Gift of the Givers – going beyond the call of duty

IF THERE were South Africans worthy of global recognition, it would be the Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman and his team.

Time after time, Sooliman and his humanitarian organisation have reminded the nation about the meaning of Ubuntu.

It would be an understatement to say that Gift of the Givers has gone beyond the call of duty. Very often, they are the first to respond in crisis, sometimes in the middle of the most dangerous disasters.

We have often used our news pages to highlight the incredible work that these people, mostly volunteers, continue to do in assisting those in desperate need.

Just a few weeks ago, they led the humanitarian relief efforts when a fire destroyed iconic buildings at UCT, with thousands of students being evacuated.

We now read that they have been asked to assist in India, where the Covid-19 pandemic continues to devastate that country’s health-care system, with infections and deaths reaching record numbers almost daily.

The crisis in India is exacerbated by severe shortages in oxygen. Gift of the Givers has indicated their willingness to assist, without hesitation.

Here at home and in neighbouring countries, they are known by the poor masses who are ignored by their governments.

When corrupt officials were enriching themselves with the food parcels meant for the poor, it was Sooliman’s organisation that stepped in, providing for the most needy in our society.

When the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality was on the brink of running out of water, Gift of the Givers transported water tanks and drilled boreholes, effectively taking over government’s responsibility.

They were there when neighbouring Mozambique was hit by heavy floods that left thousands of people displaced. The list goes on.

It’s worth mentioning that these efforts could not have been possible without the public and private donations that the organisation receives.

The Covid-19 pandemic has made it hard for us to recognise those impacting the lives of the most needy.

Allow us then to pay tribute to Sooliman and his Gift of the Givers team. May their spirit of Ubuntu continue impacting millions of lives. History will remember them kindly.