon, Sunny, Lutchman and Poolmathie have already died and she tearfully said how sitting at her children's funerals really "broke my heart". Her surviving children, Harry, Jayraj, Jaykumar, Brijlall, Larkepathie and Shanthi continue to appreciate the wisdom of their "very alert" mother. She also has 37 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren and 14 great great grandchildren. Going back to her freedom fighting days, Somaria recalled when the late Harry Gwala frequently visited her home and as a child, she remembers passive resistance initiator, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, walking down Church Street. In 1975, at the age of 84, Somaria travelled to India and visited Gandhi's farm his funeral venue. She said while in India she participated in the International Aryan Conference in New Delhi and participated in a 8km march "much to the amazement of my group". Before moving to Northdale, Somaria said she and Thulsie lived in Mountain Rise but their house, historical photos and beautiful memories were reduced to ashes. Today she lives with her son Harry and his wife, Sitha, 63. She said she was well taken care of because Sitha cooked her favourite meal, herbs and roti, and took good care of her. Diet of fresh fish, vegetables, regular fasting But, according to her family, she is fiercely independent with "no sicknesses" and continues to recite her daily prayers and walks around her home unaided. Questioned about her secrets to longevity, Somaria said she really didn't know what they were except for her diet of fresh fish, vegetables, regular fasting and prayers "which must have played a role". Politics is in the veins of this feisty old granny because whenever a political milestone takes place in our South African democracy she is at her telly waiting in anticipation to know more. She said she was glued to her screen 16 years ago when Nelson Mandela was released from prison. "I watched the proceedings and felt a sense of relief that South Africa was going to be steered in the right direction," she smiled. For the interesting, well-spoken and full-of-life Somaria, life has been good. Her only problem today is watching young people living "such complicated lifestyles". "Parents need to build a good foundation for their young children, which includes values and principles in order for them to lead stress-free lives and just be happy," concluded Somaria. By Zaheera Walker