Gift of the Givers

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Gift of the Givers
Formation1992;32 years ago (1992)
FounderImtiaz Sooliman
Headquarters290 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. [5] It was established to offer disaster relief and response, together with other humanitarian work, with the aim to reach people worldwide. [6] 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. [5]

Contents

Humanitarian efforts

Gift of the Givers has worked in many parts of world, including Gaza City, [7] [8] Bosnia, Somalia, Haiti and Zimbabwe. [4] 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. [4] [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
Imtiaz Sooliman.jpg
Personal details
Born
Imtiaz Ismail Sooliman

(1962-03-07) 7 March 1962 (age 62)
Potchefstroom, Transvaal
NationalitySouth African
SpouseZohra
Alma mater University of Natal
OccupationMedical doctor, philanthropist
Known forHumanitarian work

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

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