Abdul Sattar Edhi
Mr. Edhi, who recently passed away at the age of 88, had a remarkable impact in Pakistan and throughout the world.
From charitable donations, the Edhi Foundation runs free of charge, orphanages, women's shelters, medical clinics, drug rehab centers, to list but a few of its operations.
Mr. Edhi was often called the "Father Teresa" of Pakistan. Here is his compelling story:
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As a child, Mr. Edhi's mother gave him money for his meals, and an equal amount to donate to beggars. This began his lifelong practice of giving others in need a helping-hand.
Then, when he was 11-years-old, his mother suffered a paralyzing stroke, and required his care until her death, eight years later.
Taking care of his mother, Mr. Edhi learned to care for physically challenged people, lessons that would later be invaluable in helping others.
As a young man, Mr. Edhi moved from India to Pakistan and then to Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, where he tried various business ventures.
But his heart was not into conventional business.
Instead, Mr. Edhi started his first pharmacy, offering medical care and medicines from his family home, regardless of the patient's ability to pay.
He persuaded doctors to volunteer their services and raised donations to pay for the medicines.
Then in 1957, Karachi suffered an Asian flu epidemic.
Mr. Edhi told NPR in 2009, "I saw people living on the pavement… The flu had spread to Karachi, and there was no one to treat them."
"So I set up benches and got medical students to volunteer. I was penniless and begged for donations on the street. And people gave."
This was the beginning of Mr. Edhi's vast work.
To date, the Edhi Foundation has rescued more than 20,000 abandoned infants, housed 50,000 orphans and trained more than 40,000 nurses. It runs over 330 welfare centers.
It also conducts relief work around the world.
Mr. Edhi passed away recently with few possessions, but his compassionate contributions were huge, as he helped millions of people in crisis everywhere.
