EMERGIVAC offers affordable and effective emergency medical insurance for you and your family. In keeping with our strong ethos of caring for the community, we’re proud to partner with Gift of the Givers. In this post, we’ll share a bit more about who they are, what they do, and why we felt this organisation was so worthy of our support.
Who are Gift of the Givers?
Gift of the Givers is a dynamic South African disaster response organisation that offers disaster relief and does extensive humanitarian work. It was founded in 1992 by a South African doctor, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman. It grew exponentially during the past decades in the face of governmental failure to deliver adequate services and disaster relief. Gift of the Givers are an independent, non-governmental body, and are the biggest humanitarian organisation of African origin on the continent of Africa.
They work extensively in South Africa, but are also active in many other parts of the world like Bosnia, Somalia, Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Malawi, Haiti, and Zimbabwe. Their stated mission is to “bring hope and restore dignity to the most vulnerable”.
What work and projects are Gift of the Givers involved with?
Gift of the Givers provides effective and fast disaster relief. They played a major role in dealing with the dire situation of the recent KZN floods. But they also focus on the alleviation of hunger, the provision of potable water, health care, education, and human development on an ongoing basis.
Here is a brief overview of the incredible work this organisation does:
- Immediate disaster response, which includes the provision of:
- Temporary shelters, bedding, and blankets
- Basic food items including baby food
- Medicines, medical personnel, ambulances, and medical equipment
- Generators for emergency power supply
- Search and rescue teams
- Rebuilding of infrastructure like homes, schools and medical facilities.
- Alleviation of hunger, which includes:
- More than 100,000 food parcels distributed every year
- Serving hot meals at their centres
- Providing thousands of meals daily in support of existing feeding schemes
- Supporting struggling subsistence farmers
- Providing animal feed during droughts
- Helping with agricultural projects
- Providing clean water with water tankers
- Encouraging the recycling and harvesting of water
- Establishing desalination plants
- Facilitating the drilling of boreholes at schools, clinics and central community points with a team headed by an experienced geohydrologist
- Providing water purification solutions on site
- Providing bottled water to communities in crisis situations
- Promoting human development through the provision of:
- School supplies
- Counselling services for learners
- Jumpstart, a school-level entrepreneurial programme at some KwaZulu-Natal schools
- Life-skills training workshops and interventions
- Skills development programmes
- Providing bursaries
- Developing school infrastructure
- Contributing to community healthcare through the provision of:
- Primary healthcare workers, midwives, and doctors
- Hospitals
- Audiology screening
- Large-scale distribution of wheelchairs
How can I contact Gift of the Givers?
Gift of the Givers has several contact centres in South Africa and overseas, and people are encouraged to contact them if they’re aware of an emergency situation, want information or want to become a donor.
How EMERGIVAC members contribute to this incredible organisation
EMERGIVAC is in partnership with Gift of the Givers, so our members have the option of choosing to donate R20 per month to this admirable humanitarian organisation. This amount will be added to their monthly premium amount.
Conclusion
EMERGIVAC is proud to support Gift of the Givers as it aligns perfectly with our own aims of being there for our members in a crisis, and caring for the community on a larger scale. If you’d like to help this amazing disaster relief and humanitarian organisation, becoming an EMERGIVAC member is an excellent way of doing so! Not only is it an easy way to give back, but you’ll also be protecting yourself and your family.
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