Arusha: Saifi Soda Fountain

We move onto Saifi Soda Fountain on Wapare Street. The building is perhaps 50 years old. The style is Art Deco again. The white lines standing out from the reddish brown building as well as the central cylindrical shape draws one's attention to the structure. Like Most buildings constructed for Asian business people at the time, this one accommodates the business, in this case a shop, and the soda factory in the ground floor and residential rooms for up to 4 families in upper floors.

At Saifi Soda Fountain we come upon the history of the Sheikh Abitalin Gulamhusein's family, whose grandfather emigrated from India and who started a soda factory in Tanga in 1894. Whose father moved to Arusha and continued with the business at Saifi Soda Fountain on Wapare Street in 1952. And whose son today, is helping run the fountain, making 6 flavours of soda with the same machines imported from England in 1952 and whose spare parts have to be skillfully improvised because the factory in England has long ceased to be.

Unfortunately however, we can not muse much longer on this charming piece of history for time is up, Jan has people to meet, and in Belgium appointments are made in time. So we thank the very hospitable Gulamhuseins and we head back to Jambo Snacks where Jan to wind it all up, explains the urbanization structure of Arusha Town.