‘Ayah’ refers to South Asian women and ‘Amah’ to South East Asian women who served the British in Asia and other colonies as children’s nannies, nursemaids and ladies’ maids. For the last few years Hackney Museum has been researching the stories of ayahs in Britain and in east London in particular. These pioneering women were some of the earliest in Britain from South Asia and they had a variety of experiences. One of the main legacies of their presence are the places and buildings which became ‘Ayahs’ Home’ – places where these women lived, had shelter and found new opportunities to work for other families.
Hackney Museum’s two part blog series explores the this rich history. The first blog post is about ‘The Ayahs and Amahs’ Home’ in Hackney and the second post is about Pioneering Ayahs and Amahs in Hackney, and it also incudes an interactive map showing where ayahs lived in the UK between 1841 to the 1950s.
‘Ayah’ refers to South Asian women and ‘Amah’ to South East Asian women who served the British in Asia and other colonies as children’s nannies,
The Sri Lankan Culture Collective is a project founded by Rosh Olivelle, Thana Sivasambu, and Ranji Thangiah, creative entrepreneurs who are passionate about celebrating Sri Lankan heritage, culture and identity.
The debut theatre show from comedian Anu Vaidyanathan is her story of being a south Indian immigrant who has lost her co-ordinates and her language,
The first of the Trust’s projects is the South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM), which first took place in 2020 and runs from the 18th of July to the 17th of August each year.
SAHM seeks to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories, and communities.
It seeks to understand the diverse heritage and cultures that continue to link the UK with South Asia.
© South Asian Heritage Trust | All Rights Reserved
