Imtiaz Sooliman – ENCA Morning News Today Sooliman Interview Gift Of The Givers

			Music.
		

			Welcome back. I'm Gareth Edward.
It's great to have you with us.
		

			This Friday morning, the gift of
the givers has expressed its
		

			gratitude after a postage stamp
was released to recognize the
		

			foundation's contribution to
national international relief
		

			efforts. The SA post office taking
recommendations from members of
		

			the public. Well, let's speak to
the man who's on the man who's on
		

			the receiving end of this, a very
busy man, I can assure you as
		

			well. It's a MTS Suleiman,
Director of gift of the givers.
		

			MTS morning to you. We often have
a chance to talk about it, but
		

			it's about the relief efforts
you're involved with. Finally,
		

			something for you guys to to look
at. Yes, you know, it's been a
		

			great announcement. It also shows
that we have youth South African
		

			support, because this was by
public submission approved by
		

			cabinet and Parliament. It just re
endorses the fate of the
		

			government and the media and the
country in our efforts, which
		

			means, of course, we get more
support to help more people in
		

			distress in this country, in the
continent and all over the world.
		

			It's a postage stamp, and people
will wonder, well, why that of all
		

			the recognitions in the world? But
as you say, it's very tangible for
		

			people to be able to be able to
see it and be able to understand
		

			what it is that you do, and for
people who might not be as
		

			familiar with the background of
gift of the givers, how long has
		

			it taken you to reach the sort of
status that you have now? 20
		

			years. You know, on Sixth August,
1992 was our inception. Sixth
		

			August this year is 21 years. So
it's and the last five or six
		

			years have been very significant.
I know it took time. In the
		

			beginning, it was assumed that to
be a Muslim only organization.
		

			Over the last five or six years,
people have seen that we are pure
		

			humanitarian, that we work with
all groups, that all groups are
		

			part of our team. Everybody works
with us. And you know, we have no
		

			political agenda. We are pure
humanitarian, and our aim is to
		

			help people and save lives
international recognition as well,
		

			often comes from governments from
outside of the country. You've
		

			been involved with a few of the
projects outside of our borders,
		

			and I think it's important to
recognize that, if you had to look
		

			back, particularly maybe over the
last five, six years, as you
		

			mentioned, how important those
were, what has been the hardest
		

			for gift of the givers to try and
manage?
		

			All of them had different type of
challenges. I must say, each one
		

			is different, you know, but the
end result is the same that you
		

			need to get in. And I think in
most cases, the biggest problem
		

			is, how do you help so many people
in such a short space of time, but
		

			so few resources? You go to an
earthquake, there's 250,000 people
		

			dead. You need to go to the
buildings to try to find as many
		

			people alive in the rubble as
possible. Of course, you're not
		

			the only team. The only team
there. There's teams from all over
		

			the world. We all face to the same
problems. And then you have
		

			millions of people who are hungry,
who are cold, who have no shelter,
		

			who need medical care. How do you
get the most difficult decision
		

			is, how do you decide which area
you serve and which area do you
		

			live out and you play god
unfortunately, and say, Okay, I
		

			will work in Houghton and I won't
work in centenn, that kind of
		

			issue. But the other the flip side
is, if you save one life, you save
		

			one life. So we're going
realistically, knowing we can't
		

			save everybody, but we know we can
save somebody. So we use that
		

			attitude in every disaster. Almost
21 years ago, I imagine it started
		

			as an idea, conceptualization, and
a very small group. Give me an
		

			idea of the network that you're
now involved with is it's not just
		

			you and a few of your members from
gift of the givers that you have
		

			an expansive network that goes
around the continent. No, it goes
		

			around the world. You know, the
good thing about such a good
		

			thing, the good thing of disaster,
is when you go to another area,
		

			you always meet people from other
countries and through media,
		

			through visiting, through writes
up, people contact you, and the
		

			more people know about you, the
more they write to you. And
		

			inevitably, whenever a disaster
happens, somebody from that
		

			country knows you, or somebody
from that country lives in this
		

			country, South Africa. So
multinational now and in the last
		

			show, clearly the last few
missions, people from those
		

			countries were living here, and
they came with us. They speak the
		

			language, they know the area. So
it means much easier. But of
		

			course, we have a massive network.
We have 60 permanent staff. We
		

			have our own search and rescue
teams. We have our own medical
		

			teams. We have our own specialized
equipment. We have relationships
		

			with governments. We have
relationships with people all over
		

			the world. So it just growing and
growing very briefly, just as we
		

			begin to wrap up, when is this
little postage step going to come
		

			under? I asked you, or if you had
one, you don't have one yet, not
		

			even you. The director has one.
When is it coming out? When can
		

			people get it? It's well, 11
o'clock this morning. They'll be
		

			unveiled, and soon the after, it
will be available through through
		

			the post office. Well done. I
think you deserve it. Certainly.
		

			Well, gift of the givers,
Director, MT Suleiman, joining us.
		

			It's certainly a bit of
recognition for what the group
		

			does the post office, releasing a
stamp later this morning,
		

			recognizing the work by gift of
the givers.
		

			You