Gift of the Givers aid Morocco
CARING: GOTG crew
Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman has lauded Cape Peninsula University of Technology staff and students for always being willing to step in when a national or international emergency requires their specialist help.
Sooliman was visiting CPUT’s Bellville campus to meet staff members Elroy Cameron, Ncumisa Mayila, Mumtaz Francis and Raina Gihwala, who have all been selected to travel to Morocco to assist with disaster relief efforts following a devastating earthquake that has left close to 3 000 people dead.
Sooliman told the CPUT team that their quick response to the Gift of the Givers request for help was appreciated, even though the relief organisation continues to await the official request from Moroccan officials.
Until then the team, along with a squad of nearly 30 rescue professionals from across the country will continue to be on standby, CPUT said in a statement.
Sooliman told the gathering that all the logistics, including flights, customs affairs and even sniffer dogs, are ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
“Working with CPUT is very easy and not complicated at all. There are no roadblocks or ego. People help with their heart and their soul. It is a relationship that has developed over many years and that relationship will just get bigger and stronger,” Sooliman explained.
Lecturer Raina Gihwala was part of the cohort who accompanied Gift of the Givers to Turkiye earlier this year and will potentially lend her experience and expertise to the mense of Morocco.
“This is the first mission for some of the colleagues and we need them to understand the terrain and extremities of what they are going to experience,” she added.
“As South African EMS professionals, we are accustomed to trauma so that does put us on a good footing.”