Gift of the Givers explained

Founder:Imtiaz Sooliman
Headquarters:290 Prince Alfred Street, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Website:https://giftofthegivers.org/

Gift of the Givers (founded as Waqful Waqifin)[1] [2] is a South African non-governmental organisation[3] and disaster relief group,[4] and Africa's largest independent humanitarian organisation. It was established to offer disaster relief and response, together with other humanitarian work, with the aim to reach people worldwide.[5] The organisation’s profile in South Africa grew during the 2010s and 2020s, due to challenges faced by the government in delivering services, including disaster relief.[6]

Humanitarian efforts

Gift of the Givers has worked in many parts of world, including Gaza City,[7] [8] Bosnia, Somalia, Haiti and Zimbabwe. During the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake the organisation sent four rescue teams and aid materials to the country.[9] They provided in 2011 food aid to Somalia,[10] by airlifting 180 tons and shipping 2000 tons of aid.[11] Through Gift of the Givers, South African medics and volunteers have been assisting people during the Syrian civil war.[12] [13] Due to the unrest in Syria some of the South Africans were injured or killed.[12] [13] In 2013, victims of flooding in the Karonga region of Malawi were given aid in the form of food.[14] In 2015, after 176 died during flooding of the Shire Valley, and with thousands homeless, the organisation provided assistance to citizens in southern Malawi.[15]

Imtiaz Sooliman

Imtiaz Sooliman
Birth Name:Imtiaz Ismail Sooliman
Birth Date:7 March 1962
Birth Place:Potchefstroom, Transvaal
Nationality:South African
Spouse:Zohra
Alma Mater:University of Natal
Known For:Humanitarian work
Occupation:Medical doctor, philanthropist

The founder of the organisation is Imtiaz Ismail Sooliman, a South African medical doctor. He also leads the organisation.[16]

Early life and education

Sooliman was born on 7 March 1962 in Potchefstroom,[17] a Muslim. He completed his high school education at Sastri College in Durban, Natal in 1978. He qualified as a medical doctor by obtaining his MBChB at the University of Natal. He ran a medical practise in Pietermaritzburg, Natal up to 1986.[18] He is married to Zohra & Ayesha.[19]

Career

Sooliman's drive for the establishing of Gift of the Givers, was the instruction of a Sufi sheik, Muhammed Safer Dal Effendi of the Jerrahi tariqah, which happened in Istanbul, Turkey on 6 August 1992.[20]

In the 1994 elections Sooliman ran for political office as the head of the Africa Muslim Party. However, the party failed to win any seats and he subsequently left politics.[21]

His organisation is funded by ordinary South Africans.[22] Some of the projects where he has been involved include:

Recognition

Notes and References

  1. Web site: STRONGER TOGETHER: GIFT OF THE GIVERS & CAPITEC GIVE BACK – The Insider SA. 10 March 2023.
  2. Web site: Indian-Origin Philanthropist Named South African of the Year .
  3. South African Historical Journal. Lubna Nadvi. South African Muslims and Political Engagement in a Globalising Context. 2008. 60. 4. 624. 28 August 2011. 10.1080/02582470802635703. 143452202.
  4. News: The Africans giving aid to the world. 2 March 2012. CNN. 13 October 2011. Nkepile Mabuse. Teo Kermeliotis.
  5. Web site: About. 19 September 2018.
  6. Web site: Corporate crisis relief funding goes to Gift of the Givers as distrust in state grows .
  7. Web site: Disaster Response - Gift of the Givers Foundation. www.giftofthegivers.org. 2019-03-22.
  8. Web site: Gift of the Givers arrives & starts work in Gaza. paladmin. 2014-09-01. Free Palestine!. en-US. 2019-03-22. 22 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190322180032/http://www.freepalestine.co.za/gift-givers-arrives-starts-work-gaza/. dead.
  9. Haiti: the South African perspective. South African Medical Journal. 100. 8. 0256-9574. Cape Town. 2010. Daniël J van Hoving . Wayne P Smith . Efraim B Kramer . Shaheem de Vries . Fathima Docrat . Lee A Wallis . Accessed 1 November 2017
  10. News: Andrew. Miranda. Only one aid group in Somalia. 28 August 2011. Independent Online. August 10, 2011.
  11. Interview cited in Book: Desai, Ashwin. Responding to the May 2008 Xenophobic attacks: A case study of The Gift of the Givers. 2009. University of Johannesburg, Centre for Sociological Research. 5.
  12. http://ewn.co.za/2013/04/20/Gunfire-at-Syria-hospital-causes-SA-medics-to-flee "Gunfire at Syria hospital causes SA medics to flee" (...'in Syria alongside the Gift of the Givers Foundation, who have gone to assist victims of the civil war...') 20 April 2012, at ewn.co.za
  13. http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2013/04/30/sa-volunteer-in-syria-killed-in-car-accident Schalk Mouton, 30 April 2013, "SA volunteer in Syria killed in car accident" ('...team of Gift of the Givers medical professionals ...working at a newly established hospital in Darkoush') in Times Live/ Sunday Times at timeslive.co.za
  14. http://www.nyasatimes.com/gift-of-the-givers-foundation-reaches-out-to-karonga-flood-victims/ "Gift of the Givers Foundation reaches out to Karonga flood victims", 24 April 2013, at nyasatimes.com
  15. https://www.nyasatimes.com/gift-of-givers-set-aside-k50m-for-flood-victims-in-malawi/ Chancy Namadzunda, 19 January 2015, "Gift of Givers set aside K50m for flood victims in Malawi", at nyasatimes.com
  16. Web site: Global South African. 12 September 2018. 19 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180919211247/http://www.globalsouthafricans.com/component/content/article.html?id=809:profile-dr-imtiaz-sooliman. dead.
  17. Web site: Speakers. 12 September 2018. Sorsa Rssa. 9 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190709054457/http://www.rssa-sorsa2017imaging.co.za/speakers/. dead.
  18. Web site: Imtiaz Sooliman. 10 September 2018. The Presidency.
  19. Web site: Gift of the Givers founder hijacked. 11 September 2018. News24. 15 June 2012. Magubane, T..
  20. Web site: Gift of the givers. 6 September 2018. 24 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190424092914/http://sayedmia.com/charities/gift-of-the-givers/. dead.
  21. Vahed . Goolam . 2000 . Indians, Islam and the Meaning of South African Citizenship: a Question of Identities . Transformation: Critical Perspectives on Southern Africa . 43 . 25–51.
  22. Web site: Gift of the Givers' Dr Imtiaz Sooliman – angel amongst men – talks about money . 702. 23 July 2018. 19 September 2018.
  23. Web site: Korkie Family Thank Imtiaz Sooliman and Gift of the Givers in Statement. 13 September 2018. 8 December 2014. Sunday Times. Nicola.
  24. Web site: SA reaches out to Iraq. 14 September 2018. Mail&Guardian. 3 June 2003 .
  25. Web site: Help us build Mauritania's first women's eco-mahdhara. 15 September 2018.
  26. Web site: Gift of the Givers appeals to South Africans to help trapped Syrians . 16 September 2018. 16 December 2016. News24.
  27. Web site: Gift of the Givers joins rescue efforts in Nepal . 17 September 2018 . ENCA . 26 April 2015 . 19 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180919173404/https://www.enca.com/south-africa/gift-givers-joins-rescue-efforts-nepal . dead .
  28. Web site: Gift of the Givers boosts quest for water in Beaufort West. 18 September 2018. 14 November 2017. Saal, P.. Times Live.
  29. Web site: List of awards. 31 August 2018. 19 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180919172045/http://www.ieasa.studysa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/List-of-Awards-as-at-10-July-2018.pdf. dead.
  30. Web site: President's Order of the Star of South Africa . deviated . https://web.archive.org/web/20111003013649/www.giftofthegivers.org/awards-gallery/presidents-order-of-the-star-of-south-africa.html . 3 October 2011 . 6 December 2023 . Gift of the Givers.
  31. Web site: Humanitarian honoured at Spring Graduation. Mbongwa, L.. Durban University of Technology. September 2010. 1 September 2018.
  32. Web site: Musharraf gives away rescue, relief awards. Business Recorder. 1 July 2006. 2 September 2018.
  33. Web site: Ceremony. 8 September 2018. Nelson Mandela University.
  34. Web site: 500 most influential Muslims. 7 September 2018. Esposito, J.. 2009. 27 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180927050414/http://rissc.jo/docs/1N-WithCovers(lowres).pdf. dead.
  35. Web site: Rhodes honour for Sooliman. Press Reader . 6 April 2016. 4 September 2018.
  36. Web site: University Council award for Sooliman. The Mercury newspaper . Ndlazi, S.. 7 September 2017. 5 September 2018.
  37. Web site: Statement 2018 FW de Klerk Goodwill award. 3 September 2018. FW de Klerk Foundation. 20 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180920011330/http://www.fwdeklerk.org/index.php/en/latest/news/730-statement-2018-fw-de-klerk-goodwill-award. dead.
  38. Web site: Special honorary degrees to be awarded in SU's centenary year. 6 September 2018. University of Stellenbosch.
  39. Web site: Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards 2018. 2018. 9 September 2018. KZN.

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