Edhi Honored

Abdul Sattar Edhi has (jointly with Franois Houtart of Belgium) won the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Award for his contribution to non-violence.

Edhi is Pakistan's most famous philanthropist and success stories. Born in a poor family, he started his charity work with Rs. 5000, and has now famously built the largest private ambulance network in the world (which is a HUGE credit to him, and sad commentary on public services in Pakistan).

He also runs orphanages, clinics, burial services, education facilities, and God knows what else.

Here's more about the Edhi Foundation. And more.

Mention of the Foundation would be incomplete without recognition of the work of his wife, Bilqees, who is a great philanthropist in her own right.

Here's a San Francisco Chronicle article about how the couple saves 300 children a year, and the accompanying slideshow is worth seeing too:

Edhi represents the best side of Pakistan. My immediate reaction to Obama's Nobel Prize was wonder at how a he could be selected over a worker of the stature of Edhi. Unfortunately, Edhi is little-known outside Pakistan.