Gift of the Givers

Gift of the Givers is a South African non-governmental organization[1] It is a disaster relief group of African origin.[2] It was established to offer disaster relief and response, together with other humanitarian work. The aim was to reach people worldwide.[3]

Humanitarian Efforts

Gift of the Givers has worked in countries around the world, including Gaza City,[4][5] Bosnia, Pakistan, Somalia, Haiti and Zimbabwe.[2] During the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake the organisation sent four rescue teams and aid materials to the country.[6] They provided in 2011 food aid to Somalia,[7] by airlifting 180 tons and shipping 2000 tons of aid.[2][8] Through Gift of the Givers, South African medics and volunteers have been assisting people during the Syrian civil war.[9][10] Because of unrest in Syria some of the South Africans were injured or dead.[9][10] In 2013, victims of flooding in the Karonga region of Malawi were given aid in the form of food.[11] In 2015, after 176 died during flooding of the Shire Valley, and with thousands homeless, the organization provided assistance for citizens in southern Malawi.[12]

Imtiaz Sooliman
Imtiaz Sooliman
Personal details
Born
Imtiaz Ismail Sooliman

(1962-03-07)March 7, 1962
Potchefstroom, Transvaal
NationalitySouth African
Spouse(s)Zohra
Alma materUniversity of Natal
OccupationMedical doctor
Known forHumanitarian work

Imtiaz Ismail Sooliman, a South African, is a Medical Doctor and founder of Gift of the Givers. He also led the organization.[13]

Roots and education

Sooliman was born on 7 March 1962 in Potchefstroom, Transvaal, South Africa.[14] 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.[15] He is married to Zohra.[16] His religion is Sufi Islam.

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.[17] His organization is funded by normal South Africans.[18] Some of the projects where he has been involved include:

  • Pierre Korkie- Trying via negotiations to free a teacher, who was held by militants from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Korkie died in the rescue attempt[19]
  • Iraq- Helping local citizen in the aftermath of the war between Iraq and forces of the US and the UK[20]
  • Mauritania – Building a centre and nursery for woman and children[21]
  • Syria- Delivered supplies to refugees in the Idlib region where a war was on-going[22]
  • Nepal– Rescue operations after an April earthquake[23]
  • South Africa – Beaufort West and Fraserburg- Assisting the towns with the water crisis.[24]

Recognition

References
  1. Lubna Nadvi (2008). "South African Muslims and Political Engagement in a Globalising Context". South African Historical Journal. 60: 624. doi:10.1080/02582470802635703. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  2. Nkepile Mabuse; Teo Kermeliotis (13 October 2011). "The Africans giving aid to the world". CNN. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  3. "About". Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  4. "Disaster Response - Gift of the Givers Foundation". www.giftofthegivers.org. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
  5. paladmin (2014-09-01). "Gift of the Givers arrives & starts work in Gaza". Free Palestine!. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
  6. Daniël J van Hoving; Wayne P Smith; Efraim B Kramer; Shaheem de Vries; Fathima Docrat; Lee A Wallis (2010). "Haiti: the South African perspective". South African Medical Journal. Cape Town. 100 (8). ISSN 0256-9574. Accessed 1 November 2017
  7. Andrew, Miranda (August 10, 2011). "Only one aid group in Somalia". Independent Online. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  8. Interview cited in Desai, Ashwin (2009). Responding to the May 2008 Xenophobic attacks: A case study of The Gift of the Givers. University of Johannesburg, Centre for Sociological Research. p. 5.
  9. "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 Accessed 15 November 2017
  10. 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 Accessed 15 November 2017
  11. "Gift of the Givers Foundation reaches out to Karonga flood victims", 24 April 2013, at nyasatimes.com Accessed 1 November 2017
  12. Chancy Namadzunda, 19 January 2015, "Gift of Givers set aside K50m for flood victims in Malawi", at nyasatimes.com Accessed 1 November 2017
  13. "Global South African". Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  14. "Speakers". Sorsa Rssa. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  15. "Imtiaz Sooliman". The Presidency. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  16. Magubane, T. (15 June 2012). "Gift of the Givers founder Hijacked". News24. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  17. "Gift of the givers". Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  18. "Gift of the Givers' Dr Imtiaz Sooliman – angel amongst men – talks about money". 702. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  19. Nicola (8 December 2014). "Korkie Family Thank Imtiaz Sooliman and Gift of the Givers in Statement". Sunday Times. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  20. "SA reaches out to Iraq". Mail&Guardian. 3 June 2003. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  21. "Help us build Mauritania's first women's eco-mahdhara". Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  22. "Gift of the Givers appeals to South Africans to help trapped Syrians". News24. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  23. "Gift of the Givers joins rescue efforts in Nepal". ENCA. 26 April 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  24. Saal, P. (14 November 2017). "Gift of the Givers boosts quest for water in Beaufort West". Times Live. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  25. "List of awards" (PDF). Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  26. Mbongwa, L. (September 2010). "Humanitarian honoured at Spring Graduation" (PDF). Durban University of Technology. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  27. "Musharraf gives away rescue, relief awards". Business Recorder. 1 July 2006. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  28. "Ceremony" (PDF). Nelson Mandela University. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  29. Esposito, J. (2009). "500 most influential Muslims" (PDF). Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  30. "Rhodes honour for Sooliman". Press Reader. 6 April 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  31. Ndlazi, S. (7 September 2017). "University Council award for Sooliman". The Mercury newspaper. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  32. "Statement 2018 FW de Klerk Goodwill award". FW de Klerk Foundation. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  33. "Special honorary degrees to be awarded in SU's centenary year". University of Stellenbosch. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  34. "Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards 2018". KZN. 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.