WEB CHUTNEY

‘Live and let live’, ‘live and help live’ are the two main goals of the Edhi foundation. Mr Abdul Sattar Edhi has been serving humanity for the past 56 years without ever expecting anything in return. His services have been truly unparalleled and today he is known to be the most charitable man in the world!

Here is a list of 14 things Edhi has done that no one else could do:

1. He has the biggest charitable organisation running in multidimensional areas of Pakistan

Edhi’s head office is situated in Sarafa Bazar, Bolton market, Mithadat Karachi. While they have other zonal offices in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Multan and Faisalabad. They also have international offices in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia.

2. He started working without any help

When Edhi was 19-years-old, his mother died. His personal experience turned a new leaf in his life and made him think about the suffering of thousands and millions of people. Initially he started as a peddler, as time passed by, he became a commission agent of selling clothes in the wholesale market of Karachi. After a couple of years he established a free dispensary and later established the welfare we know today as “Edhi Trust”.

3. Initially, he started off with only one ambulance

4. Now, Edhi’s ambulance service is the largest voluntary ambulance organisation in the world. They have over 1800 vehicles all over the country.

5.After establishing his foundation, he still preferred to drive ambulances himself to help shift patients to the hospital

6. Edhi and his wife worked without any monetary gain, and together they have saved more than 16,000 unwanted babies.

7. He eats with all the children of his orphanage without any prejudice.

8. Children in his foster homes call him Abu and Nana

9. Edhi’s morgue services are not limited to any specific religion

10. He provided the people of Pakistan a home to go to when they had nowhere to go.

When the heat wave hit Karachi, Edhi buried 82 unidentified bodies of people who were victims of the heatstroke.

Abdul Sattar Edhi distributed Rs 5 million worth of food, goods and clothes to flood victims. He also initiated a campaign in Quetta for the flood victims of Balochistan.

Edhi foundation also helped bring missing boys home.

The destitute home service has provided shelter to thousands of people. Once they enter its premises then all the boarding, lodging, clothing and logistic arrangements are entirely free.

11. He is planning to construct 500 hundred Edhi centers on the highways and link roads of Pakistan to provide services to places, and people, where there are no medical facilities.

12. Edhi provides 36 different services in Pakistan.

His services include an ambulance service, emergency medical services, patient transfer services, air ambulance services, marine services, out city ambulance services, mobile mortuary, a free consultancy clinic, laboratory, pre-diabetic centre, nursing training centre, immunisation center, patient utility service, Edhi free OPD, child adoption center, jhoolas (baby cradles), abandoned children welfare centre, Edhi homes and orphanage, helpline service, educational services, graveyard services, coffin and burial centre, missing persons service, refugees assistance, marriage bureau service, langer service (free kitchen), charitable shop, animal hostel, Edhi rikshas rozgar, rehabilitation centers, in-house bakery, kitchen, rooti plant, workshop, Edhi morgue and online qurbani service.

13. He is fondly known as the ‘Angel of Mercy’ for his services in Pakistan.

14. He is the most charitable person in the world.

I don’t know of any other angel of mercy on earth, do you?