KUWAIT: If philanthropy could be embodied in a person, the late Dr Abdurrahman Al-Sumait would surely be befitting, as his legacy within the field is unsurpassed by any individual in recent history. Born October 15, 1947, in Kuwait, Al-Sumait always had the woes and troubles of the needy worldwide on his mind, and during his life, he dedicated himself to ease the suffering of people and promote welfare to all, especially to those residing on the African continent.

Al-Sumait’s academic career saw him first graduate from Baghdad’s College of Medicine in 1972, which was followed by a diploma in tropical diseases from the University of Liverpool in 1974, and in 1978, he specialized in internal medicine and digestive diseases while studying at McGill University in Canada. Al-Sumait worked in a hospital in Montreal, Canada, as well as the King’s College hospital in London, before becoming a gastroenterologist in Al-Sabah hospital in Kuwait in 1980-83.

In 1981, Al-Sumait visited Malawi — a trip that changed his life — due to the devastating situation in this particular African country, which led him to establish the Malawi Muslims committee in cooperation with several charitable teams. He knew very well that the task was daunting; therefore, he established the Africa Muslim Committee, which was then changed to the Direct Aid organization.

Al-Sumait left medicine and embarked on a long, illustrious journey to help the poor in Africa and elevate the situation of the needy there. He made it his mission to make the Direct Aid organization a force to be reckoned with in terms of actually helping people and supervising relief aid efforts himself, which led to the betterment of millions of lives in Africa, providing education, infrastructure, facilities, mosques, and tens of thousands of drinkable water wells throughout the vast continent.

The Direct Aid organization also helped train and prepare around 4,000 teachers to spread the true notions of Islam in addition to sponsoring thousands upon thousands of orphans. Later in life, Al-Sumait earned several awards, including a medal from the GCC leaders for charitable efforts in 1986, the King Faisal award for the service of Islam in 1996, the Order of the Two Niles from Sudan in 1999, and many others.

In honor of Al-Sumait’s lifelong efforts, the late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah announced during the third Arab-African Summit held in Kuwait in 2013 the annual Al-Sumait Prize for the development in Africa. The one-million-dollar prize honors individuals or institutions who have made significant advances in food security, health, and education in Africa through their work or research. Despite living most of his life in strenuous situations, Al-Sumait felt pride in what he did for the less fortunate. On August 15, 2013, Dr Abdurrahman Al-Sumait passed away, leaving behind a legacy to be remembered by millions worldwide. — KUNA