Edhi Foundation

The Edhi Foundation is perhaps most notable for its non-denominational approach to generosity. Inspired by principles of economic justice and human rights, Edhi devoted his life to serving all people, regardless of religious faith or political affiliation. At times, this philosophy put him at odds with Pakistan’s hardline Islamic groups, who accused him of being an infidel. Edhi remained defiant in the face of this hostility. “I will not go to paradise where these type of people go,” he told the Guardian shortly before his death. “I will go to heaven where the poor and miserable people live.”

Edhi’s commitment to helping others arose out of personal heartbreak. Born to a Muslim family in Gujarat, India, Edhi spent much of his childhood caring for his sick mother, who’d become paralyzed when he was only a boy. Over the years, the steady deterioration of her physical condition also took a significant toll on her mental health. Although she died when Edhi was 19 years old, the memory of her suffering shaped his philanthropic ethos throughout his life.

Following the partition of India in 1947, Edhi moved with his family to the newly-independent state of Pakistan. He settled in Karachi, where he briefly worked as a cloth merchant. Dismayed by the poverty, crime and corruption he observed all around him, Edhi abandoned his trade to devote his life to social work. He opened his first dispensary, enlisting volunteer medical students to treat patients while he solicited donations from passersby on the street.

Edhi’s work on behalf of victims of the 1957 influenza outbreak attracted widespread attention to his cause. An outpouring of donations enabled him to expand his efforts to include natal care, adoption services and burial rites. He established a women’s health clinic, and launched a nursing training program to help staff his growing operation. During this time Edhi also purchased his first ambulance, which soon became the symbol of his organization.

In 1966 Edhi married Bilquis, a student at his nursing center, who  became his partner in running the Foundation for the next half century. Edhi remained involved in his organization’s day-to-day operations until his death in 2016. His life-long dedication to social work earned him comparisons to Mother Teresa, and on several occasions he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Since Edhi’s passing, his Foundation has continued its global mission to provide humanitarian relief under the leadership of his son, Faisal.

Contributor: Stephen Meyer