Google honors Edhi on 89th birth anniversary

Google has created a doodle to honor “Angel of Mercy” Abdul Sattar Edhi on his 89th birth anniversary.

The company said that Edhi was a global-reaching philanthropist and humanitarian who made it his life’s mission to helping those in need and whose unwavering commitment to others will always be remembered.

The doodle shows Edhi standing in his characteristic grey dress and the organisation’s welfare services such as the iconic Edhi ambulance. He also shows a women holding a child outside the Edhi Home shelter, a book, and even a dog to highlight his services to animal welfare.

Edhi was born on 28^th February 1928 in India but moved to Karachi shortly after Pakistan was formed. He soon noticed that many lacked shelter, medicine, education, and other essentials, and was moved to help in any way he could.

He began by simply asking others around him to contribute time or money, especially when a flu epidemic hit Karachi. In 1951 he established the Edhi foundation which is funded solely by private donations.

The foundation operates 24 hours a day, provides a variety of social services from homeless shelters to medical care — all free of charge — and has helped thousands of people around the world in times of need.

Most notably, the foundation operates the world’s largest volunteer ambulance network in Pakistan. “In my entire life I have driven no other car except my ambulance” Edhi  had said.

Edhi was directly involved with the foundation throughout the rest of his life, and always focused more on those around him than on his own comfort or needs.

“My mission is to love human beings,” he said in an interview. “Each day is the best day of my life.”