Hollywood icon Sean Penn, during his maiden visit to Karachi on March 24, took the time out to travel to the Bilquis Edhi Female Child Home in Clifton after going to the shrine of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi to lay floral wreaths and pay his respect. He was accompanied by William Martin, Consul General of the United States of America (USA) in Karachi.
Clad in a T-shirt, jeans and sneakers, the rather unassuming American actor Penn, arrived in a car to meet Pakistan’s most famous humanitarian worker, Abdul Sattar Edhi and his wife, Bilquis Edhi, at their home for children.
Penn, the Academy Award-winning star of Dead Man Walking, whose philanthropic efforts to help the survivors of the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 were greatly admired, informed Sattar Edhi that he considered a ‘great honour’ for himself to meet him.
Penn toured the Bilquis Edhi Female Child Home, dipping into classrooms where Montessori students sang the nursery rhyme ‘Are you Sleeping, Brother John?’ eliciting smiles from him and Martin. The school at the home has 250 students and offers classes till Matric or tenth grade.
“What are they working on?” he asked Ali Edhi, who was showing him around the eighth class students in the computer lab. “Word, PowerPoint, Excel,” a teacher responded. Penn was also told about the number of Edhi centres nationwide and how the organization was open for everyone, regardless of faith, class and identity.
As the aroma of food being prepared for lunch wafted in from the kitchen, Penn stepped into a separate room to chat with the Edhis.
The versatile American actor praised the social and humanitarian work that has been undertaken by the Edi Foundation.
Consul General Martin informed the media that on the Pakistan Day weekend he brought Penn to meet Edhi, a great Pakistani who can inspire everyone with his big heart and generosity.
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