Our Founders
Major Muhammad Abbas Ali (1921-2009)
Muhammad Abbas Ali was born in Bombay, India on November 15, 1921 and spent most of his school years in Calcutta.
He was commissioned in the British Indian Army in 1943 and served in the Hyderabad State Army until 1948. After the partition of the Indo-Pak subcontinent and the creation of Pakistan, he joined the Pakistan Army and continued his services as a Major in the infantry until his retirement in the early 1970s.
After his retirement, he combined his adventurous lifestyle with his strong desire to help the poor and downtrodden masses in whatever way he could.
He soon started fundraising through charity walks for various national and international charities. In the mid to late 1980s, he was involved in marathon walks in the UAE for international charities such as, UNICEF, World Health Organization, Sports Aids and Islamic Mission Hospitals, among others.
Sarwar Jahan Begum (1928-2013)
Sarwar Jahan Begum was born and raised in Calcutta, India where she spent her early youth until her marriage to Muhammad Abbas Ali in October 1947.
Her inspiration for charitable work came from her parents; her father was a physician and her mother and aunt were active in the political arena and social causes.
In fact her mom, her aunt and older sister were involved in caring for orphans during the devastating Bengal Famine in 1943 and established an orphanage in Calcutta which was relocated to East Pakistan in 1948 and later in 1971, taken over by the newly formed Bangladesh government.
No doubt these experiences had a tremendous influence on her which led to a life dedicated to helping the poor.
Her marriage gave her a partner who was equally committed to her cause and together they nurtured a family of nine kids and twenty-seven grandchildren.
