The Edhi Foundation is a non-profit social welfare program in
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, founded by
Abdul Sattar EdhiAbdul Sattar Edhi, NI , or Maulana Edhi, as he is often known, is a Pakistani philanthropist. He is head of the Edhi Foundation, the world's largest ambulance help service and charity. Together with his wife, Bilquis Edhi, he received the 1986 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service. He is also...
in 1951.
Edhi is the head of the organization and his wife
BilquisBilquis Bano Edhi Hilal-e-Imtiaz, , wife of Abdul Sattar Edhi, is a professional nurse and one of the most active philanthropists in Pakistan. She has been nicknamed, The Mother of Pakistan. She was born in 1947 in Karachi. She heads the Bilquis Edhi Foundation, and with her husband received the...
, a nurse, oversees the maternity and adoption services of the foundation. Its headquarters are in Karachi, Pakistan.
The Edhi Foundation provides 24-hour emergency assistance across the nation of Pakistan and abroad. The Foundation provides, among many other services, shelter for the destitute, free hospitals and medical care,
drug rehabilitationDrug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
services, and national and international relief efforts. Its main focuses are Emergency Services, Orphans, Handicapped Persons, Shelters,
EducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, Healthcare, International Community Centers, Blood & Drug Bank,
air ambulanceAn air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
services, Marine And Coastal Services.
Origin
Edhi established his first welfare center and then the Edhi Trust with a mere Rs. 5000 {Approx. $55.56}. What started as one man operating from a single room in Karachi is now the Edhi Foundation, the largest welfare organization in Pakistan. The foundation has over 300 centers across the country, in big cities, small towns and remote rural areas, providing medical aid, family planning and emergency assistance. They own air ambulances, providing quick access to far-flung areas.
In Karachi alone, the Edhi Foundation runs 8 hospitals providing free medical care, eye hospitals, diabetic centers, surgical units, a 4- bed cancer hospital and mobile dispensaries. In addition to these the Foundation also manages two blood banks in Karachi.
20,000 abandoned babies have been saved.
40,000 qualified nurses have been trained
50,000 orphans are housed in Edhi Homes
1 million babies have been delivered in Edhi Maternity Centres
Born in 1928 in
BantvaBantva, Bantwa is a small town in Kathiawar, a former district of the state of Gujarat in India.-Geography:Bantva is located at 21° 28' 60N and 70° 4' 60E, at an altitude of 20 meters. Nearby towns are Nanadiya, Limbuda, Manavadar, Vanthali, Junagadh, Keshod, Visavadar, Kutiyana, Dhoraji,...
,
Gujarat,
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Edhi’s family belonged to the industrious Memon community. From a young age his mother taught Edhi to be kind towards others and to help the poor. In the
partition of IndiaThe Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947 the family migrated to
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and settled in
KarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
. That was a time of great emotional trauma and social and political upheaval. Edhi became involved in social work and began working with welfare organizations and soon started his own dispensary, providing medical aid to the poor. He bought his first ambulance, an old van which he called the "poor man’s van" and went around the city providing medical help and burying unclaimed bodies. His van became his advertisement and soon he came to be known for his work with the poor. As a consequence, donations started pouring in and his operations expanded, employing additional nurses and staff. It was here that Edhi met his wife
BilquisBilquis Bano Edhi Hilal-e-Imtiaz, , wife of Abdul Sattar Edhi, is a professional nurse and one of the most active philanthropists in Pakistan. She has been nicknamed, The Mother of Pakistan. She was born in 1947 in Karachi. She heads the Bilquis Edhi Foundation, and with her husband received the...
who was a trainee nurse at the dispensary. They were married in 1966. Bilquis became an ideal partner in life and work for Edhi.
Edhi established his first welfare center and then the Edhi Trust with a mere Rs. 5000 [$100]. The Edhi Foundation grew as people began to recognize its humanitarian aims. In 1973 when an old apartment building collapsed in Karachi, Edhi’s ambulances and volunteers were the first to reach the scene and start rescue operations. From then, on, through the troubles in Karachi and all over the country, Edhi’s ambulances have been rescuing and taking the injured to hospitals and burying unclaimed bodies. They go to places where even government agencies hesitate to venture.
The Edhi Foundation is the first of its kind in South Asia that owns air ambulances, providing quick access to far-flung areas. Whether it is a train accident or a bomb blast, Edhi ambulances are the first to arrive. The foundation relies on the support of its 3,500 workers and thousands of volunteers who form the backbone of the organization.
Despite the growth of the foundation, Edhi remains a very down-to-earth person, dressed always in grey homespun cotton local clothes. He has a hands on approach to his work, sweeping his own room and even cleaning the gutter if need be. Apart from the one room, which he uses for his living quarters, the rest of the building serves as his workplace in Mithadar, a locality of old Karachi that is full of narrow streets and congested alleyways. Adjoining their living room is a small kitchen where Bilquees usually prepares the midday meal. Next to it is a washing area where bodies are bathed and prepared for burial.
When Edhi is not traveling to supervise his other centers, a typical day for him begins at five in the morning with morning
FajrThe Fajr prayer is the first of the five daily prayers offered by practising Muslims. The five daily prayers collectively form one pillar of the Five Pillars of Islam, in Sunni Islam, and one of the ten Practices of the Religion according to Shia Islam.The Fajr prayer is mentioned by name in the...
prayers. His work starts thereafter answering any calls for help, organizing and meeting people in need while afternoons are spent at various centers and hospitals all over the city. In the evening he dines with hundreds of poor at his "
free community meals common among South East AsiaLangar is the term used in the Sikh religion or in Punjab in general for common kitchen/canteen where food is served in a Gurdwara to all the visitors for free. At the langar, only vegetarian food is served, to ensure that all people, regardless of their dietary restrictions, can eat as equals...
" at another Edhi centre in the city. His Fridays are invariably spent at homes for the destitute children where Edhi personally helps bathe the ones who are physically handicapped, before joining them for Friday prayers. Occasionally, when he is able to, he also takes them out for picnics.
In Karachi alone, the Edhi Foundation runs 8 hospitals providing free medical care, eye hospitals, diabetic centres, surgical units, a 4- bed cancer hospital and mobile dispensaries. In addition to these the Foundation also manages two blood banks in Karachi. As with other Edhi services, employed professionals and volunteers run these. The foundation has a Legal aid department, which provides free services and has secured the release of countless innocent prisoners. Commissioned doctors visit jails on a regular basis and also supply food and other essentials to the inmates. There are 15 " Apna Ghar" ["Our Home"] homes for the destitute children, runaways, and psychotics and the Edhi Foundation states that over the years 3 million children have been rehabilitated and reunited with their families thorough the Edhi network.
The foundation also has an education scheme, which apart from teaching reading and writing covers various vocational activities such as driving, pharmacy and para-medical training. The emphasis is on self-sufficiency. The Edhi Foundation has branches in several countries where they provide relief to refugees in the USA, UK,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and
BangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. In 1991 the Foundation provided aid to victims of the Gulf war and earthquake victims in Iran and Egypt.
Edhi plans mass campaigns against narcotics, illiteracy, population control and basic hygiene. Edhi’s wife Bilquees works in the areas of maternity centre management. She runs 6 nursing training schools in Karachi, which provide basic training courses. These centres have so far trained over 40,000 qualified nurses. Some 20,000 abandoned babies have been saved and about a million babies have been delivered in the Edhi maternity homes. Bilquees also supervises the food that is supplied to the Edhi hospitals in Karachi. The total number of orphans in Edhi housing is 50,000 and Edhi’s two daughters and one son assist in the running of the orphanages and the automation of these institutions.
Edhi’s vision is to create an institution that will carry on his life’s work and survive for a long time to come. His dream is that of a Pakistan as a modern welfare state, which provides a safety net for the poor and needy while providing basic health and education with vocational skills. A welfare state Edhi feels is the only way to tackle Pakistan’s myriad social problems. He hopes that one day, Pakistan will be a model for other developing countries.
In 1985 Edhi received the Nishan-e-Imtiaz from the Government of Pakistan and in recognition of their services the Government of Philippines awarded Edhi & Bilquees the Magsayay award.
The Edhi Foundation has also saved Mohammad Humzah Paracha's life, a boy from Karachi, who is fifteen years old. He suffered from lip problems. He is now fine, thanks to Abdul Sattar Edhi's persistent and determination to heal the boy.
Programs
- Welfare activities
- Baby cradles
A baby hatch is a place where mothers can bring their babies, usually newborn, and leave them anonymously in a safe place to be found and cared for. This kind of arrangement was common in mediaeval times and in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the device was known as a foundling wheel...
(jhoolas) are installed at most Edhi centers, where unwanted or abandoned babies may be left. Adoptions are then arranged for the infants.
- Destitute homes (Apna Ghar) service orphans, runaways, and the mentally ill.
- Warehouses hold supplies for emergency situations.
- Missing Persons Service posts bulletins for missing persons in the press, on radio and TV.
- Prisoner's Aid provides provisions and legal aid to imprisoned persons.
- Graveyard Services provide washing and burials for unclaimed bodies. Religious services are provided according to the deceased's religious affiliation.
- Public Kitchens feed the hungry in Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, LahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, and RawalpindiRawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
- Animal Shelter Edhi Homes were originally meant to provide services to the distressed and ailing destitutes. Soon, however, animals that were cruelly treated by their owners and had become lame, crippled or badly wounded, started ending up in Edhi Centers. These also include missing animals and unwanted pets which have no other place to go except Edhi shelters. In view of the increasing number of such animals, Edhi Foundation established a separate treatment unit which has now grown up into a small zoo. Veterinary doctors look after these animals along with other volunteer staff at super highway, Karachi. These animals include peacocks, owls, deers, monkeys, horses, mules, cats, dogs and a number of domestic birds.
- Note The Edhi Foundation is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the largest volunteer ambulance organization in the world.
- Field Ambulance Service provides 700 ambulances (the largest ambulance fleet in Pakistan and the largest private ambulance service network in the world).
- Air Ambulance Service provides two airplanes and one helicopter.
- Marine and Coastal Service provides weather warnings, air-drops food supplies, and recovers dead bodies.
- Emergency Checkposts provides immediate, emergency care.
- Projects
- Highway Projects are developing new Edhi centers across the nation of Pakistan.
- Blood and Drug Banks provide medicine to needy persons. They also collect and store blood for transfusions.
- Cancer Research Hostel houses 50 cancer patients in Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
.
- International Activities
- Refugee Assistance provides help to refugees in Pakistan.
- International Community Centers are established in several nations to assist Pakistanis and other Asians overseas.
- Offices Abroad are Edhi Foundation offices established in other nations, such as Japan, the UK, and the USA.
Edhi Adoption center phone number is 011-92-02132443158.
Edhi Homes for the Destitute
The establishment/extension of additional Edhi Homes for the destitute during next three years is planned for all major cities. Peshawar Quetta, Muzaffarabad, Chitral, Gujranwala and Lahore. The estimated cost of the above facilities is over Rs.100 million.
Rehabilitation Centre for Heroin Addicts
Rehabilitation and associated training centres are planned for learning skills. A ball point manufacturing plant will be established at Super-Highway, at a cost of Rs.2.5 million. This is in addition to the drug abuse rehabilitation programme already in Operation Ambulance Centres And Associated Ambulances The number of ambulances will be increased from existing 400 ambulances to 650 ambulances over the next two years. The total cost of ambulance Centres and associated ambulances will be approximately 56 million.
Rural Centres
Rural Welfare Centres will be established to organise medical and other aids to the poverty and drought stricken areas of Utthal in Baluchistan, and Thar and Cholistan in Sindh. These centres will supplement the Foundation’s relief centres already in Operation.
Edhi Community Centres
In its next phase of development, Highway Centres, which are mainly located in rural areas, shall be converted into community centres to create awareness regarding literacy, health, sanitation, safe drinking-water and immunisation. The programme will also support the community for solving their problems on self-help basis. Small loans will be granted for poultry farming and cattle breeding through Edhi Community Centres. Establishment of Specialised Centres for Treatment For treatment of renal problems and poor cancer patients, the Foundation hopes to build specialised hospitals and surgical units in Pakistan.
Ambulance aircraft
Five additional ambulance aircraft will be acquired within the next three years. This will include two helicopters and three
fixed-wing aircraftA fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
.
Construction of Hospitals at Every 100 Kilometres
During accidents on highways, deaths occur due to non availability of timely medical treatment. The Foundation hopes to build traumatology centres during the next three years at every 100 kilometers to save precious lives.
Edhi Public Kitchen
Edhi Foundation hopes to build public kitchens in major cities of Pakistan and in Third World countries during the next three years for basic food supplies to the poor, needy and drought-stricken areas.
Establishment of Reserve Funds
In order to run Edhi services and meet recurrent expenditures on long-term footing, the Foundation hopes to raise Rs.400 million within the next five years as a reserve fund which will act as a fixed deposit base. These funds will be generated through community efforts.
External links