Heroes of Humanity: Famous Social Workers in Pakistan and Their Inspiring Contributions

You must have heard about Pakistan’s famous hospitality. In the same spirit, many kind people here work selflessly to help others. Their efforts bring hope to millions. It also shows the kind and caring side of the nation. From small beginnings, they created big changes that continue even today.

Pakistan’s Greatest Social Workers

Abdul Sattar Edhi

Abdul Sattar Edhi was born in 1928 in Bantva, Gujarat (British India). When he was 11, his mother became paralyzed. Every day she gave him two paisa and said, “Spend one on yourself and give the other to someone needy.” He lived a very simple life in one small room. People call him the “Angel of Mercy.”

He moved to Karachi after the Partition and opened a small dispensary in 1951, with just 5,000 rupees. This grew into the Edhi Foundation, which now runs the world’s largest volunteer ambulance service. The foundation has orphanages, shelters for women and the elderly, homes for the mentally ill, drug rehab centers, free kitchens, and animal shelters. Edhi rescued more than 20,000 abandoned babies.

Dr. Ruth Pfau

Dr. Ruth Pfau was a German doctor and nun who came to Pakistan in 1960. She built the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre, which grew into a network of 157 clinics across Pakistan. It treated over 56,000 patients and helped control the disease in the country. She also supported general healthcare and education for the poor. She passed away in 2017.

Ansar Burney

Ansar Burney is a lawyer and human rights activist. In 1980, he founded the Ansar Burney Trust (originally the Prisoners Aid Society), which works for prisoners’ rights, missing persons, and victims of human trafficking internationally. It also provides free legal aid to the poor and helps victims of domestic violence. He has also worked against child camel jockeys in the Gulf.

Ramzan Chhipa

In 1987, Ramzan Chhipa saw terrible scenes of bomb blast victims in Karachi hospitals. He founded the Chhipa Welfare Association in 2007 with one small room. Today it runs over 500 ambulances, over 150 emergency centers, free Dastarkhwan, burial services for unclaimed bodies, and fast aid during floods, accidents, and disasters. The ambulances reach any spot within five minutes.

Syed Zafar Abbas

Syed Zafar Abbas Jafri co-founded the JDC Foundation in Karachi in 2009, starting with a small medical camp. The foundation now runs free medical camps, dialysis centers, food, and educational support. It provides free medicines and wheelchairs for disabled people and helps thousands during Ramadan and natural disasters. Zafar has set up free IT centers that trained over 63,000 students.