Durban — It was an early Christmas for 250 families of the sprawling Malukazi informal settlement in Isipingo, south of Durban, when Gift of the Givers delivered food parcels to them on Monday.
The settlement which is just outside Isipingo is one of the few diverse and the oldest under eThekwini municipality where people live side by side irrespective of race.
All recipients were families of Windy Heights Primary School pupils who were identified by the school’s Learner Support Committee through its programme of providing relief to the less privileged. Founder of the Gift of the Givers, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, personally came to address the recipients and hand over the gifts.
Delivering his speech, he said he was hopeful that the recipients of the parcels were happy and that he understood that some people do not have that privilege of enjoying Christmas due to financial challenges.
He thanked his organisation’s partners that assisted in terms of making the day a success.
He said that parents, grandparents and community elders had a huge role to guide children.
“There is a notion that says ‘my child is your child’. Let’s get that back and raise our children well because the future of our country is in the new generations.
“It is therefore our job to build a nation that will look after this country, raise kids that will be sincere and honest,” said Sooliman.
He stated that it is the responsibility of everyone to fix whatever was broken in the past and build a country where children will play together in peace.
Sooliman said schools play a very important role and they need to be supported in their efforts.
It was the second visit by the Gift of the Givers to the school. In May after the devastating floods he and his team donated food parcels and blankets as part of temporary relief.
Windy Heights principal Thembekile Makhanya said the school was grateful for the work done by Dr Sooliman’s organisation.
“We also consider ourselves lucky that this time Dr Sooliman personally came to be part of this event. We know that he is a busy man and his schedule is always very tight,” she said.
She also made a special plea to Dr Sooliman that he must adopt Windy Heights and the entire community of Malukazi.
One of the recipients, Bonakele Ndlovu, 52, from Road 4 in Malukazi said she was very grateful to the Gift of the Givers and Windy Heights for the parcels she has received.
“My granddaughter is doing Grade 3. I was very happy when she was identified by the school as a needy learner because there’s no one working at home,” said the parent.
Daily News