By Mehboob Ali
Last week I got the opportunity to visit Edhi Centre Kharadar, Karachi along with my fellows from CEJ, Karachi. Started our journey from IBA City Campus, it took almost 30 minutes to reach the Edhi centre. We had a short briefing after a very warm welcome from Faisal Edhi who currently looks after it.
Visiting Edhi Centre was a unique experience. During the Briefing Faisal Edhi explained that how the organization was facing financial crises. “After the demise of Abdul Sattar Edhi, we are facing financial crises, however I am hopeful to overcome the issue,” Faisal Edhi explained.
It was also explained that a hate campaign was launched against the organization by some religious groups in order to malign us.
“There is a risk of lack of donations as an active campaign run against the Edhi Foundation every year,” Faisal Edhi said.
The organization is faced with another problem and that is a decrease in the foreign revenue which the organization uses to collect from Middle East in form of donations.
“We use to collect huge revenue from Middle East every year, however due to the financial crises in the Gulf countries and also expulsion of huge number of Pakistani workers, reduction in the revenue has also been observed,” he showed concern.
Since, many people contribute to the foundation because of Edhi’s personality and his work therefore after his death certain elements started spreading negative propaganda and rumours in order to keep people away from donating to the foundation, he said.
“Mullahs in their Friday sermons, on many occasions, called him an Ahmadi, non-believer (Kafir) and sometimes an Agha Khani. They urge people not to give charity to the foundation,” Faisal said, adding that he did not understand the motivation behind the ‘propaganda’, despite the organization get lesser donations as compared to mosques and seminaries.
Though, Faisal Edhi, pretended to be courageous and determined, however, his body language and face told a different story. It saddened every one after visiting the newborn and children sections of the organization. Children were lying on the floor, and by the first view it could be judged that there was no proper system of nurturing and care available for them.
Being a very big and renowned social welfare organization in Pakistan, it needs to focus on the education system for the children besides shelter and food.
Living in the 21st Century, it was expected that there would be computer systems for the boarding children where they can learn, watch cartoons and entertainment programms, however it was missing in organization.
Following the footsteps of his father, Faisal Edhi needs to look to the challenges of the new age, and has to adopt modern technology, education and entertainment services.
The Edhi Foundation is a non-profit social welfare program in Pakistan, founded by Abdul Sattar Edhi in 1951 with it’s headquarter in Karachi. Edhi, until his death on 8 July 2016, was the head of the organization and his wife Bilquis, a nurse, oversees the maternity and adoption services of the foundation.
The Edhi Foundation provides 24-hour emergency assistance across the country and abroad. The Foundation provides, among many other services, shelter for the destitute, free hospitals and medical care, drug rehabilitation services, and national and international relief efforts.
Its main focuses are emergency services, orphans, handicapped persons, shelters, education, healthcare, international community centers, and blood & drug bank.
