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We could never have done it without you! From a humble beginning in a 12 square metre private home to six professional offices in three countries, a fleet of 16 vehicles including three trucks, several warehouses, and a modest staff complement. This is Gift of the Givers, the organisation that was initiated on Thursday, August 6, 1992, at 9pm by a Sufi (Spiritual Teacher), Sheikh Muhammad Saffer Effendi Nuruddin al Jerrahi, in Istanbul, Turkey, who instructed the forming of the organisation, naming it Waqfu'l Waqifin (in arabic), meaning Gift of the Givers.
His instruction was simple "Best Among People are those who Benefit Mankind". He emphasised service to all of humanity irrespective of race, religion, colour, class, culture, geographical location or political affiliation. He emphasised service excellence in endeavouring to serve disadvantaged humans and to preserve the integrity and dignity of compromised people. He emphasised unconditional service with Love, Compassion, Care and Kindness. Above all he emphasised that Peaceful co-existence with fellow human is the way of True Religion and that any teacher, preacher or leader that promotes violence or indiscriminate killing is not a man of the Almighty and should be shunned.
Commencing as a Disaster Response organisation, the crisis in Bosnia was our first project in 1992. Since then we have established 25 categories of projects and delivered R360 million of aid to 25 countries, South Africa included. We work closely with governments in implementing our disaster response, pro-active and developmental projects.
Innovating the world's first containerised mobile hospital, innovating the world's first containerised primary health care unit, innovating the world's first groundnut-soya high energy and protein supplement, with ground breaking results in TB, Malnutrition, HIV, AIDS and other debilitating conditions, and establishing the largest Open Source Computer Lab in Africa are some of our achievements resulting in attaining 42 national and international awards, including three from presidents.
Feeding schemes, food parcels, entrepreneurship, agricultural sustainability, bursaries and scholarships, winter warmth, toy distribution, hospital support, education support, boreholes, life skills, counselling services are but some of our 25 categories of projects we have developed. But we could not have done this without you; our donors, from the very ordinary man, woman and child in the street, to the larger private and corporate donors to whom we say a heartfelt "thank you". We say "thank you" also to government for acknowledging and partnering us and to the media for partnering and carrying our story. Through all these efforts, millions worldwide have benefited. We thank all well wishers for their warm words of encouragement and support and we continue our exponential march to serve with excellence those who need it most.
Our destination: half a billion in service delivery by 6 August 2011.
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