A story of the establishment of South Africa’s only home-grown relief organisation, the Gift of the Givers and its founder ImtiazSooliman – the inspiration, the adventures and the impact they have made in lives of people around the world.
Imtiaz Sooliman says:
“We had to emphasise to the international community that Africa had awoken from its slumber; and that it was now giving instead of asking.”
Imtiaz Ismail Sooliman was born on 7 March 1962 in Potchefstroom in the North-West. He matriculated at Sastri College in Durban in 1978 and went on to qualified as a medical doctor at the University of Natal Medical School in 1984. After that he commenced private practice in Pietermaritzburg in 1986.
In 1991, ImtiazSooliman, a medical doctor practising in Pietermaritzburg visited a Shaikh,a Sufi teacher, in Istanbul, and received a message that would dramatically change his life and the lives of countless others – that he would dedicate the rest of his life to helping others in need, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation.
As Africa’s biggest relief NGO, under the leadership of Dr Sooliman, Gift of the Givers has a reputation for speedy intervention in local disasters, but it has also conducted over 20 international missions in places such as Bosnia, Palestine, Japan, Haiti, Indonesia, Malawi and Mozambique. Since 1992 Gift of the Givers has put up hospitals, run clinics, created agricultural schemes, dug wells, built houses, developed and manufactured energy food, renovated fishing boats, offered scholarships and provided shelter, food and psychological succour to millions. It has responded to floods, war, famine, tsunamis, kidnapping and earthquakes.
He then developed GOTG into one of the world’s most respectable humanitarian organisations. It is the largest disaster response agency of African origin on the African continent and implements 21 different categories of projects. In it’s 24 year history has delivered 1.8 billion Rand of aid to millions of people in 42 countries, including South Africa.
Major achievements through his effort:
- Designed and developed the world’s first and only containerised mobile hospital of its kind in 1993, deployed in Bosnia and compared by CNN to any of the best hospitals in Europe.
• Designed the world’s first containerised primary health care unit in 1994.
• The first organisation in the history of South Africa to be given R60 million by government to design and roll out 204 000 food parcels.
• Innovated the world’s first groundnut-soya high energy and protein supplement (Sibusiso Ready Food Supplement) in 2004, ideal in conditions of HIV/AIDS, TB, Malnutrition, Cancer and various debilitating conditions.
• Developed Africa’s largest open source computer lab in 2007 and deployed it in Northbury Secondary School in Pietermaritzburg.
• A special commemorative “Limited Edition” Gift of the Givers stamp was issued by the S.A Post Office in February 2013.
• A book “A Mercy to All” on Dr Imtiaz Sooliman and Gift of the Givers was published in August 2014.
Dr Sooliman has been extensively profiled in multiple media locally and internationally including profiles in CNN’s “African Voices” in 2011, eNCA’s “Movers and Shakers” in 2013 and SABC 3’s “21 Icons” in 2014
He has received 107 individual and organizational awards, recognition and mentions in Parliament. These include 4 Presidential Awards and 7 honorary Doctorates. For the full list visit their website.
Gift of the Givers
Gift of the Givers is the largest disaster response NGO of African origin on the African continent. Having been established on the instruction of a Sufi Sheik, Muhammed Saffer Effendi al Jerrahi (a spiritual teacher) in Istanbul, Turkey, on a Thursday evening, 6 August 1992, Gift of the Givers has delivered life saving aid in the form of Search and Rescue teams, medical personnel, medical equipment, medical supplies, medicines, vaccines, anti-malarial medication, high energy and protein supplements, food and water to millions of people in 42 countries, South Africa included. Commencing as a disaster response agency the organisation now has 21 categories of projects which include bursaries, agricultural self sustainability, water provision, counselling and life skills services, entrepreneurship and job creation, establishment of primary health care clinics and medical support to hospitals, winter warmth and supply of new clothing and shoes, sports development, feeding schemes and food parcel distribution, supply of household and personal hygiene packs, educational support and toy distribution, provision of housing, care of the physically and mentally challenged, orphans and the elderly as some of our diverse activities.
Innovating the world’s first and only containerised mobile hospital comprising 28 units, innovating the world’s first containerised primary health care unit, innovating the world’s first groundnut-soya high energy and protein supplement in the use of severe Malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, TB, Cancer and other debilitating conditions, and establishing Africa’s largest Open Source Computer Lab has earned us 107 individual and organisational accolades and awards including 4 Presidential awards. Thus far we have disbursed R1.8 billion in aid to needy individuals and communities in our 24 year history. Our motto is simple: “Best Among People are those who Benefit Mankind” and accordingly we serve ALL people irrespective of race, religion, culture, colour, political affiliation or geographical location, unconditionally.
Religion and secularism can hold hands
Businesswoman, marketing strategy and branding expert Donna Rachelson, focused on branding for individuals in her first book, entitled, Branding and Marketing for You. This produced so much valuable discussion and debate that Rachelson subsequently put her time and energy into researching the purpose-driver among teams, in six leading South African organisations. One of those organisations was Gift of the Givers, headed and led by founder and chairperson, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman. The outcome from the in-depth interviews Rachelson conducted, led to her writing a second book on the topic, entitled Branding and Marketing You through Teams.
Says Rachelson, “What emerged from interviewing these teams was very different from what I expected. In the case of Gift of the Givers, Dr Sooliman was responding to an instruction from his Istanbul-based Sufi teacher. Which was to start an African-based aid organisation. There were two simple instructions: 1) Sooliman was not to go hunting for projects, or the money to run them. Both would come to him. 2) The driving maxim for the organisation was, ‘Remember that the work will not be done by you – but through you.’ Dr Sooliman is at pains to stress this with all volunteers who work with Gift of the Givers. So they’re driven by a spiritual ethic.”
The fascinating aspect of Sooliman’s disaster relief and entrepreneurism support work is that he will partner or twin with any organisation in order to deliver. Provided they are ethical and well-intentioned. The Gift of the Givers maxim is to serve, regardless of ethnicity, religious or other affiliation.
Says Donna Rachelson, ‘Gift of the Givers is a superb example of how people, whether religious, atheist, agnostic or humanist, can come together when they embrace a common cause and vision, to do good for the rest of humanity.’
