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Gift of the Givers’ Dr Imtiaz Sooliman inspires hope at UFS Brown Bag Lunch

26 September 2023 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied

The University of the Free State (UFS) Centre for Graduate Support (CGS) recently hosted Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of the Gift of the Givers Foundation, at a CGS Brown Bag Lunch. The Brown Bag Lunches are a series of informal talks aimed at providing guidance and inspiration to postgraduate students.

The event served as a platform for Dr Sooliman to share his insights into how pursuing a postgraduate degree can empower individuals to bring hope and change to those around them.

He said his talk was inspired by his own journey: “After receiving a message from my spiritual leader in Istanbul, Turkey, at the age of just 30, I immediately heeded the calling and established the Gift of the Givers Foundation.”

He emphasised that success and progress are not possible without faith and spirituality, and that these were motivating factors in his work. “The foundation works to unite people with a common vision to make a real difference by serving mankind for the greater good.”

Dr Sooliman shared many of his experiences and insights with the audience. He said the foundation has provided critical aid to many disaster-stricken regions and has extended its assistance to the most vulnerable populations worldwide.

Creating hope

The Gift of the Givers Foundation also provides support to the UFS No Student Hungry Programme, which delivers food parcels to needy students on the UFS’s three campuses.

Dr Sooliman’s efforts have helped the foundation make a real and telling difference in the lives of people from all classes, political affiliations, and geographical locations

He encouraged students and academics in the audience to “view your pursuit of higher education as a means to gain knowledge, but also as a tool to cultivate empathy, resilience, and a sense of purpose”.

Event organisers said the University of the Free State continues to promote education and community engagement, and Dr Sooliman’s visit served as a beacon of inspiration for students and academics alike.

Dr Danila Wessels, Assistant Director at the Centre for Graduate Support, said, “Inviting Dr Imtiaz Sooliman to our Brown Bag Lunch event was a deliberate choice driven by our commitment to broadening the vision of UFS postgraduate students. We believe that postgraduate studies can serve as a powerful impetus for bringing hope to people, and Dr Sooliman's inspirational journey perfectly exemplifies this."

News Archive

UFS community proud of Wayde’s hat trick of awards

2015-11-24

The Kovsie athlete Wayde van Niekerk received a hat trick of awards at the SA Sports Awards on Sunday 22 November 2015. He was named Sports Star of the Year, Sportsman of the Year, and was crowned as winner in the People’s Choice category.
Photo: Charl Devenish

Wayde changed the game – Naidoo

For a long time, AB de Villiers and Chad le Clos have dominated fan support in South Africa, but Wayde van Niekerk changed the game.

This was what Kass Naidoo, well-known sports journalist and cricket commentator, tweeted after the Kovsie athlete, Wayde van Niekerk, made a clean sweep at the tenth SA Sports Awards in his home town, Bloemfontein, on Sunday 22 November 2015.

According to Naidoo, the golden boy from the University of the Free State (UFS) is now the hottest property in South Africa, and should be watched during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Hat trick for Kovsie athlete
Naidoo was one of several celebrities to congratulate Van Niekerk on Twitter after Wayde received a hat trick of awards in the Sand du Plessis Theatre. The 400 m athlete was named Sports Star of the Year, Sportsman of the Year, and was crowned as winner in the People’s Choice category.

Apart from this, a humble Van Niekerk received total prize money of R1,1 million and two luxury Mercedes Benz vehicles - one for Sports Star of the Year and one as People’s Choice winner.

Big names outperformed
What makes his awards even more remarkable is the fact that he has outperformed several big names.
In addition to De Villiers and Le Clos, the tennis player, Kevin Anderson, the swimmer, Cameron van der Burgh, and the athlete, Caroline Wöstmann, were all nominated for Sports Star of the Year.

For the People’s Choice Award, Van Niekerk beat De Villiers, the cyclist, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, (who was crowned Sportswoman of the Year), Le Clos, and the wheelchair tennis player, Lucas Sithole. The public voted for this award.

Le Clos was nominated with the mountain biker, Greg Minnaar, for Sportsman of the Year.

Best is yet to come
“I don't think we have seen the best of Wayde. Hopefully that will come in Rio next year, along with a gold medal,” Naidoo tweeted.

The Springbok winger, JP Pietersen, also congratulated Van Niekerk on the social network, saying that he deserved his award as Sportsman of the Year.

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