Mother of orphans: A heart-warming tribute to Bilquis Bano Edhi

Bilquis Bano Edhi, the wife of renowned humanitarian and philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, has not only left behind a legacy of her humanitarian work but also love and compassion in the hearts of people. 

Bilquis gave a home to many orphans by setting up the Edhi Foundation's cradle project, asking people to give up their unwanted babies to the trust that she and her husband ran. 

She set up around 300 cradles where mothers were urged to leave their babies quietly without any question in return. Her project saved around 42,000 lives in Pakistan, out of whom, one of them shared her story on the internet. 

Remembering Bilquis's selfless work, a woman named Rabia Bibi Osman, paid a heartwarming tribute to Bilquis. She shared how she was abandoned in a baby carriage 28 years ago, and was given a name, identity and a new life. 

"You [Bilquis] found me, you named me after your mother Rabia Bano, you forged my identity and then you gave me a home," wrote Rabia. 

Calling her bari amma (elder mother), Rabia credited Bilquis for all the accomplishments in her life. Take a look: 

"Bilquis Edhi was a hero, she was a mother to so many orphans (like me) and a powerhouse for humanity," she said, adding that "my name is Rabia Bibi Osman, and I will forever be a proud #Edhi baby." 

 

Bilquis was a professional nurse and headed the Bilquis Edhi Foundation. Abdul Sattar Edhi had proposed to her and they got married in April 1966.

She spent more than six decades of her life serving humanity in need.