Edhi is a household name in Pakistan, however, with many of our local heroes not being paid enough attention to in these trying times, it’s imperative to make sure their legacy is kept alive in some form.
Author and illustrator, Maria Riaz Tauseef is aiming to do just that. Edhi Baba, written and illustrated by Maria for young kids, chronicles the life and times of the iconic Abdul Sattar Edhi. The book features the story of the late philanthropist, and his extensive work spanning almost over the course of his whole life.
“Edhi is our national hero. In this book I have presented him as a super hero whose super power is bigheartedness,†revealed Maria while speaking on SAMAA TV’s show Naya Din on Wednesday.
The talented Maria said that she wants to propagate the message of being kind and helpful to others, and that she wants to instill the concept of generosity being a superpower in our kids. Maria believes that anyone with a vision of helping people around them eventually looks up to the legendary Abdul Sattar Edhi, and that’s the primary reason she wants kids to know of him and learn about his contributions to the world around them.
Known for his selfless spirit, Edhi raised hundreds of orphans
The main message that the book hopes to spread is that of generosity being priceless. You can be generous by virtue; by donating your time and energy to voluntary work if you can’t make monetary donations. Which is of course what Edhi was widely known for; starting off, he did not have much money but his heart was always open to extend any help that was needed. The book hopes to teach kids the same values of being selfless in your pursuit of generosity.
Maria’s goal of venturing into social entrepreneurship is also being fulfilled by this project; half of the profits from the book will be going to the Edhi Foundation. “I have got a lot of appreciation for this book and I will be honored if it helps the foundation,†said Maria in a conversation with SAMAA TV.
