*LAHORE – The third death anniversary of prominent philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi is being observed on Monday.*
Edhi was the founder of the Edhi Foundation, which became famous for running the largest volunteer ambulance network in the world. The foundation also runs homeless shelters, animal shelters, rehab centers and orphanages across the country.
The iconic humanitarian activist was born on February 28, 1928 in Gujarat before the partition of the sub-continent and migrated to Pakistan after its creation in 1947. He began his humanitarian work soon after migration.
The state’s failure to help his struggling family care for his mother — paralysed and suffering from mental health issues — was his painful and decisive turning point which spurred him onto philanthropy.
In the sticky streets in the heart of Karachi, Edhi, full of idealism and hope, opened his first clinic in 1951.
Motivated by a spiritual quest for justice, over the years Edhi and his team have created maternity wards, morgues, orphanages, shelters, and homes for the elderly aimed at helping those in society who cannot help themselves.