As true partners in the effort to empower their communities, the Acting Senior Director: Marketing and Communications, Zama Sishi, and staff from Iqraa Trust met to discuss a very important and touchy issue – the retirement of the Trust’s CEO, Dr Yousouf Baker. Iqraa Trust is a non-profit organisation located in Durban. The Trust has aided with humanitarian programmes and projects designed to alleviate the effects of poverty for several stakeholders of MUT as part of the long-term partnership between the two institutions. Next month Iqraa Trust will host a retirement celebration to honour the great work of Dr Baker, who founded Iqraa Trust more than 30 years ago. As a strategic partner, MUT will work with the Trust to ensure a worthy event for the great philanthropist.
Bheki Hlophe, a staff member of the department who familiar with the relationship between MUT and the Iqraa Trust, and who described Dr Baker as “a dear friend of MUT”, said they honoured the invitation because “the partnership is very important to us. We have come a long with the Iqraa Trust. Our main goal is to come to the aid of the communities that need help. I can recall a time when Dr Baker asked us to collect some food parcels for members of Umlazi Township community who had been hard hit by floods. Although we brought a large vehicle, we did not expect such a heavy load. We were gladly surprised. The beneficiaries of the parcels were very grateful.” Hlophe also added that the Trust spent close to a million rand renovating two schools in Umbumbulu, south of Durban, that were damaged by the 2022 storm. This major project was a collaboration between MUT and Iqraa Trust. The latest support was a R315 000 bursary for three MUT students who, due to several reasons, could not access NSFAS funding. “It is only noble for MUT to offer its support in the planning of Dr Baker’s retirement and the celebration of the Trust’s 30th anniversary,” concluded Hlophe.