Imtiaz Sooliman – Gift of the Givers has assisted an Eastern Cape community R2m in medical aid and food parcels.

And we're going across now to be joined by the founder of the gift

of the givers, doctor imkea Suliman, and this comes against

the background of the Eastern Eastern Cape community being

assisted with medical aid in food puzzles. Doctor imkeyas, assalamu.

Alaikum, as always. Welcome to the show. Walaikum. Salaam.

Warahmatullah, yes, sir. Doctor Kims, let's just talk about the

Eastern Cape. And obviously the it's been an area where there has

been a lot of focus. There have been many issues. There have been

water issues, but also in terms of poverty, and I think more

importantly, the drought stricken community has suffered

extensively. Are we talking about an area that I know quite well,

which is Aberdeen, which is, you know, part of the ECU region. So

just give us some information, some background as to the need in

that area.

The needs are absolutely huge. You know, the jobs funded around 2015

but progressively got worse as a dam, they also decreasing by 2019

and then we intervene in Wakanda in 2019

and we're still there because ready in the association plant the

extend of five systems. We're putting more water lines in, and

we and plotting more water drinkers. But in that whole

region, at the rate, you know, from, I mean, Makanda, as they

Adelaide bexford Promise, further down, bottle, with Tala, and

there's so many other areas, there's there's huge requirements

in terms of water associated with that, of course, what the water

be? Inefficient and insufficient, and no water for fodder, and no

fodder and no water for grazing. There's no crops and no grass.

There's been a loss of a loss of animal lines. A lot of animals

have died, which means the farmer's incomes have been

affected, but the farmers income being affected. A lot of the farm

workers have been put off. But then being put off, the money has

been, not been enough to situate in the economy. So many, many

shops and centers have grown and also because of minimal tourists

in the area, because Eastern Cape is highly dependent on tourism,

both local and international. A lot of bed and breakfasts closed,

and with that, a lot of franchise stores, you know, a franchise

restaurant also closed. So the overall monophone effect has been

huge in terms of job losses, difficulty, mental depression,

hardship. Animals are dying, the farmers themselves in great

difficulty. I mean, yesterday alone, you know, our trucks went

to Aberdeen, and we delivered food parcels, 475

food parcels for farm workers and for farmers. The farmers have now

come up and said, Look, they have no food to feed our families. And

yet, at one stage, they had 1000s of animals, big raising rents,

hectares of rain, and now it's nothing. And you know, we have to

provide them. And coming this week, we're going to be providing

a summer support for other farmers and other farm workers in the

area. That's the one aspect. The other aspect is that the hospital

started calling us from the last two weeks in desperation, and you

can see they are so depressed, the CEOs and the medical staff, they

said, Look, there's no food in hospitals. We can't feed patients.

There's no budget. And the MEC did tell me earlier in January, she

said, look the way, you know, I've come into a portfolio and there's

no money, and there's so much motivation against the government,

it's like 4.4 billion outstanding in health claims. So all that is

affecting the budget. So there's no money. Covid has decimated the

health budget, and there's no standard CEOs called. There's no

food, there's no salary, pets, there's no adult diapers, no day

diapers, no relevancy, no PPS, medical staff, no non topometers

and no cost proximity. And so many other hospitals need balls, so

some other hospital needs infrastructure upgrades. And so we

decided, okay, we're going to do something for you guys. And today,

at 11 o'clock, there's 33 hospital studies, and they've driving from

six to seven hours away from far as battle with East London in

what's in makawani issue hospital rest and a whole range of

different places to come and collect this basic food stuff, and

all the things that I meant for the patients and the spouse the

premier has been, I must say, the relationship with the sang

government is incredible. They have no issues normally, to donate

to govern this institution. The headache, you know, there's so

much of paperwork. There's no paperwork, no forms, nothing. The

premier should give us a call to say, You know what, I really

appreciate what you're doing, and we're going to make sure that

somebody higher from government will be there. The chief work in

Parliament also sent a message to say, thank you very much. And

actually she was with us two days ago in Cape Town. And she also

instructed Eastern Cape government to send family. So today, the NE

of health itself will be there. The HOD also wanted to come, but

she has to represent the MEC now at another function with MS

Kendrick to be with us and and when, when the doctors heard

first, only the drivers were coming to collect the food, when

the doctors heard that embassy is coming to our warehouse, they said

they want to discuss the health issues in Eastern Cape. So we're

using our warehouse as a missing point for the ABC and all the

doctors to raise their concerns. There's going to be a very, very

important morning to.

A you know, to show this partnership with government. Of

course, the covid are suffering us. The public is supporting us

and the way forward to try to make a better life for the people in

recent game. Well, certainly, Doctor MPs, we definitely will be

following these developments today, because from what you've

described, the need is dire. And it's not only about the near the

the the relief that has been granted right now, but it does

appear it's going to be a long term and it's going to be a

sustainable project. Yes, you know, we've upgraded a lot of

hospitals. We're already given contracts for upgraded for more

so, and we're focusing quite a bit on doctors facilities, because a

lot of the infection comes in when the doctors let down the guard and

out of the ICU and out of the covid Awards, and you come into

the small rooms of four ventilation that's when infection

can spread. So we are upgrading a lot of facilities like that now,

because, in addition to that, we are breeding wards and emergency

departments and, you know, putting up oxygen points. So I I'm hoping

within the next week we can start another break is going to cost us

close to 2.5 million. You know, in Alice hospital, we've done an

upgrade there. I mean, in Victoria Hospital, in Alice, we've done it,

and we may look at somebody at the TB hospital, the missus quarters

in Adelaide, as the funding comes through. And also, I got a donor

that's funded. You know, the success substantially several

boreholes. You know that the teams already at the building site, the

drilling teams, have already visited several of those hospitals

where there's no water, and hopefully within the next week,

they can start building the balls, you know, for for the hospitals,

which will serve the hospital and the community. And then, in

addition to that, I've been speaking to pharmaceutical

companies, and normally, again, it's such a prom to donate, you

know, short dated medicines to hospitals every six months. I

mean, you have the volume of patients to finish it in two

weeks, and it has been a problem. Now they can become mistake. Look,

we don't even have money for medicines. We will take anything

we get as long as six months and and later expired, and our first 2

million Rand of contributions coming from Austin, the bolus will

be there next week, Tuesday. Well, Inshallah, we definitely will

follow developments, doctor, MPs, and as always, we do appreciate

you taking time out and talking to us here on salaam media. We wish

you. We wish gift of the givers, all the best. Inshallah, Allah,

except ALLAH, reward your efforts. Assalamu. Alaikum. I mean,

that was Doctor Suleyman, and the time he's just gone, 9am we're

going for the live crossing over to tabile Duma, who is on standby

at Al ansa.