Abdul Sattar Edhi was born before partition in Bantva, Gujarat, India on February 28, 1928.
In his biography, he said his mother would give him 1 paisa (1/10th of 1 cent) for his meals and another to give to a poor child. When he was eleven, his mother became paralyzed from a stroke and she died when Edhi was 19. His personal experiences and care for his mother during her illness caused him to develop a system of services for the old, mentally ill and challenged.
Unlike wealthy individuals that fund charities in their names, Edhi dedicated his life to the poor from the age of 20, when he himself was penniless in Karachi.
Edhi moved to Karachi where he established a free dispensary for Karachi’s low-income residents. Edhi’s charitable activities expanded in 1957 when an Asian flu epidemic swept through Karachi. Donations allowed him to buy his first ambulance the same year. He later expanded his charity network with the help of his wife Bilquis Edhi.
And till his death, he never worked, never purchased a home or a car. He used to live at a corner of his foundation center with other people who he had given home to. He only drove an ambulance for needy people throughout his life.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://edhi.org/
Abdul Sattar Edhi (Late) - A King without crown 