Imtiaz Sooliman and the Gift of the Givers – A Mercy to All’ by Shafiq Morton – Expanded Edition: The story of a South African legend continues ‘ featured on Book Choice on Fine Music Radio.
Insights to the man and the organisation were provided in an interview with Shafiq Morton. The inspiring story about a medical doctor who visited a Shaik in Istanbul and received a message from a Sufi teacher that dramatically changed his life and the lives of countless people.
Shafiq Morton is an award-winning Cape Town-based photo-journalist and radio presenter who has over 30 years of experience. He has covered South African stories such as the anti-apartheid campaign, the release of Nelson Mandela, the 1994 elections and the Truth & Reconciliation Commission. He has been on assignment in places such as Palestine, Libya, Somalia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Namibia and Niger.
NEWS FLASH: DAILY MAVERICK SA PERSON OF THE YEAR
Winner: Imtiaz Sooliman of Gift of the Givers;
Runners-up: Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo & The Vaccinators
Gift of the Givers is an extraordinary South African story – 30 years of selfless service to people in need in South Africa and the world.
• New chapters bring the story up-to-date in the expanded edition.
• Imtiaz Sooliman has become a national treasure.
• Royalties go to Gift of the Givers.
• The first edition was reprinted 5 times.
Imtiaz Sooliman, a medical doctor practising in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, visited a Shaikh in Istanbul in 1992. The Sufi teacher gave him a message that would dramatically change the lives of countless people. ‘To my absolute astonishment he told me I would help people for the rest of my life. He then instructed me to form a humanitarian organisation called the “Gift of the Givers”, and repeated the phrase “the best among people are those who benefit mankind”.’
Almost 30 years later Gift of the Givers, Africa’s largest humanitarian and disaster agency, has a reputation for speedy responses to floods, war, famine, fires, tsunamis, kidnapping and earthquakes. Well known for their interventions in South African and international disasters, teams of volunteers have undertaken missions to places such as Bosnia, Palestine, Japan, Haiti, Indonesia, Malawi and Mozambique. In the last few years they have turned their attention to the poorest South Africans – they have put up hospitals, run clinics, dug wells, drilled boreholes, built houses, offered scholarships and provided shelter, food and psychological succour to millions.
Originally published in 2014, the book has been brought up to date to continue the extraordinary tale of an organisation that has become a South African legend – the first to intervene in so many devastating situations and bring hope to those who have lost everything. Gift of the Givers’ reputation for direct, honest and non-partisan solution-finding has become a beacon of hope in South Africa.
Find the complete recording of the January edition of Book Choice on Fine Music Radio HERE Book Choice is presented by Paige Nick with her team of bookworms. They will entertain and inform you as they chat about the latest fiction and non-fiction on the shelves. From popular to literary works, you can enjoy author interviews and giveaways.
