Abdul Sattar Edhi: 5 things you don’t know

  DUBAI - Tributes continued to pour in for the late Pakistani philanthropist and Abdul Sattar Edhi, who died after a long illness on Friday. Edhi’s death triggered a massive outpouring of grief across Pakistan, which staged a state funeral for the late humanitarian. But there’s more to Edhi than just “humanity’s unrivalled archangel”, said blogger Shaheen Nouman. Nouman said she “had the honour” of interviewing Edhi in 2009 at one of his orphanages in Mithadar, Karachi. She described him as an “amazing storyteller, who lived a colourful life”. “His stories reflected his personality, priorities and the way he saw the world. They have served as an inspiration for me for many years,” she said. She shared ten surprising things she learned about Edhi during the interview. Here’s five of them… 1. Edhi’s life changed after her mother got paralysed “I was born in 1928 in a modest memon family. When my mother got paralysis, I was there,” Nouman quoted Edhi as saying. He vowed to serve those who can’t take care of themselves and used all his savings so he can buy an old van and convert it into an ambulance. 2. Edhi didn’t like school “I don’t think I ever attended school seriously. I was a hooligan and often created trouble for others. I even beat up a few teachers,” Edhi said. 3. He believed in destiny Nouman said that Edhi considered life to be the greatest teacher, and firmly believed in destiny and fate. “What you are destined to be or get, you will. Who would have thought that a miscreant like me would end up serving humanity? Life is the best teacher,” Edhi said. 4. Edhi’s daughter works in Dubai Everyone in Edhi’s family is working to serve humanity through one of his many foundations, including his daughter who is managing the foundation based in Dubai. “My family is a part of this project and understand my devotion,” he said. 5. He loved to travel, and ran away as a child Edhi’s work, later in life, took him to places he had dreamed of as a child. “I love traveling, so when I was a kid, I got on a train and went all the way to Bombay. But then I got scared, for I was only a child, and returned home,” he told Nouman. Read more revealing facts about Edhi in Nouman’s 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