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Gift of the Givers is the largest disaster response NGO of African origin on the African continent. Having been established on the instruction of a Sufi Sheik, Muhammed Saffer Effendi al Jerrahi (a spiritual teacher) in Istanbul, Turkey, on a Thursday evening, 6 August 1992, Gift of the Givers has delivered life saving aid in the form of Search and Rescue teams, medical personnel, medical equipment, medical supplies, medicines, vaccines, anti-malarial medication, high energy and protein supplements, food and water to millions of people in 32 countries, South Africa included. Commencing as a disaster response agency the organisation now has 24 categories of projects which include bursaries, agricultural self sustainability, water provision, counselling and life skills services, entrepreneurship and job creation, establishment of primary health care clinics and medical support to hospitals, winter warmth and supply of new clothing and shoes, sports development, feeding schemes and food parcel distribution, supply of household and personal hygiene packs, educational support and toy distribution, provision of housing, care of the physically and mentally challenged, orphans and the elderly as some of our diverse activities.
Innovating the world's first and only containerised mobile hospital comprising 28 units, innovating the world's first containerised primary health care unit, innovating the world's first groundnut-soya high energy and protein supplement in the use of severe Malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, TB, Cancer and other debilitating conditions, and establishing Africa's largest Open Source Computer Lab has earned us 70 individual and organisational accolades and awards including 4 Presidential awards. Thus far we have disbursed R500 million (half a billion rand) in aid to needy individuals and communities in our 19 year history. Our motto is simple: "Best Among People are those who Benefit Mankind" and accordingly we serve ALL people irrespective of race, religion, culture, colour, political affiliation or geographical location, unconditionally.
We actively seek to build bridges between people of different cultures and religions engendering goodwill, harmonious coexistence, tolerance and mutual respect in keeping with the divine injunction:
"O Mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Almighty is (he who is) the most righteous of you." (Sura Hujurat/the Inner Apartments, Chapter 49, Verse 13.)
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