10 December 2014 - The Philippine Embassy in Pretoria was invited by the Gift of the Givers Foundation to the launch of the book: Imtiaz Sooliman and the Gift of the Givers: A Mercy to All, at the University of Johannesburg on November 26.

The book chronicles the efforts and experiences of Gift of the Givers and its founder – Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman in various humanitarian missions across the world, including Bosnia, Palestine, Haiti, Somalia, Syria and the Philippines.

Gift of Givers, which is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, is touted as Africa’s biggest humanitarian relief organization. Established in 1992, Gift of the Givers and Dr. Sooliman have brought medical teams and equipment to war torn regions, conducted search and rescue operations in disaster areas, and delivered relief to people affected by humanitarian crises in South Africa and elsewhere around the world.

In the chapter on Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, the book cited the assistance of former Philippine Ambassador to South Africa Constancio R. Vingno Jr. and Philippine Honorary Consul in Cape Town Steven Chaimowitz in coordinating the response of Gift of the Givers.

In photos presented during the launch, Gift of the Givers showed how they transported over open sea South African medical personnel and equipment from Cebu to Palompon on Leyte island. With cooperation from local authorities and the Palompon community, Gift of the Givers also rehabilitated the damaged Palompon General Hospital, and sent a second team to the area a few weeks later. END