Imtiaz Sooliman – Sooliman crowned social justice champion
AI: Summary ©
A social justice champion named Dr. Imtiaz was recognized for his work as a worker for the South African government and for his involvement in a serious incident at a school. His organization serves all people of all races and cultures, not just those of a particular political affiliation. A woman who was inspired by a S accept for a doctor's course on religion describes how the course had a spiritual nature and led to a return to religion. The success of gift givers is discussed, including four cell phones and 24-hour service management, and the secret of achieving success in the spirituality is in the spirituality. The speaker discusses their involvement in various aspects of their work, including working for a counseling service and helping their children.
AI: Summary ©
My son, you will form an organization that will serve all
people unconditionally. This was the life changing prophecy told to
the founder of gift of the givers, Dr Imtiaz Suleiman, back in 1992
Well, fast forward decades, and Suleiman has rushed to help
countless communities when their leaders have failed them. It's
therefore no surprise that today, the seed of South Africa's soil is
being celebrated for his uninterrupted humanitarian work.
Suleyman was this week, crowned the social justice champion for
2021 he was given the award at the third annual social justice
Summit, which was hosted by Stellenbosch university. Well, to
celebrate his excellence, we're now joined by South Africa's real
life hero, mine especially, thank you for joining us. Dr Imtiaz
Suleiman, first of all, a massive congratulations. You, I understand
were in half renet Drilling boreholes when you got the call
about the award.
Good evening. Good morning for you.
Anika, I just returned from from, actually, Eastern Cape. I was
there last week. You know, we were doing a whole lot of projects at
Adelaide. We went to visit hospitals. We went to visit areas
where water and health interventions are required, where
food is required, where animals require water. So I was there in
Eastern Cape. I just returned on Monday evening. I got a call,
indeed, late night, and the guy phones, we said, you're getting
the award tomorrow, social justice Champion award. I didn't know what
he was referring to. I had no idea about this award. I said. He said,
I need your picture. I need your bio. I said, at this part of the
night, he said, Yes, we have to prepare information for tomorrow,
as a conference taking place at stanland Watch, and you're going
to announce it at 12 o'clock. So, you know, I just complied. I was
sort of confused because I didn't know what he was referring to. But
anyway, he said Professor tutti has involved and vice chancellor
book the videos. So okay, that sounded very credible. So I sent
him the information and got a call at 12 o'clock, just after 12 on
Tuesday, to say, look, you've got this award,
Doctor. Am I right that you were inspired by a Sufi teacher in
Istanbul who said to you, you will serve people of all races,
religion the class and never expect a thank you.
Yes, I met him for the first time in August 1991
and that my heart connected with him and I went back in August 92
it was a Thursday night the sixth of August. It is besides
inspiration. It was an instruction. It was not something
you give something. It was not a normal type of organization. Where
I got up one morning and said, Okay, let's have organization.
Give it a name, find my constitution, write something. Is
what we going to do. It caught me completely by surprise, because it
was a spiritual instruction, and it has a spiritual basis. It was
10pm at night, the teacher looked me in the eye after a prayer
session, and influenced Turkish. I don't understand a word of
Turkish, but I understood every single word that he said, and that
told me this was something special. He said, My son, I'm not
asking you, I'm instructing you to form an organization. The name in
Arabic will be workford translated. It means gift for the
givers. You will serve all people of all races, of all religions,
all colors, all classes, all cultures, of any geographic
location and of any political affiliation, but you will serve
them unconditionally. You will expect nothing in return, not even
a thank you. This is an instruction for the rest of your
life, and remember, whatever you do is done through you and not by
you.
A gift of the givers has delivered services worth more than 3.8
billion rand in 44 countries. You've got four cell phones. You
work 24 hour days. You manage 90 staff. How on earth have you
managed to achieve so much?
It that that the whole secret of that lies in the spirituality. You
know, it says that whatever is done is done through you and not
by you. Anika, let's be honest, the kind of things that we achieve
is not humanly possible. It happens. But the outer hand bring
things for you, and quite very often, my prayer, I always tell
God Almighty, you know what? You do all the things and you just
give me the credit. It's all dedication goes all of an all
compliments or support goes to my staff, especially in the light of
this award. I mean, we've received numbers of numerous awards, but
this award is special because it comes at a time that my staff have
really worked day and night, sacrificed their family for weeks
on end, work Monday to Sunday, school holidays, public holidays,
weekends, eat, Diwali, Christmas, all over driven by the fact that
people in this country are in real need, we're going to burn them
out, you know? And they say no, they will continue night, morning,
day. Doesn't matter. It is driven. So really, this has come at a time
where I can't say it's no it's me. It's driven by staff, by families
and South Africans. We're encouraging us, my staff. Tell me
wherever they stop on the road. People compliment and give them
praise. Tell them thank you. They go to a restaurant when they want
to pay the bills. Somebody has paid the bill for them already.
This is South Africa, and that's why I have so much of hope in this
country. And give all credit to the.
People who've made this possible, doctor, you've declined calls that
you've been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. You've got five
children, a wife called Zora, who's helped you first establish
the foundation. How would they describe you?
A slight modification on that. I have two virus second wife on
Aisha, and I've got a sixth child called Rahma. And, you know, they
all, they all, well, the first wife says, I'm not human. She
says, when there's a discussion about emotions and people's
feelings, I can't take part in the discussion. I'm an alien, you
know, because I just have no emotion. I'm too cold, and I just,
I don't get affected by anything. It's a complete contradiction on
the one side. You know, it's as we serve people. But of course, I
don't allow myself to attach to that. So she could insist I'm an
alien, and I could say the same thing. They recognize the fact
that, yes, you know, I'm not available. I travel too much. I'm
involved all the time. But they met the must. They saw the you
know, they know the instruction I got, and they know what it means
to me as a person in following that instruction. So they've been
very, very successful in every way. In fact, in they followed me.
Zola runs the counseling service. Aisha is involved with the nurses.
Involvement in procurement, medical suppliers. All my kids, my
son has joined me as an IT specialist. My daughter's first
daughter is a dietitian. So everybody wants to be involved in
some way, because it's part of what you've seen and what they've
learned. So they all they appreciate what they do. They
think I'm crazy, but you know, I appreciate the sacrifice from both
sides. Thank you so much. That's the newly crowned social justice
champion, Dr imtia Suleiman, the founder of gift of the givers
Foundation.