Imtiaz Sooliman – Sooliman crowned social justice champion

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.