Serving the unserved
" Look! Doctor Farishta (Angel) is here" , Thirteen years old Kashif turned and saw his father, and then a beautiful and affectionate old lady, walking with a stick, at corridor of agha khan hospital where Kashif’s grandmother was admitted due to her health issues.
This was the first introduction of a great lady from Germany, who came Pakistan with missionary delegation in her young age stayed till her last breath, where she fought like a warrior to finish the disease of Leprosy specially in Pakistan.
This may contain some irrevelance as this was a little drifted away from the topic, but this is how I wanted to start off her introduction. My whole purpose of my last accessibility walk was to visit her museum and get to know more about her life and the services she rendered, with my fellow Local guides.
Uptil now, Pakistan have had to suffer major losses, as two precious gems departed from this world, who were nothing but the angels in from humans;
8th July 2016 - Abdul Sattar edhi
10th August 2017 - Dr Ruth Pfau
Dr Ruth Katherina Martha Pfau (pronounced fow) has sacrificed her whole life, though people are not aware as much as they should be, as she was The One, who finished this contagious disease from the root.
Brief summary about Doctor Pfau:
Doctor Ruth Pfau born on 9th September 1929 in Germany. In age of 31 years, in 1960, she arrived in Pakistan by postinng of Roman Catholic order, the Society of Daughters of the Heart of Mary. By chance, she visited a leper colony in Karachi, where she met one of the thousands of Pakistani patients afflicted with the disease
and was horrified by what she saw at the Leprosy Colony off Macleod Road, now known as I.I. Chundrigar Road.
Infact, whoever was affected by this disease, was left in cold places like Leprocy colonies, caves and eerie places and only the mercy of time and death was considered the only escape from this torture. Because people believed it as an evil predicament ordained by God.
Leprosy, a disfiguring and stigmatizing ailment also known as Hansen’s disease, can now be prevented and even cured after early diagnosis.
She made Karachi her home, start learning Urdu (Pakistan’s Official Language) and built the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre in Saddar, and a destitute centre and orphanage in Manghopir area of Karachi.
With in four decades after Dr. Pfau began her campaign to contain leprosy, a mildly contagious bacterial infection, the World Health Organization declared it under control in Pakistan in 1996, ahead of most other Asian countries (although several hundred new cases are still reported there annually).
She soon transformed it into the hub of a network of 157 medical centers that treated tens of thousands of Pakistanis infected with leprosy. Although she was born in Germany, but her heart was always in Pakistan.
Once leprosy was declared under control, the center also focused on tuberculosis, blindness and other diseases & disabilities.
Dr Pfau rescued disfigured and suffering children who had been confined to caves and cattle pens for years by their parents, who were terrified that they were contagious.
She trained Pakistani doctors and attracted foreign donations, founding Pakistan’s National Leprosy Control Programme and the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre, which has a presence in every Pakistani province.
Dr Pfau also won praise for her efforts in helping the victims of devastating floods in south-western Pakistan in 2010.
She received numerous honours for her work, including the Hilal-e-Imtiaz - Pakistan’s second highest civilian award - in 1979, the Hilal-e-Pakistan in 1989 and the German Staufer Medal in 2015.
She wrote four books in German about her work in Pakistan, including To Light A Candle, which has been translated into English.
Her last rites will be performed on 19 August at St Patrick’s Church in Karachi and she will then be buried at the Gora Qabristan Christian cemetery in the city.
Inspiration for us :
Doctor Pfau was an inspiring personality, she works not for just desease of leprocy, but she was the candle of hope for all people who were rejected by thier families because of any kind of disability. She told us how impossible can be possible, if a heart wills. She was a woman who possessed a heart of pure gold, courage and generosity as she gave up her comforting life in Germany. She gave us the lesson of serving the Unserved.
This serving did not discriminate between any religion, race and colour. She taught us to live for others because everybody lives for their ownselves, but the real satisfication lies in helping and serving the other people, who need us.
We, living in this world, should be proud that we still have people like Dr. Ruth Pfau and Abdul Sattar Edhi and should be protected at all costs so people with disabilities are not left as they were before.
Now, I feel immensely proud that I’m a part of this community, who never sits back and talks about entertainment but actively participates, in activities like Accessibility walks, clean the world campaigns aur plantation campaigns.
Whose effect is long lasting and will continue to benefit future generations. I’ll forever be grateful to Google Local Guide Program and Local Guides Connect Community for making me a better human, than I was.
So now, if you know about any personality, who’s serving people in any way or feel that you know someone who would inspire us or we would learn something from their life, feel free to comment and enlighten me, along with other people, who read this article.
Thank you.
Please check Photo album of my visit to MALC Headquarters and Doctor Ruth Pfau Muesum.
Photo Courtesy :
I would specially like to Thanks Mr Nisar Malik, who provided me the unseen pictures of the Ambassador of Humanity, Dr Ruth Pfau.
Please check the video which is visual story of the great inspiring personality.
