Abdul Sattar Edhi, is a prominent social activist, and a well known philanthropist and humanitarian in and outside Pakistan. He has established the Edhi Foundation, which is the largest non-profit social welfare organization in world. He started social services to help the needy when his mother used to give him 1 paisa for his daily needs and another to give to a beggar. His mother died when he was 19. Her death shocked him so much that he began to develop a system of services for old, mentally ill and handicapped people.

 

He soon established a free dispensary for the poor and weak segment of society with the assistance from the community in Karachi. The dispensary latter turned into a welfare trust called the “Edhi Trust”.  Abdul Sattar Edhi has also established the Edhi Foundation with an initial sum of a mere 5,000 rupees and is engaged in philanthropic activities for more than six decades. Now the Foundation runs the world’s largest ambulance service, and operates free nursing homes, orphanages, clinics, women’s shelters, food kitchens, and rehabilitation centers for drug addicts and mentally ill individuals all across the country.

 

Regarded as a guardian for the poor, Edhi began receiving numerous donations, which allowed him to expand his services.

 

Since its inception, the Edhi Foundation has rescued over 20,000 abandoned infants, rehabilitated over 50,000 orphans and has trained over 40,000 nurses. It also runs over 330 welfare centers in rural and urban Pakistan which operate as food kitchens, rehabilitation homes, shelters for abandoned women and children and clinics for the mentally handicapped

Edhi leads a very simple life. He keeps only two pairs of clothes and a pair of shoes. He has never taken a salary from his organization. His wife, Bilquis Edhi — also a fellow philanthropist — runs free maternity home in Karachi and organizes the adoption and abandoned babies.

 

Internationally, Edhi has run relief operations in Africa, Middle East, the Caucasus region, eastern Europe and US where his Edhi Foundation provided aid following the New Orleans hurricane of 2005. In November 2011, Edhi was shortlisted for Nobel Peace prize. It is hoped that he will be able to receive it one day.

 

Due to his national and international humanitarian and charitable works, Edhi earned numerous national and international awards.

 

They are: Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service (1986); Lenin Peace Prize (1988); Paul Harris Fellow from Rotatory International Foundation, (1993); Peace Prize from (former USSR) for services in the Armenian earthquake disaster, (1998); Largest Voluntary Ambulance Organization of the World — Guinness Book of World Records (2000); Hamdan Award for volunteers in Humanitarian Medical Services (2000) UAE; International Balzan Prize (2000) for Humanity, Peace and Brotherhood, Italy; Peace and Harmony Award (Delhi), 2001; Peace Award (Mumbai), 2004; Peace Award (Hyderabad Deccan), 2005; Wolf of Bhogio Peace Award (Italy), 2005; Gandhi Peace Award (Delhi),2007; UNESCO Madanjeet Sing Peace Award (Paris), 2007; Peace Award Seoul (South Korea), 2008; Honorary Doctorate degree from the Institute of Business Administration Karachi (2006); UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize (2009); The Ahmadiyya Muslim Peace Prize for Advancement of Peace and the 2010 Peace Award (London), 2011.

 

The national awards he has won are: Silver Jubilee Shield by College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan, (1962–1987); The Social Worker of Subcontinent by Government of Sind, Pakistan, (1989); Nishan-e-Imtiaz, civil decoration from Government of Pakistan (1989); Recognition of meritorious services to oppressed humanity during eighties by Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Government of Pakistan, (1989); Pakistan Civic Award from the Pakistan Civic Society (1992); Shield of Honor by Pakistan Army (E & C); Khidmat Award by Pakistan Academy of Medical Sciences and Human Rights Award by Pakistan Human Rights Society

 

This great philanthropist and a great a human being is ill these days. We pray for his health and long life.