Zahid Bhatti, a businessman from Birmingham, sprung back from chronic kidney disease illness and has since inspired many to do good for their community. Having experienced kidney failure, Zahid was on dialysis for five years, until he had a life-saving kidney transplant eight years ago.
Global Kidney Foundation is one of the leading UK-wide community-based organisations educating the public about the importance of being an organ donor. The charity aims to raise awareness across all communities everywhere, to develop quality of life for patients, and, ultimately, give hope.
With an impressive background running multiple businesses, including a chain of adult community colleges Scholars School System, and A1TV, an Asian TV channel, he gives back to the community and encourages others to follow suit through his founding of various charities.
Fuelled by the wish that no one else should have to go through the traumatic experience of renal diseases alone, he set up the Global Kidney Foundation. As told in Zahid’s patient journey, just after his second transplant he wanted to start an organisation through which he could “share & express [his]feelings, experience and emotions with families and advocate for those renal patients who were depending on machines due to the lack of donors availability.”
Zahid continues, “Since then I am arranging different events every year to create awareness, supporting the British Transplant Games, Royal London Hospital, and arranging free health checks in West Midlands. It is important that we help others in this state, those with lost lives and those with no hope. We must do whatever it takes to bring back hope into the lives of suffering renal patients and help save their lives.”
Having built a strong and professional board of trustees, which includes top UK transplant consultants and surgeons and a celebrity chef and TV presenter, Sally Bee, the charity has grown from strength to strength. GKF has inspired many volunteers who run organ donation educational projects across the country and has also provided free community health screenings in Birmingham for various community groups including the Sikh Temple, colleges, and the University of Birmingham. Not to mention, the Global Kidney Foundation is a continued supporter of the British Transplant Games, an Olympic-style sports event for people who had an organ transplant, organ donors, and their families.
What’s more is that Zahid has founded another inspirational charity Feedo Needo, which provides free food, toiletries, meals, and cafes to homeless people and those in need across England.
Having already run a Feedo Needo food bank in Birmingham and a café with free food and drink for anyone who needs it, they are soon to expand their operations and open a foodbank in London. So far, the volunteers have helped 50,000 people and distributed over 150,000 food parcels.
Outside of providing sustenance, the charity also offers free hairdressing services for homeless people in Birmingham and has recently started a free one-day course hairdressing course for mothers in poverty.
If it was not enough for Zahid, he is also building a hospital in Pakistan offering specialised cancer care, that is free of charge for those who are unable to pay for the care. He is also Governor/Trustee for Heart of Birmingham Vocational College, specialising in education for young learners with special needs.
To support or volunteer, visit Global Kidney Foundation and Feedo Needo.
