In a world where crises strike more often and with growing intensity, from conflict and hunger to drought and disaster, Team Gift aims to give ordinary South Africans a way to stand together consistently, ensuring no one is left behind when hardship hits, says the organisation.

Hope That Never Fades

Disasters, poverty and limited access to healthcare continue to affect millions each year. Team Gift was created with the aim to provide consistent, reliable support, ensuring that when emergencies arise, help can arrive without delay, says the organisation.

The programme's sustainable funding model allows Gift of the Givers to respond faster, plan further ahead and maintain essential care long after initial relief efforts have ended, adds the organisation.

From a Riverbed in Mozambique to a Movement of Hope

The inspiration behind Team Gift reaches back to 1990, when a young Dr Imtiaz Sooliman travelled with the Islamic Medical Association to Mozambique during a time of war and drought, says the organisation.

While visiting Nacala Hospital, he noticed two children digging into a dry riverbed and drinking muddy water. The image stayed with him, a painful reminder of how easily clean water and safety is taken for granted, and how deeply ordinary people can suffer in times of crisis, adds the organisation.

Determined to act, Dr Sooliman wrote about what he had witnessed and shared it through phone calls and fax machines, his version of crowdfunding at the time. Within just five days, friends and colleagues helped him raise US$100 000, enough to provide 30 boreholes and vital malaria medication, says the organisation.

That first humanitarian mission became the foundation for Gift of the Givers, aiming to prove that when people unite around compassion, extraordinary things can happen, says the organisation.

More than three decades later, Team Gift aims to bring that same spirit of unity and collective giving, a call for South Africans to join a community of monthly donors ensuring the organisation remains ready to respond whenever and wherever help is needed, adds the organisation.

How Team Gift Works

From as little as R50 per month, donors can pledge recurring contributions via BackaBuddy, joining a growing global movement of consistent givers. All donations are pooled and distributed across Gift of the Givers' key humanitarian projects, supporting food security, sanitation, healthcare, education, disaster response and more, says the organisation.

Because the funding is stable and recurring, Gift of the Givers can plan ahead, reach further into crisis zones and sustain life-saving support long after the headlines fade, adds the organisation.

To celebrate the spirit of collective compassion, the organisation is calling on supporters around the world to be among the first 1 000 members of Team Gift — a founding community of monthly donors recognised for their commitment to ongoing, measurable impact, says the organisation.

Founding Member Benefits

When individuals join Team Gift as Founding Members, they gain access to a range of exclusive benefits designed to bring them closer to Gift of the Givers aim to provide life-saving work, says the organisation.

Founding Members receive live, real-time updates through the Team Gift WhatsApp Community, including direct messages, photos and videos from Gift of the Givers' relief teams on the ground, offering a rare, behind-the-scenes view of humanitarian action in progress, adds the organisation.

The Time is Now

Unpredictable crises demand reliable compassion. Too often, projects fade once immediate relief ends, leaving communities vulnerable. Team Gift aims to close that gap, turning one-time generosity into continuous care, says the organisation.

"Team Gift represents the heart of our mission — a community of consistent givers who ensure that when the next crisis arrives, we are already prepared. Every monthly donation, no matter the size, helps sustain the lifeline that keeps hope alive," says Ronelle Mungaroo, Communications Manager at Gift of the Givers.

"Recurring giving is one of the most powerful ways South Africans can make an impact. Through Team Gift, BackaBuddy is proud to support Gift of the Givers in building a community of everyday heroes who make long-term humanitarian work possible," says Catherine Swanepoel, Chief Growth Officer at BackaBuddy.

Team Gift encourages people to join and necome a Founding Member. Gift of the Givers and BackaBuddy invite South Africans to transform compassion into action by joining Team Gift today, concludes the organisation.

For more information, visit www.giftofthegivers.org. You can also follow Gift of the Givers on Facebook, X, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of contributor