When it comes to charity, Pakistan is one of the most generous countries in the world as 1% of its GDP goes in charitable donations. The importance of charity in Islam—in the form of Sadaqa, Zakat and Fitrana—also fuels this culture of generosity. The country, after all, has one of the largest Muslim populations in the world. Today, there are many welfare trusts in Pakistan involved in charity and helping the underprivileged, out of which, Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation is the most prominent name.
Abdul Sattar Edhi, one of the greatest philanthropists in the world, founded Edhi Foundation in 1951 as a small dispensary where he used to sell medicines for free in the area of Mithadar, Karachi. He established the first welfare centre of Edhi Foundation in 1957. It has now been serving humanity for over six decades. Edhi Foundation was being directly headed by Abdul Sattar Edhi until his death in 2016. However, his wife, Bilqees Edhi, still takes care of a maternity home that is a part of Edhi Foundation.
Edhi’s legacy has been carried forward by his son, Faisal Edhi, who now heads and runs Edhi Foundation, which continues to be the biggest name in the field of charity in Pakistan.
Services Offered By Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation
Along with the expansion of its network of branches, Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation has also expanded the social services it offers. Let’s explore all of its services in detail
- Edhi Ambulance Service
- Funeral Service
- Morgue Service
- Edhi Home and Orphanage
- Soup Kitchen
- Animal Rescue Centre
Edhi Ambulance Service
Known as the largest volunteer ambulance service in the world, Edhi Ambulance started its operations as a single Hillman pick-up truck. It was then dubbed as the ‘Poor Patient Ambulance’. Now after a time span of over sixty decades, it has grown into the world’s largest and most effective volunteer ambulance network.
Dozens of ambulances have been donated to Edhi Foundation by Pakistanis living in Australia in the last couple of years. These vehicles are now operating all across the country. The total number of ambulances in the fleet of Edhi Ambulance Service has now reached 2000 following the recent additions.
Edhi Ambulance Service also holds Guinness Book of World Record. Airplanes and boats have also been made a part of this ambulance and rescue service in recent years. The emergency number to call an Edhi Ambulance is 115.
Funeral Service
Being the largest welfare trust in Pakistan, Edhi Foundation also provides funeral and burial services for unidentified corpses. Special graveyards have been established in the suburbs of large Pakistani cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad where unclaimed dead bodies are buried.
From providing ghusal services to making arrangements for a coffin and a grave, everything is properly arranged for the deceased person according to Islamic rituals for the burial of the body.
Morgue Service
Edhi Foundation has one of the largest networks of morgues in cities across Pakistan. Edhi Morgues are mostly used for the storage of human bodies that are awaiting autopsy, identification or a respectful burial.
Moreover, the administrations of cities like Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi undergo annual contracts with Edhi Trust to take care of the matter of identification and burial of unclaimed human corpses.
Edhi Home and Orphanages
Children who get separated from their biological families in Pakistan are provided shelter by Edhi Foundation, which has a large number of orphanages running under its umbrella. Similarly, elderly people who don’t have anyone to take care of them also live in establishments known as “Edhi homes.” The foundation also provides refuge to women who are subjected to torture and domestic violence.
Soup Kitchen
Edhi Foundation has been organizing soup kitchens for many years in the form of Langers (free meal) at multiple locations in cities across Pakistan. With the help of charity funds accumulated from all over the country, these soup kitchens feed thousands of people who are either home or belong to low-income families.
Animal Rescue Centre
Edhi Foundation also provides shelter to the poor animals who are either badly treated or need medical help. Here they are given food, medical aid and protection to improve their condition and make them physically fit again. Animal rescue centres set up by Edhi Trust give shelter to house pets as well who are lost or abandoned.
More about Edhi Foundation
Running on non-political, non-commercial and non-communal basis, Edhi Foundation is one of the best welfare organizations in Pakistan providing humanitarian services to the masses, round-the-clock. Saving thousands of newborn babies from getting killed by placing a cradle outside every Edhi Centre, Abdul Sattar Edhi has played the role of a real-life hero.
With the support of over six thousand individuals—and counting—serving as volunteers, Edhi Trust is taking forward its mission by helping the underprivileged section of the society. All these humanitarian services are carried out with the help of the donations they receive from Pakistan as well as from the rest of the world.
Nowadays, donations to Edhi Foundation can be easily made through multiple means like Direct Bank Transfer, Credit Card and Easy Paisa.
Being the largest city of Pakistan, Karachi is home to many welfare trusts, however, its connection to the mission of Abdul Sattar Edhi is particularly significant. As discussed above, the journey of his organization began in the metropolis and grew from there. Karachi, therefore, serves as the headquarters for Edhi Foundation.
Edhi Head Office Address: Sarafa Bazar, Boulton Market, Mithadar, Karachi
Phone Number: +92 (21) 32413232
Honouring Abdul Sattar Edhi – The Great Humanitarian
Pakistanis, both living in the country and abroad, continue to honor the legacy of Abdul Sattar Edhi in the form of charitable donations and voluntary services for the welfare of underprivileged and vulnerable people in the country. According to Faisal Edhi, around 50% of the foundation’s annual donations, which amount to Rs1.5 billion, come from outside the country.
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