Abdul Sattar Edhi Making of A Transformational Leader 3.0

Abdul Sattar Edhi: Making of a Transformational Leader
Nasir Afghan1 Gerhard Apfelthaler2 Once again, it is a very early morning for Abdul Sattar Edhi. He is sitting behind the window of his personal office in Karachi, staring at the skyline of the bustling capital of Pakistan. Setting up his organization, many years ago was anything but an ordinary journey. Abdul Sattar Edhi started his humanitarian work in 1951 from a very small dispensary in Mithadar (it is Urdu language word for sweet water land), Karachi- Pakistan. After more than 50 years, his humble beginnings had grown into a large organization, the Edhi Foundation. In 2012 it employs more than 7,000 workers, including medical doctors, nurses, health care workers, ambulance drivers and volunteers. It operates more than 1400 ambulances all over Pakistan from more than 350 Edhi centres. There are more than a seventeen Edhi homes (see details in Exhibit 2) for approximately 85,000 people without homes - seniors, special children, teenagers, children, infants and babies, complemented by an animal shelter.3 In 2012, the Edhi Foundations annual expenditures were at about Rs 1 Billion Rupees with revenues around 950 million Rupees, and the rest being covered through the interest of 4 Billion Rupees in cash deposits. More than 50 years have passed since he started his work, and in 2012 Edhi himself crossed eighty years of age. The environment was changed and he would not be there forever. The organization which he has built on dedication and compassion was much in need of systems and standard operating procedures, and financial sustainability. Edhi had already transferred most of the day to day operational decisions to his son Faisal Edhi, his daughter Kubra Edhi and his wife Bilquise Edhi. While reflecting on his last 50 years life Edhi was thinking what values and principles could be valuable for the next generation of leaders to manage Edhi foundation in the future without putting the spirit of the past decades at risk, he stopped reflecting, when he heard the call for morning prayer from the distant mosque.
1 2 3
Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, Pakistan, nafghan@iba.edu.pk California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, USA, apfelthaler@clunet.edu For some details on the Edhi centers, see exhibits 1 and 2
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All rights reserved Dr. Nasir Afghan and Dr. Gerhard Apfelthaler 2012
The History of the Edhi Family and Abdul Sattar Edhis Childhood
About three centuries ago, the ancestors of Abdul Sattar Edhi migrated from Hala, Sindh (Pakistan) to Kathiawar in Gujarat (India) after they converted from the Hindu faith to Islam through the contact with Abdullah Shah Ghazi, a well known spiritual master and Sufi at that time. He also advised the family to adopt trading and business as their vocation, the profession of Prophet Muhammad. He named them Momins (which later became Memons). Some of these Memons later settled in Dorajee, some in Kotyana, some in Kuchi, some in Mithal, and some in Bantva. The Edhi family settled in Bantva (therefore they are known as Bantva Memons), where his grandfather started to work as a commission agent for agricultural food items. Interestingly, Edhi recounts that his grandfather, Haji Rehmatullah, did not believe in surpluses. He even disapproved of having extra food at home. He kept his life simple and was a deeply content and profoundly patient person which earned him a reputation in the community, especially for settling conflicts and solving disputes. Abdul Sattar Edhi was born in February, 1928 in Bantva, India. At that time, Bantva had a total population of 25,000 of which 70 % were Muslim Memons. Bantva was a prosperous town and the Memon community resembled an extended family. Thinking back, Abdul Sattar Edhi says about his father, Haji Abdul Shakoor who worked as a dry fruit commission agent in Bombay. Haji Abdul Shakoor was married three times. He had a son from the first wife, a son and a daughter from the second wife and two sons from the third wife. Abdul Sattar Edhis mother was his fathers third wife whom he married after the death of his second wife. Abdul Sattar Edhis mother was divorced and had a son and a daughter from her first marriage who were then raised by her sister after she got married to Haji Abdul Shakoor. Thinking of her, Edhi said of his mother that she was a very gentle, sensitive and quiet person. She never was at odds with anyone in her life. She was only saddened by the fact that her two children from her pervious marriage were not with her, although she never complained about it. She sent Edhi to school at the age of seven
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who finished his formal education at the age of thirteen. I never enjoyed school and never was interested in education; I was more interested in playing and serving others, says Abdul Sattar Edhi. Nevertheless, he emerged as a leader in school who liked to organize groups of boys of his age to play together. As one of his old friends from Bantva says, Edhi was our leader. He would show us circus games and perform gymnastics, organize us to attack fruit trees. At the same time, he had a very kind and sensitive heart. If an old lady needed help he would be the first one to run and bring her medicines. Also, whenever some of the meaner children made fun of handicapped or mentally challenged people, Sattar would always be the first to fight with these kids in order to make them stop. Edhis mother would praise him for this by saying, You have given a voice to the one who did not have one. These people are as innocent as babies, they know nothing of the world and yet they have to live as adults. According to Sattar Edhi, he has learned love and care from his mother. She would always distribute cashew nuts, pistachios, ginger and other food items that her husband used to send from Bombay, amongst the poorer families in her neighbourhood. She would ask young Edhi to distribute these packets to families who were less fortunate than they were. One story, Edhi likes to share about his mother goes like this: When I was in school my mother used to give me two paisas and ask me to buy food with one and eat it and then buy whatever I am eating for a poor boy watching me eat, but had no money himself to buy it. When she asked me about the two paisas I sometimes had to confess that I have eaten all the food from both the paisas. Then, she would say that I have eaten poor peoples money. These poor people are mazloom disadvantaged - and that I would still have enough food myself to eat before I grow old. She told me to fear Allah as he never helps those who do not look after the mazloom around us; Huquq-ul-Ibaad the rights of other human beings - is the first priority in Islam, she would say. She was only satisfied and happy with him when Abdul Sattar Edhi did a good deed by helping the less fortunate. According to Edhi My mother used to make me do physical labour. I had to bring raw cotton to our home. She would then clean it so that I could take it back to the shop and earn extra money. She was of the view that there is no need to sit at home idly and that therefore everyone should work with their own hands to earn a living.
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During the month of Ramadan4 Edhis mother together with other Memon ladies used to prepare food for distribution among the poor. She always asked Edhi to bring the food to needy families in Bantva, himself. In the tone of fond memories, Edi says: It was entirely my mother who planted the seed of social welfare and charitable work in me. She nurtured it and taught me how to control my desires for material things and do away with personal greed. Edhis mother was more concerned about Edhis development as a kind and caring human being than about his education. She never forced him to study when he had other noble interests to pursue. Reflecting on this, Edhi says: I had very strong self confidence, even in my childhood days. I knew that I had potential to be successful in my life and my selfconfidence helped me establish myself as a leader of others. His strong will and determination was supported by his strong physique. He was athletic and good looking. His friends were usually reluctant to compete with him in competitions because they knew that he would always win. Edhis self confidence and his desire to make a difference contributed greatly towards the further development of his personality. As his father worked away from home and his mother was very gentle, he had great freedom in choosing what he wanted to do with his life, even when he was in school. When his father once decided to send him to a boarding school in Rajkot, his mother did not allow it. He was his mothers favourite child, and she did not want him to grow up away from home. Therefore, Edhi remained in Bantva until his family migrated to Pakistan in September 1947. In Bantva, Sattar Edhi was known among his friends as Roti5. Edhi explained: Every time my father came back home from one of his trips he shaved my head. Once, when I asked him why he does it he explained that it is simply the most effective way to curb pride and prevent arrogance. It makes you work better because appearance is a distraction. When you dont think about the ways you look, you develop humility and truth. I think it was the best lesson I was ever taught, Edhi says. According to Edhi his father lead a simple life and based on his many travels and his open personality, he had an abundance of experiences and wisdom. Edhi remembers him; My father used to talk very little, but he always made a great
4
The annual 30 days period of religious fasting in Islam where eating is only permitted in the time between dusk and dawn.
5
Roti is a flat, circular-shaped bread, people bake in clay ovens.
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impression on me. He was very religious, prayed five times a day, never smoked or like many others had an addiction to Pan6. In fact, he didnt even drink tea. He had very high moral standards for himself. To him, simplicity was the only tolerable way of life. When we migrated to Pakistan, we got into serious financial trouble. He never complained that he had to work as a simple shopkeeper in the cloth market or sell newspapers in order to make a living. Throughout these times, he never was dishonest in his business. Despite the fact that life in Pakistan was very difficult at that time, my father was a truly optimistic person and always had a positive attitude. At the age of Thirteen, Edhi took his first job at a cloth market with a Seth7, Haji Abdullah. In those days Memon women did not go to the market to shop, but shopkeepers hired young boys to go from house to house to sell clothes and other items. Edhi earned five Rupees a month, and soon became Amin8 of the group of sales boys with additional responsibilities. He usually saved one rupee and gave the rest to his mother. From his savings he would later buy shares from the stock exchange. According to Edhi himself, he has a great passion for saving and a reluctance to spend. In Bantva, Edhi fell in love with a young girl who was a neighbours daughter. She used to come to Edhis place every day to collect water and Edhi looked forward to seeing her. Edhi fondly remembers, Once l saw her beautiful face. She smiled back at me and my whole day seemed like a present to me. When I heard that she was engaged to be married, I became melancholic for days. It is from these days that Abdul Sattar Edhi narrates an interesting story which left a deep, spiritual impression on him. One afternoon, I was with a friend and we were going to a football match. When we passed through the main bazaar, I saw a beggar lying on the street. My intuition told me that he was not a professional beggar. He was wounded and had fever. I told my friend to go to the match and that I would join him later. I returned home and told my mother about the beggar. She gave me food, medicines, blankets and other things. Then I returned to him, cleaned up his wound and dressed it. I gave him bread and medicine and brought him to the main Mosque. Next morning when I went to the Mosque to bring even more food, he had only eaten very little bread with some water. He would only eat in the morning and
6
Pan is a traditional, herbal stimulant used in Pakistan - a greenleaf with red colour ingredients. The Urdu word Seth is used for wealthy businessmen or merchants. A person of trust who, among other things, serves as the keeper of valuables.
7
8
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at sunset. He seemed very different from other people in my town. He also looked very wise, open minded and was very kind hearted and soft spoken. He taught me how to read the Quran9 and explained its understanding of charity. He made me see the presence of Allah in humanitarianism and in the serving others. He explained to me how Jahez10 is a self Imposing system in society and how destructive it is to social harmony. Edhi thought about his future and what he would do with himself. He spent hours alone dreaming about his desire to set up hospitals, homes for the elderly, the poor and the sick, He dreamed of opening factories where the poor could work and earn a living. At the same time he had a very strong desire to travel around the world and see different countries and cities. When he would share his ideas with his friends they would call him a Shaikh Chilli11. According to Edhi I used to remind myself of what my father said - that it is important to think beyond limitations. Start from the lowest, but think of the highest. Confining ideas from the start can kill human potential. Therefore I would say to my friends that it is not in my control to choose where and when ideas come from. According to an old friend Edhi had dreams, but at the same time he was also a very practical person. Based on his values of simplicity and sensitivity, hard work and saving, humanity, positive attitude and truthfulness, he knew how to grow little things to achieve big goals.
Young Edhis Self Discovery and Social Work After have left the job with the cloth merchant, Edhi started his own business. During mornings, he sold pencils, pens, matchboxes and other small items in the Bazaar12 of Bantva, and in the afternoon he read newspapers, books and magazines in order to educate himself. During that time I read publications such as the Muslim Gujarat Gazette, the Bombay Samachar, or the Sandes magazine. These readings introduced me to the ideas of Marx and Lenin. I learned about the struggle of the oppressed in Russia against the capitalists. I got Marxs Das Kapital, the Poverty of Philosophy and his other writings and I was fascinated by them. I was
9
The holy book of Islam. Dowry System (transl.) 11 Dreamer (transl.) 12 Market (transl.)
10
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also touched deeply by Mother by Gorky. Edhi further adds everything became much clearer to him when he read the epic story of Hazrat Imam Hussain. Edhi explains: From this epic story I have learned about the struggle between good and evil, between Mazloom13 (Imam Hussain) and Zalim14 (Yazid). I also learned that Sarmayadar are Zalim and poor people are Mazloom. Zalim divide people into different classes, races, casts, religions, etc. hence depriving them of their most basic rights. The Sarmayadar retain major profits and share only very little with the labourers by paying them very low wages; therefore labourers are always left in poverty. In todays Pakistan, Edhi continues, there is not much difference - the Seth pay little to the labourers, they evade taxes, they never pay Zakaat 15, and live like kings, therefore they are Zalim, the oppressors. According to his son Mr. Edhi did not only saw similarities between the past and the present, he also found himself in the story of Zalim and Mazloom. One of old associate of Mr Edhi said that having read Marx and being a strong believer, both intellect and spirituality provided him with a good reason to believe in the higher cause he wanted to pursue. Edhi realized that there will always be injustice in society and that therefore every society needs people who show compassion and care for others. Based on his readings, Edhi said that he became very passionate about the revolution and was excited about the struggle for Pakistan. He started to follow newspapers and books on Mahatma Gandhi and M Ali Jinnah. Another personality that fascinated Edhi was Abuzar Ghafafri, a companion of Prophet Muhammad(PBUH). Edhi explains why: Abuzar Ghaffari had very strong faith. He never hesitated to criticize wealthy Muslims if they showed off their wealth instead of helping others. Abuzar Ghafafri was an extremely modest and humble person. Abuzar Ghaffari was the person who demanded social reform during the third Muslim Khalifa. Edhi had also read about Ghaffar Khans Khudai Khidmatgar Party whose members were inspired by Mahatma Gandhi. They travelled from village to village and door to door to solve peoples problems and help them in any way they could.
13
Mazloom refres to under-privileged and deprived people.
14
Zalim are individuals or groups of people suppressing others and denying them their basic rights and privileges which have been granted by society or religion. 15 Zakaat is an Islamic concept of annual donations. At the end of each year every Muslim is expected to donate 2.5 % from his total annual income.
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Edhis intellectual development was strongly influenced by his readings. According to Edhi himself he was able to develop links between the present realities and the lives of his role models, his heroes. He never thought of himself as an educated or intellectual person. What he was looking for in these books was a reference for his own life. He wanted to learn about the mission of those extraordinary people and what drove them. The seeds for social ideas and humanitarian work had already been planted in Edhi by his mother; Edhi himself cultivated them and now asked himself where he should plough the fields in Pakistan. After Edhi family had moved to Karachi, his father started working as a commission agent in a cloth shop. It was then that his father gave Edhi enough money to start his own business. Edhi recounts I purchased pencils, matchboxes and towels from the wholesale market. I arranged them in a tray and started my business venture in the Jodia bazaar in Karachi. Edhi Said this early business training helped me to learn how to use my time better and who my customers are and who the people are who waste my time. After several months of saving Edhi rented a cart and started a Pan business on it. Day and night, he parked the cart next to the building he lived in and sold Pan. He became ever more skilful and soon he mastered packing three pans in one minute. My father held the view that I should learn how to earn money through hard work. He wanted me to move up from the bottom in the business, because when someone is up he does not come down to learn, tells Edhi. Next, he started selling news newspapers in the morning and delivering milk. After his work as an independent businessman, he accepted employment from a cloth merchant, and earned three hundred Rupees a month, half of which he gave to his mother and half of which he kept for himself. Edhis first chance of organized social work came in 1949 when a charitable organization was established by Bantva Memons named as Bantva Memons Khidmat Committee in Mithadar, Karachi. Under this organization, the Bantva Memon Dispensary16 was established, and Sattar Edhi started as a volunteer worker. Edhi was very happy. During the day he worked as a commission agent in the cloth market, and at night he was at the dispensary.
16
In Pakistan, a dispensary is a combination of a pharmacy (profit or non-profit) and an ambulant care facility with a nurse or a doctor.
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According to Edhis wife Edhi was deeply upset about a number of things related to dispensary. First, there was the fact that Memons divided themselves into small communities each of which would only be serving its own members. Second, the Bantva Memon Dispensary was charging fees for medicines from non-Memon patients while Memons received them for free. From Edhis point of view this was unfair and unjust. He was of the view that all Memon groups should work together and serve poor people regardless of their race, cast, religion, or ethnicity. In this the first major challenge presented itself to young Edhis ideas and beliefs. He realized that his ideas were in conflict with the approach of powerful, rich Seth. He was dissatisfied with the existing situation, but also doubtful if he should accept challenge by the system. He decided to go against the prevalent belief system, disobeying their rules and criticized the managing committee. As a result, Edhi was asked to leave the dispensary. Edhi stills speak with conviction when he says: I tried my best to explain to the elders that humanitarian work loses its value when we discriminate against poor people because theyre outsiders. According to Edhi Allah does not differentiate between Muslims, Hindus, Blacks or Whites, Allah gives, listens and looks after everyone, therefore, when it comes to humanitarian work, we have no right to differentiate between the needy ourselves. According to Edhis wife Edhis life was made difficult by the community elders. He was not only removed from the community, but they also started using their influence to stop him from working in the social sector. According to Edhi, his fathers words were: The only way to fight back is to ignore them and the only way to win over them is to keep doing your work and prove it well. Edhi soon realized that it would be waste of energy and time to respond to their allegations and actions. The best strategy would be to focus on the real task which was equitable humanitarian work. Edhis father endorsed him by saying to him: It is my experience that honest people should not take favours and enter into partnerships with those astray. Edhi never forgot this advice. According to an old associate of Edhi during this major crisis Edhi was able to connect to his core values and beliefs, he accepted the challenge rather than accepting the situation.
Edhis Mothers Poor Health and Edhis Transformation
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In 1951 Edhi spent 2,300 Rupees from his personal savings and bought a tiny shop of only in Mithadar, Karachi and called it Memon Voluntary Corporation. In order to satisfy official regulations about membership, he asked ten local boys to volunteer to join this organization. At the same time, he immediately also asked for their resignation after the official purpose was served so that they would not be able to create any problems or interfere with his plans for the organization. The Corporation was to be a free dispensary for everyone in need. He hired a doctor to work in the dispensary and soon people started to come in increasing numbers. The dispensary was never closed: Edhi used to sleep on the bench outside the dispensary and was always on his heels whenever someone needed help. Nevertheless, he continued to work as a commission agent to earn income. From his experience at the dispensary came even more energy and creativity and so in 1952 he bought more rooms above the dispensary and opened a maternity home. His observations of poor women in the area convinced him that they needed help. Many had suffered from childbirth or, in many other cases; it was the newborn children who had health problems from the lack of medical infant care. According to Edhis wife Edhi was always looking for new ways to help poor and old people in need and he would learn new skills to implement the new idea. After the launch of maternity home Edhi in 1954 started midwife training courses with the help of an experienced doctor at the maternity home. This was a major challenge both financially and concerning the nature of work. Young women were given three months training and were asked to work for three months in the maternity home in return. After six months, they were granted a certificate and they could go and work anywhere or start their own maternity homes. When young women started to graduate and move on start their own Edhi was content he had helped people to help others. According to an old subordinate of Edhi after success of maternity home and midwife training project, community elders and Memon Seth increased their propaganda against Edhi. Edhi said sometimes i was wondering how to cope with the opposition from my own community people.
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Later, in 1956/1957 he decided to follow one of his dreams and travel the world. He took a bus to Iran, and then travelled onwards to Turkey, then to France and other European countries. Edhi himself fondly recalls an episode when he met a girl on a train in Turkey. Despite the fact that they both spoke little English, they communicated and connected. The girl was beautiful and she happened to like Edhi. They enjoyed each other's company and shared food which she had brought with her. It was not long before they talked about marriage and Edhi realized how after a long time he was experiencing love again. Edhi said that he thought about his first love in Bantva and treasured his travel companions beauty which made the journey all the more memorable for him. He realized how love helped him to bring out his kindness and sensibility. However, they split and he continued to travel. As much as Edhi likes to remember this episode, Edhi said he also quickly sensed a weakness in himself that beautiful women could be a major distraction for him, which he should try to control in the future. Seeing how Europe developed after a devastating World War II, Edhi reflected a lot about Pakistan, its future and his own organizations future. When Edhi returned to Mithadar, Karachi, new allegations were waiting for him that he had stolen money from the donation box of the dispensary and the maternity home for his personal travels. He reacted immediately by changing the name of the dispensary to Madina Volunteer Corporation, so that it would not be connected with the Memons anymore. Then, he made it a policy and informed everyone at the dispensary that anyone who is not satisfied with his organizations work would be returned their donation money. Not a single person ever claimed even one Rupee. Unfortunately, soon after Edhis return to Pakistan his mother developed a serious illness. He decided to completely stop working as a commission agent and continued to work only at the dispensary. He needed very little money for his own living and had enough from his savings. In addition, he still had money from when his father had retired and had decided to distribute his wealth and property among his sons. According to Edhi he took his mother for treatments, he cleaned her room, he washed her cloths along with his own, and he cooked food for her and for his brother. When she would rest he went to the dispensary to continue his work there. Several times he took her to a hospital in a Rickshaw as no ambulance service was available for common people in Karachi. One day while he was at the
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dispensary, his mother fell at home where he found her on the floor much later, paralysed. After this and for the next 18 months Edhi took even better care of her. I used to joke with my mother that now she had turned into my child just like I was her child once, Edhi recalls. She felt sad, helpless and guilty as she thought of her as a burden to the family. But I always told her that she is my responsibility and I love her and will look after her and will never let anyone else do this job for me. According to Edhi's wife, Bilquise Edhi; Edhi Saab17 used an eye bandage to cover his eyes while taking her to the washroom and while cleaning her up. When Edhis mother died, Edhi said that She gave birth to me and she was my most precious teacher. She taught me humanitarian values and how to appreciate other human beings. And she shared her illness with me by letting see her misery, her feelings of helplessness and lost dignity. Edhi said that his mother's life was a perfect example of personal sacrifices and of modesty. Her whole life was a struggle, and yet she remained positive and kind to others throughout her life. Even when she was critically ill, she remained committed to her moral standards. She was not a very religious person in the traditional sense and had only little knowledge of Islam but her faith provided her with some kind of a natural spiritual bounding with Allah. Speaking about her, Edhi relieves the pain over the loss of his mother and stops speaking for a minute before he continues: She taught me charity when I was a child, she taught me the love for humanity, and after her death I decided that my whole life should be dedicated to the service to humanity. According to an old associate of Edhi Edhi self transformation was for a social mission and not for himself, he changed his life style for his mission. People do change but mostly for themselves but Edhi changed for others. When Edhi was later asked about how he managed the challenges he was facing from within his community he said: I believed that Allah is with me in my work. I am fighting the struggle of Mazloom against Zalim. The problems and difficulties I faced in my work were almost the same. I simply believe that humanitarian work is the ultimate purpose for me and I must do it. Edhi further explained that the
17
In Urdu, Saab is a polite and respectful way of addressing men, usually the heads of families or business owners; the female equivalent in Urdu is Begum Saab.
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examples like Imam Hussain and Abuzar Ghaffari provide me with spiritual energy; their stories give me strength and courage to face challenges both in my personal and in my professional life. Edhi wife said that Edhi strongly believes that his ideas and his social mission are related to the missions of his heroes. Therefore, he could not be stopped doing his work by any person no matter how insurmountable the difficulties seemed. And not only that, throughout challenging times, he never lost his positive attitude and confident outlook. Edhi said: "While facing major challenges from opponents, I decided that I will never give anybody reason to challenge my integrity or my lifestyle. I have decided that I will never spend extra time or money on myself or my family. I have only three pairs of clothes, one pair of plastic Chappal18, one Jinnah Cap and I sleep on the wooden bench in my dispensary, so that people can see my life completely. One of old subordinate added that the more his opponents criticized him the more committed he became to his mission and the more Edhi reduced his material needs. In the end, this simple life along with his humanitarian vision has made him the Sattar Edhi he is today. Edhis wife adds to this; Edhi Saab mothers death was the most important event in his life. She was the one who prepared him for humanitarian work and for serving the helpless, the poor, the elderly, the special children, and even animals. After the passing of his mother, Edhi bought an old wagon with the donation from a friend and converted it into an ambulance. This was the first ambulance service for poor people and he called it the Poor People's Van. He did not charge for the ambulance service. Only when people insisted to pay for it they were told that they could come to the office and drop money in a box outside the dispensary. He also changed the organization's name to Edhi Welfare Organization as he felt that since he is responsible for his own activities and decisions, therefore it is better that organization be named after him. Soon he was able to increase the reach of his services and because of the ambulance more and more people got to know about Edhis organization and services. It also provided him with the freedom to spend resources in the ways he wanted in order to start new initiatives and projects of which he thought that they were most urgent. He even started a funeral service which picked up human bodies found in the sea, in rivers, in gutters or at the
18
Bathroom slippers (transl.)
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roadside. Sometimes he would pick them up himself even when even the family members did not dare to touch them anymore. He would bring these bodies to Mithadar, wash them and provide a proper burial service, just like he had done for his mother. According to an observer of Edhi foundation the ambulance service and funeral services provided excellent opportunity for Edhi foundation to grow in all over Pakistan, since there was no other organization doing this and government system was almost absent. Hence Edhi foundation become a major service provider.
An Insight into Edhis Personal Vision and Mission
As Edhi established the dispensary, followed by the maternity home, and then the ambulance services, funeral services and he needed ever more people to work with him. According to Edhi he kept searching for people who could take initiative, make quick decisions, and work hard. He would not tolerate people who were slow or lazy, unethical or negative, and thus brought shame to his organization. He wanted the most excellent work from everyone. Edhi Son said employees are scared of him, since he is very demanding when it comes to work. However, his demands never seem outrageous to anybody as he is demanding the same from himself. Edhis wife, Bilquise Edhi, explains: When we make mistakes in our work, he gets very angry and even threatens that he will leave us. But since he himself is so committed and works so much people respect him so they continue to give their best. Hajee Saab, she continues, is very committed to his work. He is disciplined and a very positive person. He never gets irritated even when things get very gloomy, when is criticised or sometimes even when his life is threatened. It is through the example which he sets that everyone in the organization. He never wastes time or energy in responding to allegations. He simply stays focused, and he advises his friends and employees to do the same. He says, just keep on doing your work and Allah will reward you, because you are doing this work for Allah not for the people who are against us.
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According to Edhi himself his mission is to serve humanity regardless of religion, race, and background. And, he adds, I want to simply provide health services, food and shelter to poor people when they need it. Why should ill persons not have medicines or an ambulance or a doctor available when they need it just because they are poor? Poor and Mazloom people have a right to these things like any other person of wealth or status. Explaining his mission Edhi continues, I have observed that religion brings people together but Zalim (Seth) divide people for one reason only: so that they can continue to have cheap labour. Religion teaches us to be fair and treat people with equality, but Zalim is never fair and never does justice to people. All religions teach of service to mankind, especially Islam teaches its followers that Huquq-ul-Ibaad is your first responsibility but Zalim never fulfilled it. To me this was not acceptable and I decided that I will fight for the Mazloom through my social and humanitarian work. Serving the Mazloom is just like praying. Edhis wife confirms the spiritual nature of his work: Edhi Saab works very hard, with complete honesty and with his full capacity. He strongly believes that results come from Allah, therefore there is good in failure and there is good in success. Edhi Saab just would never stop trying. Gradually, Edhi trust in his own work was growing day by day. He needed more funds but the contributions he was getting from the Charity Box in the dispensary were not enough. But soon, they started to receive all types of donations: Zakaat, Sadikat19, Khairat20, and donations in kind -people would drop anything they could afford. Edhi even collected money by begging on the streets. Just like a regular beggar as Edhi said he wanted to educate the people of his nation to learn to give charity and to contribute to the social mission. Interestingly, he said that he decided not to take donations from rich Seth for his foundation, because he felt that they wanted to interfere in the organization for their personal interests and that they wanted publicity for their charity in return. Once he collected 1.2 million Rupees in Lahore in one day only. This donation was for a young student who was a cancer patient and needed 2.0 million Rupees for his cancer treatment in the United Kingdom. After friends of his had collected only
19
Sadikat is an Islamic concept of donations by wealthy people in order to help less fortunate family members and friends. 20 Khairat is an Islamic concept of charity in order to help less fortunate people in society.
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800,000 Rupees and were short of money, Edhi went to Lahore Mall Road along with the students friends and decided that they would not leave before they had collected the whole amount. According to Edhi when he starts a new project he never wastes time on thinking and planning, he would immediately start with small actions. Once completed, he would reflect, collect feedback and try to improve his performance for better results. He continues an activity or a project only as long as it is working. As soon as it becomes useless or ineffective, he changes the original idea radically and restarts with full energy. Energy also comes from the support of his wife to who he got married in 1966, after eight other girls refused marriage proposals from him because of his lifestyle and his work. She first started working at Edhis maternity home as a helper, and after their wedding she continued to help Edhi in the overall work and development of the foundation. She also continues to look after the maternity home and the child adoption activities of the Edhi Foundation. She is always with him in every critical situation both inside and outside of Pakistan. The Foundations Present Organization and Future Challenges As the war started, in 1971, between Pakistan and India this has increased the work. Endless streams of dead bodies were brought to his maternity home in Karachi for cleaning and burial. His wife recalls that they were initially afraid not to be able to deal with the large numbers of bodies in their small maternity home. But again, it was Edhi Saab who showed everyone whats possible by helping personally and by encouraging everyone to do their work. Another challenge the organization faced was in 1972 when Northern Pakistan was struck by a major earthquake. Edhi instantly decided to take a team of doctors and volunteers to the region that was hardest hit. Thereby, Edhi was able to set an example for other social and charity organizations to set up camps in the earthquake areas. It was in the same year that Edhis father died, a major loss for Edhi. When I came back from the earthquake region in Northern Pakistan, Edhi recalls, my uncle called and informed me that my father had had a heart attack. I hurried, but by the time I reached his home he had already passed away. Another year went by and Edhis organization was now a well known organization all over Pakistan.
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In 1973 there was a major flood in Pakistan which most severely affected the provinces of Sind and Baluchistan. Edhis organization had already been present in these areas and quickly Edhi developed a supply chain from Karachi to these areas. In the same year Edhi and his wife decided to go to Haji, an annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mekka. They went in an ambulance of his. Again, this was more than just a trip for Edhi, it was another opportunity for personal growth. Edhi: Seeing rich and poor, white and black living and eating from the same food, I asked myself why we couldnt have the same culture of sharing and belonging in our country, Pakistan. Upon his return from Mekka Edhi decided to go Iran to visit the tomb of Imam Hussain and pay his respects to his spiritual master. To date, he recalls one of his schoolteachers to say that the death of Imam Hussain is not just a mere event in Muslim history. It is a universal reality which helps the weak and the deprived to take a stand and struggle against the powerful and unjust social forces. Before 1978 the organization had been registered as Abdul Sattar Edhi Trust under the Pakistan Trust Act of 1886. There were several trustees involved including Edhis brother. In 1978, the trustees started to take growing influence on the day to day operations of the organization. Edhi's younger brother was leading a number of trustees in the attempt to remove Edhi from the Edhi Trust. At one instance Edhi's younger brother even started a physical fight with Edhi, while other trustees started legal proceedings against Edhi in which he prevailed in 1979. During the whole period Sattar Edhi was extremely stressed and, for the first time, there were even thoughts of suicide. He had never expected his biological brother to act against him in the described manner. Then, after 1979 Edhi converted the Trust into the income-tax exempt Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation. There are seven members in the foundation, including himself, his wife as well as his two sons and two daughters. On the positive side, the described conflict had transformed the Edhi Foundation from a welfare trust into an international humanitarian organization. Edhi decided that he will never again have trustees and people other than his own family members in the organization. Plus, the experience also opened new growth possibilities for Edhi's social mission. The foundation provided him with a bigger
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platform to extend his humanitarian ideas and services not only in Pakistan but also internationally21. Faisal Edhi, the younger son of Mr Edhi joined organization in 1996 and since then implemented several projects. Before he joined the organization in Karachi as a volunteer, he had some outside experience and training in ambulance operations. Based on his expertise he started to develop processes and systems in the ambulance operations area immediately after he joined. According to Faisal Edhi the external environment and dynamics within the ambulance service area is becoming more and more competitive, technology driven and quality oriented. He believes that the quality of well trained staff and the quality of the equipment used are becoming important factors for any emergency operator, especially in large cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Peshawar etc. Hence it was a big challenge for Edhi foundation to transform the organization structure, develop operational systems, develop well trained professional staff and buy costly equipment. He said: For instance, we had no record system for our ambulance, and almost 50 % of the revenues were lost from ambulance operations. Therefore, we started ambulance log books which allowed us to monitor travel time and distance for ambulances. It was a very successful project. Furthermore, all Edhi centres were connected through wireless communication systems which helped in coordinating emergency activities. In addition, an inventory management and motor parts purchasing systems were implemented. Now, for the first time, the organization knows how much each ambulance costs per month. If there are abnormalities they can now be identified and corrective actions can be taken. Recently the Foundation also started to keep records of the staff. Previously there was nothing except a copy of the national identity card. But now records of all staff such members on education, age, training, background, prior experience and more are kept. Also, new layers in the organization were added which not only helped to improve performance and bypass inefficiencies, but also breeds a new generation of managers. Despite all new professionalization of the organization, it still relies heavily on honorary volunteers. In some cities, such as Gujranwala, Faisalabad or Sialkot, the centers are run by honorary in-charges. Faisal Edhi says: it is like in a municipal
21
See exhibit 4 for some examples.
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organization where the workers and staff consist of paid civil servants, but the organization is headed by an elected volunteer, the mayor. These honorary incharges are purely selected on the basis of their unbiased views towards social and humanitarian work and their level of financial stability. Most of these honorary incharges are successful business persons. Also, Faisal Edhi considers it most important that the Edhi foundation transforms itself, especially the management mindset towards future directions and vision. Besides keeping the flow of donations constant, other future external challenges may include terrorist attacks from nationalist and terrorist groups, according to Faisal Edhi. Faisal Edhi further said God forbid, if something happened to Edhi Saab, my mother Bilquise Edhi would be the next person in line to lead this social mission of Edhi Saab. One challenge which Abdul Sattar Edhi clearly recognizes himself is the lack of well educated and professional people coming to his organization. According to Edhi educated young men are not coming to welfare work, only women are coming. He attributes that to the fact that women generally are more compassionate and caring than men. Edhi further said that I am a very authoritarian type person and I managed this organization through centralized decision-making. I decide each and every financial issue, no matter how large or small. But in the future this may not work for the organization. Since the Edhi Foundation is becoming an ever larger and more complex organization, it has many different operations and these different operations require different sets of roles and responsibilities, different sets of competencies and skills to manage them. Therefore, the next generation of family members will have to develop different systems and approaches at the top level of the organization in order to manage those challenges. He further added that my main role will be to make sure that foundation is financially sustainable in the future. One outside observer of the organizations history and its development sees many challenges , the lack of competent and professional human resources, the lack of integrated operating systems in the organization, the financial budgeting or the planning function, and certainly the need for passion for humanitarian work. According to Edhi himself the future challenge would be how much his children have the passion for humanitarian work. He further said he wants them to follow
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truth, hard work, honesty, discipline, simplicity and non conflicting attitude towards opposition.
Bibliography 1. Abbas. Rifat, (1996), Abdul Sattar Edhi, Jung Publisher, Karachi, Pakistan. 2. Abdul Sattar Edhi Trust (Eds.) (1976), Abdul Sattar Edhis 25 years Services, Karachi, Pakistan. 3. Durrani. T, (2006), Abdul Sattar Edhi A Mirror to the Blind An Autobiography, A. Sattar Edhi Foundation, Karachi, Pakistan. 4. Edhi Foundation Website www.edhifoundation.com
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Exhibit 1: EDHI OFFICES AND CENTERS National Offices

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EDHI HEAD OFFICE ZONAL OFFICE KARACHI ZONAL OFICE QUETTA ZONAL OFFICE MULTAN ZONAL OFFICE FAISALABAD ZONAL OFFICE LAHORE ZONAL OFFICE ISLAMABAD 4 Edhi Centers Islamabad 12 Edhi Centers in the province of NWFP 68 Edhi Centers in the province of Punjab 62 Edhi Centers in the province of Sindh 5 Edhi Centers in the province of Balochistan 2 Edhi Centers in the province of Azad Jammu and Kashmir 2 Edhi Centers in the province of Fata
International Offices
London, U.K Toronto, Canada New York, USA Sydney, Australia
EDHI INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION 1. Abdul Sattar Edhi International Foundation London U.K Running two charitable shops. 2. Abdul Sattar Edhi International Foundation New York U.S.A. Running two charitable shops 3. Bilquis Edhi Relief Foundation New York Carry out rescue service in national disaster in any country of world 4. Abdul Sattar Edhi International Foundation Australia. 5. Abdul Sattar Edhi International Foundation Ontario-Canada 6. Abdul Sattar Edhi International Foundation Toronto-Canada 7. Abdul Sattar Edhi International Foundation Dhaka- Bangladesh 8. Abdul Sattar Edhi International Foundation Tokyo Japan
22
Source: The date was provided by Mr. Faisal Edhi during interview session
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9. Abdul Sattar Edhi International Foundation Canberra- Australia 10. Abdul Sattar Edhi International Foundation Katmandu- Nepal 11. Abdul Sattar Edhi International Foundation Kabul Afghanistan
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Exhibit 2: EDHI HOMES23

Centre
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Edhi Home For Children (Mithadar) Edhi Home Female Child(New Clifton) Edhi Home (Qasba) Edhi Home For Women (N. Karachi) Edhi Home For Children (Korangi) Edhi Home For Children (Village) Edhi Home For Elders (Village) Edhi Home For Children (Sohrab Goth) Edhi Home For Elders (Sohrab Goth) Edhi Home (Peshawar) Edhi Home (Quetta) Edhi Home (Islamabad) Edhi Home (Gilgit) Edhi Home (Lahore) Edhi Home (Gulberg, Lahore) Edhi Home (Kala Shah Kaku Lahore) Edhi Home For Male (Multan) Edhi Home For Female (Multan) Bilquis Edhi Cancer Hospital
Docto rs
4+4 1 On Call 2 On Call 2 2+1 3
Nurses Dispense r
N19+Disp4 Nurses 2 Nurses7
Peons
24 4 2 12 4
Drive rs
10 2 1 35 5 47
Staf f
34 22 2 8 12 32 27 10
Patient s
300 300 200 2000 100 300 1500 40 500 20 20 150 50 60 200 50 15
Disp. 1 Disp. 3 Disp. 2
7 21 28 4
On Call On Call On Call 1 1 1 5
3 Disp. 1 Disp. 2 Disp. 1 Disp. 1 3 5 6 9 9 3
4 2 1 1 30 52 1 1 12
4 1 20 1 6 4 3 3 3 9
23
Source: Faisal Edhi, personal interview
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Exhibit 3: ABDUL SATTAR EDHIS AWARDS24 National awards 1989: Nishan-e-Imtiaz from Government of Pakistan 1989: Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Government of Pakistan, Recognition of meritorious services to oppressed humanity during the eighties, 45 Years Of Selfless Service. 1989: Government of Sind, The Social Worker of Sub-Continent 1992: Pakistan Civic Society, Pakistan Civic Award 1995: Human Rights Award by Pakistan Human Rights Society. 1998: Khidmat Award by Pakistan Academy of Medical Sciences. 1999: Shield of Honour by Pakistan Army (E & C) 1999: Silver Jubilee Shield by College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan
International awards 1986: Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service 1988: Lenin Peace Prize 1992: Paul Harris Fellow Rotary International Foundation 2000: International Balzan Prize for Humanity, Peace and Brotherhood. 2000: Largest Voluntary Ambulance Organization of the World - Guinness Book of World Records 2000: Hamdan Award for volunteers in Humanitarian Medical Services 2000 UAE 2000: International Balzan Prize 2000 for Humanity, Peace and Brotherhood, Italy 2005: Life Time Achievement Award by the World Memon Organisation (WMO). 2006: Honorary Doctorate by the Institute of Business Administration Karachi (IBA)
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Exhibit 4: INTERNATIONAL SERVICES DETAILS25

Aid to Afghan refugees Since 1978. Relief to the needy in the civil war in Lebanon during 1983. Rupees 0.5 million for flood relief in Bangladesh during 1986. In addition an ambulance was also Provided. Rupees one million in aid to the drought and famine-stricken areas in Ethiopia during 1985. Aid to earthquake victims of Armenia, USSR during year 1989. Aid for the affected people and refugees of Persian Gulf War during 1991 in the form of blood, plasma, medicines and surgical instruments, etc., worth approximately Rs.4.5 million. Aid to earthquake victims of North-Western Iran during 1990. Continuous relief goods including tents, clothing, blankets and rations for refugees in Azad Kashmir. Relief aid to Kurd refugees. Financial and travel assistance to the stranded Pakistanis in Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War in 1992. Aid during the earthquake in Cairo 1992. Efforts for the release of prisoners and detainees involved in minor immigration irregularities in Iraq and Romania during 1993-94. Supply of rice and edibles to Mogadishu in Somalia during 1993 in collaboration with the Pakistan Army. Relief supplies for Bosnian refugees in Pakistan and supply of relief goods and assistance in Croatian Camps during 1993-94. Relief goods, edibles supplied to Afghan refugees in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, during 1994. Continuous relief operations including provision of transportation facilities to Bosnian refugees during 1993-94. Relief activities conducted in Croatian camps for Bosnian people durin 199394. Evacuation and relief for plague victims in Saurat (India) during 1994. Provision of blood bags for Japanese earthquake victims during 1994.
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Abdul Sattar Edhi Making of A Transformational Leader 3.0

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Abdul Sattar Edhi: Making of a Transformational Leader

Roti is a flat, circular-shaped bread, people bake in clay ovens.

Mazloom refres to under-privileged and deprived people.

Edhis Mothers Poor Health and Edhis Transformation

Bathroom slippers (transl.)

An Insight into Edhis Personal Vision and Mission

See exhibit 4 for some examples.

Exhibit 1: EDHI OFFICES AND CENTERS National Offices

Exhibit 2: EDHI HOMES23

Disp. 1 Disp. 3 Disp. 2

On Call On Call On Call 1 1 1 5

3 Disp. 1 Disp. 2 Disp. 1 Disp. 1 3 5 6 9 9 3

Source: Faisal Edhi, personal interview

Exhibit 4: INTERNATIONAL SERVICES DETAILS25

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