Thanks to the Gift of the Givers and UCT, 27 final-year medical students have been given a chance to become fully-fledged doctors in South Africa, writes Nabeelah Shaikh. 

Twenty-seven medical students from Gaza are preparing to complete their tertiary education at the University of Cape Town after they were brought to South Africa, with Gift of the Givers Foundation playing a key role. 

The students arrived in South Africa last Thursday and were greeted by thousands of people on Friday at the Musjidul Quds, where they performed their jum’uah prayer. During the Friday prayer, a special mention was given to the students, and congregants expressed how happy they were to have them on South African soil. They were warmly welcomed at the mosque.

The Gift of the Givers said they brought in the medical students to assist them in completing their medical degrees. 

“This comes after the total desecration of all Gaza universities and learning centres by Israeli occupation forces, leaving Palestinian medical students stranded. They have been granted special permission to study at the University of Cape Town,” the organisation said. 

Soon after their arrival, the Palestinian medical students were introduced to their new accommodation. The Gift of the Givers provided them with mobile phone sim cards, bank cards, and other essential items they would need during their time in South Africa. 

 Since their arrival, Zohra Bibi Sooliman, the head of the Gift of the Givers Careline Counselling Services and the wife of Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, facilitated a debriefing session with the medical students. She was joined by representatives from UCT, who have been actively engaged in the process of accommodating the students in the country. 

“The session aimed to support the students as they navigate their new surroundings and grapple with the emotional toll of leaving behind families and loved ones in Gaza amidst the ongoing genocide,” the Gift of the Givers said.

 The students also got their first exposure to UCT by attending the Dr Aadil Moerat Memorial Lecture after their arrival. The students then also went to the university to have their orientation this week. 

“The Palestinian students also embarked on a visit to Masjid Awwal, the oldest mosque in South Africa, situated in the historic Bo Kaap neighborhood. This iconic landmark and the surrounding area’s rich culture and heritage created a captivating introduction to the beauty of Cape Town,” Gift of the Givers said. 

Opportunity

Dr Shuaib Manjra of the University of Cape Town said the students have arrived in South Africa to do an elective at UCT’s medical school. 

“They will spend the next 9-12 months doing their electives here in South Africa. I think they are very thankful for the opportunity. They have expressed their gratitude for the work that’s being done both by UCT, by the Gift of the Givers, and by the intermediaries who have facilitated this entire project. Both the medical universities in Gaza, the Al Azhar University and the Islamic University of Gaza Medical School, have been bombed to the ground, leaving these students with no way to complete their medical degrees,” said Manjra. He said these are students who have completed five years at medical school, and this is their final year, so without completing this final year, they wouldn’t graduate. 

“The plan is that hopefully we can get them through this training process and they can write their exams through the home institutions or whatever exit assessment is needed and then they can graduate sometime next year. The plan, I believe, is for them to go back and practice in Gaza, this is what it seems most of them want to do,” said Manjra. 

Medical professionals are desperately needed in Gaza as Israel’s attacks on the region continue for more than 300 days. 

Manjra said UCT was elated to have the students at its institution for the next year. 

“It’s quite a project for the university as well to have them here for the next year for their electives. UCT has done a phenomenal amount of work to accommodate these students, so yes, all praise goes out to UCT and all those involved as well for facilitating this and accommodating these students,” said Manjra. 

Meanwhile, South Africans on social media praised the Gift of the Givers and all stakeholders involved in this project for the work that they’re doing to assist the people of Gaza, and particularly, being able to bring the Palestinian students to South Africa to complete their studies.