Maher (NGO)
Sister Lucy Kurien (Founder ) Hira Begum Mulla (President)
Maher ( NGO) ( in Marathi House of the Virgin ) is an interfaith project in India, medical care, training and rehabilitation of abused women and their children as well as development assistance in Indian villages devoted to.
Maher was founded in 1997 by Sister Lucy Kurien, a Roman Catholic nun from Kerala. There are now 29 locations in the metropolitan areas of Pune, Kerala and Jharkhand.
- 2.1 Children's Homes
- 2.2 Rehabilitation of Women
- 2.3 Other Projects
History
The beginnings (1991 )
In 1991, when Sister Lucy was still working in the organization HOPE, a pregnant woman came to her and asked her for help. She feared that her husband would kill her in order to marry another woman can. Sr. Lucy was on this evening do nothing for them, but promised her that she would try to help her and the next day should come back.
"I was Brought up in a secure family environment and I was unaware did one night Could make search a difference to the life of a woman"; "That very night, her husband, in a drunken rage, set forth on fire. I actually saw the blazing woman and heard her shrieks of agony. We put the fire out and Took Her to a hospital but she died of 90 degree burns and with her died the seven month old fetus. I was devastated .. "
After this experience Sr. Lucy decided to found Maher to be no longer bound by the rules of the monastery and to be able to do more for the people. It took almost 7 years to get the support they need but in 1997 it had come: In the small village ( Vadhu Budruk ), Pune outside, opened the first Maher house on 2 February 1997.
Development phase ( 1997)
After the founding Maher developed quickly. Within 15 years, attended by over 2000 people at the utilities part, there were established 29 permanent houses (4 for women and 25 for children) and Maher expanded in the Indian states of Kerala (2004) and Jharkhand (2008)
Also the circle of supporters Maher enlarged significantly. More and more people, mainly from Austria and Germany, but also from the United States and other countries came to support the project. 2002 traveled Sr. Lucy for the first time to Europe by Maher to make known. They repeated these visits regularly since then. So it was, for example, in 2012 the Catholic in Mannheim
2012 Maher celebrated its 15th anniversary, with nearly 4000 guests.
Today
The work Maher has now been won many awards. So Sr. Lucy received for her work in Maher 2011 Global Women 's Leadership Award, the 2010 Award for Excellence in DCCIA Social Service and many other awards.
The running costs Maher be about € 30,000 / month to pay the upkeep for 690 children, 250 women, labor costs, rents and taxes. Maher is funded solely by donations from supporters, especially from abroad.
Construction
Maher projects focus on two main areas. The first is to work with disadvantaged children from the slums, from the streets and from problem families. The other is working with mentally impaired women. Organization is headed by Sr. Lucy (Founder ), Hira Begum Mulla (President) and a Supervisory Board consisting of six people.
Children's homes
In a children's home to live up to 25 children, a homemaker mother and a cook. For every home has a responsible social worker / in. The children are sent to school and promoted with various programs. (Dance / sports / music / workout)
Rehabilitation of Women
Maher works with women who have experienced terrible, are mentally disturbed or have no one cares about them. It is working with Montessori pedagogy, the idea of multi-generational house to "create" family and long-term attempts to trace the women back into society.
Other Projects
More projects are in the areas of:
- The medical care
- Training and job search
- Development assistance in villages
- Self-help groups
Philosophy
Maher is a intereligiöse organization.
" There is only one religion - and that is the religion of love. There is only one caste - and that is the caste of humanity. There is only one God - and he works through us "
Most children are Hindus, each represent a smaller proportion of Christians and Muslims.