Trailblazer - Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman

Gift of The Givers

By Jessie Taylor

As a 30-year-old man, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman received a message from his spiritual leader in Istanbul, Turkey.

The spiritual leader, Sufi Sheikh Muhammed Saffer Effendi al Jerrahi, told Dr Sooliman that he would form an organisation called Waqful Waqifin, translated as ‘Gift of the Givers’. This organisation would serve all people of all races, of all religions, of all colours, of all classes, of all political affiliations and of any geographical location.

Dr Sooliman immediately heeded the call and established the Gift of the Givers Foundation, which has provided humanitarian aid to millions worldwide.

Inspired To Help Others

Dr Sooliman was born in Potchefstroom, in the North West. He started his schooling in his hometown but later moved to Sastri College in Durban. He qualified as a medical doctor at the then-University of Natal Medical School in 1984.

Throughout his life, he has been involved in several associations, religious organisations and school governing bodies as a student, medical doctor and an active member of civil society.

Dr Sooliman gave up his career as a medical doctor to pursue the field of humanitarian aid, which he believes transcends the boundaries of race, religion, culture, class and geography. In 1992, he founded the Gift of the Givers Foundation.

The Gift of the Givers Foundation is the largest disaster response non-governmental organisation of African origin on the continent. The organisation has developed into one of the most respected international humanitarian agencies, being the first such agency to be accredited by Proudly South African.

The Foundation works to alleviate physical and emotional suffering by providing disaster relief, primary healthcare clinics, feeding schemes, water purification and water wells; distributing new blankets, clothing and food parcels; providing bursaries, educational support, toys for the underprivileged, agricultural self-help schemes, job creation, counselling services and drug rehabilitation; and conducting HIV and AIDS, skills development and life-altering workshops.

All of these would not be possible without the dedication, energy and leadership of Dr Sooliman. "You feel the calling, you feel the need, you see the suffering of man and you want to do something. There's a lot of prayer involved. You've been shown what the right way is; what to do and what not to do. And things are put very clearly in front of you," says Dr Sooliman.

Dr Sooliman has travelled to some of the most desolate, war-torn and disaster-struck areas of the world, heading relief missions. Through his work with Gift of the Givers, he and his teams have responded to the needs of countless people affected by a wide range of natural and man-made disasters, such as floods, famine, tsunamis, earthquakes and wars.

He has facilitated the establishment of hospitals, run clinics, created agricultural schemes, dug wells, built houses, and provided food and shelter to millions. Dr Sooliman remains driven by the same basic principles that led to his becoming a medical doctor: respect, care, professionalism and dedication. But there is something else that fuels Dr Sooliman’s passion for humanitarianism – the solid belief in the common humanity that unites us.

Uniting People With A Common Vision

The Gift of the Givers Foundation works to unite people, with a common vision, to make a real and telling difference by serving mankind for the ‘Greater Good’. Assistance is provided unconditionally, assisting the needy, irrespective of human or animal, race, religion, colour, class, political affiliation or geographic location.

The organisation is impartial and apolitical and aims to serve with compassion, kindness and mercy. One of the notable gifts that he organised was the donation of a well-equipped field hospital first used during the Bosnian War.

In 2003, his organisation became the first in South African history to receive R60-million from the South African Government for humanitarian aid in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. "I love this country. All people in our country, irrespective of where they come from, have that ubuntu spirit: to give up their own to help somebody else," says Dr Sooliman.

Since its inception in 1992, the organisation has been responsible for the delivery of life-saving goods and on-the-ground support for innumerable people, collectively valued at some R4.5-billion, in more than 45 countries across the globe, including South Africa.

Dr Sooliman has been awarded numerous awards locally and internationally, including the prestigious Global Citizen Award by the international citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners.

Source: SA Presidency | Gift of The Givers | 21 Icons