Abdul Sattar Edhi: The Philanthropist of Humanity Pakistan's Father Teresa

 

Humanitarian whose foundation provided health and social care for the poor and destitute of Pakistan.

The legendary philanthropist set up the world’s biggest volunteer ambulance network and helped save thousands of lives.

Abdul Sattar Edhi was a Pakistani philanthropist who built a nationwide network of humanitarian centres offering a wide range of life-saving services to the people of Pakistan.

Abdul Sattar Edhi, social campaigner, often referred to as the "Angel of Mercy" and "Pakistan's Father Teresa," was a legendary Pakistani philanthropist who dedicated his life to the service of humanity. Born on February 28, 1928, in Bantva, Gujarat, British India (now in Pakistan), Edhi's journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of the world's most renowned humanitarians is a testament to the power of compassion and selflessness.

Edhi was born in British India but moved to Pakistan six days after it was formed in August 1947. The horrors he witnessed during this period, including violence and the suffering of displaced people, left an indelible mark on him. It was during these tumultuous times that he made a vow to dedicate his life to helping the destitute and marginalized.

He attended some of the public speeches made by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the anglicised lawyer who led the movement for a Muslim majority state. Like many others hailing from Gujarat, Edhi found himself in Karachi, arriving by boat in the Arabian Sea entrepot that would grow into a megacity of more than 20 million people, racked by ethnic strife.

Abdul Sattar Edhi's early life was marked by simplicity and compassion. He grew up in a modest family and was deeply influenced by his mother's commitment to helping those in need. His mother's teachings instilled in him the values of empathy, kindness, and the importance of serving humanity.

He said he felt an urge to do welfare work after “observing the environment I was living in, where injustice, bribery and robbery were common”. He set up his first simple pharmacy offering drugs and basic medical care, regardless of people’s ability to pay, in a tent next to his family home in Jodia bazaar.

The area, now a teeming slum, is still the headquarters of the Edhi Foundation, which is run out of a ramshackle building where he lived to the end of his days in a tiny backroom. Doctors were persuaded to offer their services free and he raised the money to pay for medicines. Even in old age, he could still be seen on the streets stopping passers-by and cars for cash donations, with no one asking for receipts.

In 1951, Abdul Sattar Edhi established the Edhi Foundation with a single mission: to provide free healthcare, shelter, and social services to those in need (which over the years has become the largest and best organized social welfare system in Pakistan and in the Third World). He started with a single clinic in Karachi, and his commitment soon attracted like-minded individuals who joined him in his mission.

The Edhi Foundation operates on the basis of local volunteers and through private donations, in a spirit of tolerance and solidarity that goes beyond racial and religious barriers.

Under Abdul Sattar Edhi's leadership, the Edhi Foundation grew into one of the world's largest and most respected charitable organizations. The foundation's work encompassed a wide range of humanitarian services, including:

Ambulance Services: Edhi introduced the concept of free ambulance services in
Pakistan, with a fleet of ambulances providing emergency medical care to those in need.

Hospitals and Clinics: The foundation established hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries across Pakistan, offering free healthcare services to millions of people, regardless of their financial status.

Orphanages and Homes: Edhi Foundation operated orphanages, homes for abandoned children, and centers for the elderly, providing shelter and care to those without families.

Burial Services: Edhi's ambulances would also pick up unclaimed bodies and provide them with a dignified burial, ensuring that no one was left without a proper farewell.

Rehabilitation of Drug Addicts: The foundation ran rehabilitation centers for drug addicts, helping them overcome addiction and reintegrate into society.

Support for Women: Edhi Foundation provided shelter and support for abused and homeless women, giving them a chance to rebuild their lives.

International Humanitarian Efforts: Edhi's humanitarian efforts extended beyond Pakistan's borders, as the foundation provided aid and support to victims of natural disasters and conflicts in various countries.

Through his work, Edhi met Bilquis Bano, who became his wife and a key figure in the burgeoning charity empire. They worked together during one of the toughest periods of Edhi’s life, the 1965 war between India and Pakistan which saw Karachi bombed. The couple cared for the civilian victims and organised 45 funerals, with Bilquis cleaning the bodies of women and Edhi preparing the men for burial. It was said he washed thousands of dead bodies during his life, with his foundation finding space in its graveyards for anyone who needed it. In his memoir, A Mirror to the Blind, he made clear his distaste for anyone who thought themselves too grand to touch the dead.

The Edhi Foundation ultimately became a multimillion-dollar enterprise run directly by Edhi, his wife and their four children. It is most famous for its fleet of 1,500 minivan ambulances that are always first on the scene of an accident or, more frequently, in the last decade terrorist attack. The foundation estimates it transports a million people to hospital each year, charging a tiny fee for the ride. In Karachi, rival gangs have been known to call temporary ceasefires to their gun battles to allow Edhi’s minimally trained ambulance staff to collect the dead and wounded.

In a country with a negligible public welfare system Edhi offered cradle-to-grave services. Some 20,000 people have Edhi registered as a parent or guardian after he and his wife began taking in abandoned babies. They started to place cribs outside their offices where unwanted infants could be left. It was a court case filed by Edhi that ultimately won the right for abandoned children with unknown parents to get the vital national identity card.

“My religion is serving humanity and I believe that all the religions of the world have their basis in humanity,” he said.

“I have never been a very religious person,” he told the Daily Times newspaper in 2009. “I am neither against religion nor for it.” He found inspiration in socialist writers who lambasted the ruling capitalist class whom he thought were responsible for poverty in the world. And he did not see why work to alleviate suffering should be restricted to Pakistan. In 2005 the Edhi Foundation donated $100,000 to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the US.

On July 8, 2016, the world lost a true humanitarian giant as Abdul Sattar Edhi passed away at the age of 88. His legacy, however, continues through the Edhi Foundation and the countless lives he touched and transformed through his work and was given a state funeral, attended by tens of thousands of people.

Abdul Sattar Edhi's selfless dedication to humanity earned him numerous national and international awards and honors, including the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan's highest civilian award. However, he often shunned the limelight, emphasizing that his work was driven by a sense of duty, not personal recognition.

Awards

• 2000 Balzan Prize for Humanity, Peace and Fraternity -In recognition of his life-long unselfish work for the very poorest and for peace; for his untiring efforts finding those who need care and taking care of those that nobody else cares for.

• Nishan-e-Imtiaz, civil decoration from the Government of Pakistan (1989)
• Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service (1986)
• Lenin Peace Prize (1988)
• Paul Harris Fellow from Rotary International (1993)
• Peace Prize from the former USSR, for services during the Armenian earthquake disaster (1988)
• Hamdan Award for volunteers in Humanitarian Medical Services (2000), UAE
• International Balzan Prize (2000) for Humanity, Peace and Brotherhood, Italy
• Seoul Peace Prize (2008), Seoul
• Honorary doctorate from the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi (2006).
• UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize (2009)
• Ahmadiyya Muslim Peace Prize (2010)
• Honorary Doctorate by the University of Bedfordshire (2010)
• London Peace Award (2011), London
• Silver Jubilee Shield by College of Physicians and Surgeons (1962–1987)
• Moiz ur Rehman Award (2015)
• The Social Worker of Sub-Continent by Government of Sindh (1989)
• Recognition of meritorious services to oppressed humanity during the 1980s by Ministry     of Health and Social Welfare, Government of Pakistan (1989)
• Pakistan Civic Award from the Pakistan Civic Society (1992)
• Jinnah Award for Outstanding Services to Pakistan was conferred in April 1998 by The Jinnah Society. This was the first Jinnah Award conferred on any person in Pakistan.
• Shield of Honor by Pakistan Army (E & C)
• Khidmat Award by the Pakistan Academy of Medical Sciences
• 2013 Person of the Year by the readers of The Express Tribune

Edhi Foundation Website link :       https://edhi.org/

Abdul Sattar Edhi's life is a remarkable testament to the transformative power of compassion, selflessness, and the belief that one person can make a profound difference in the world. His legacy serves as an enduring source of inspiration for generations to come, reminding us that the simplest acts of kindness and the dedication to the welfare of others can leave an indelible mark on humanity. Abdul Sattar Edhi, the "Angel of Mercy," will forever be remembered as a symbol of unwavering love and care for all of humanity.