MAHER, Pune

Add.: Survery No 1295, Vadhu Budruk, Shirur
Pune
Pin: 412216
Maharashtra
Phone: 91-20-27033421
Mobile: 91-90110 86134
Email: maherpune@gmail.com
Website: http://www.maherashram.org
Contact Person: Sister lucy kurien.
Purpose : Child development, women empowerment, old age care.
Aims/Objectives/Mission : Maher is an interfaith and caste-free organization providing shelter and care to destitute and battered women and children. Maher was founded in 1997 by Sr. Lucy Kurien and is located in Pune in Maharashtra, India and spread to surrounding rural villages and out side of Maharashtra. Currently Maher has 24 projects in which nearly 570 children and over 180 women are residents. The women who come here had been abused, oppressed and abandoned. Most of the children too were in such situations and come here accompanying their mothers. Some are orphaned or come from broken homes. Maher welcomes everyone irrespective of religion, caste, reed, color or social status and values them equally. After having been at Maher for some time women are supported in getting reconciled with their families and be in society’s mainstream. They are trained to be self-reliant. When this is not possible, the women may continue to remain at Maher. Maher reaches out to women and children coming from all over India. Sometimes, when put through the trauma of abuse and harassment, damage is done to the mind that cannot be remedied with simple affection and care. In these cases, medical and psychological treatment is needed. It was with this need in mind that Vatsalyadham, a home for mentally disturbed women was established in 2004. Currently there are 65 women living at Vatsalyadham. Maher also conducts extensive community service programs. One such particular program has been a success. It consists of group of tribals living in a desolate part of rural India near Pune, known as Takarwasti. The people living there are considered as being untouchables – the lowest category in the caste system. These people are poverty stricken. Maher has provided a well for water, a mill to grind food grains, livestock, houses, sanitary education and the like. Maher also has constructed a house on the land where the local children and those from nearby villages live. The housemothers of Maher lovingly take care of them. They attend local schools. Maher’s goal is to not only help women and children who are victims of abuse and poverty, but to help solve the problem at its root level. Maher’s other community outreach work includes kindergartens and day care centers for small children, adult literacy programs, implementation of community funded micro-loan programs, sanitization and conducting seminars on superstitions, counseling, transportation of poor children to school, study group for children, job placement for men and women and supply of food grains to the poor families etc. All this involves manpower & finance. It takes a lot of labor, energy and finances to do all that Maher is doing. Maher?s qualified staff and board of trustees is made up of doctors, priests, nuns, social workers, business people, corporates and volunteers from India and abroad. Financial means come from many donors, both in India and abroad. Most of the funding for Maher?s projects comes in small donations from many friends. To all, Maher is greatly appreciative. Maher welcomes anyone to visit and see the work being done. All who come are touched deeply by what they witness and forever hold Maher tenderly in their hearts. In this way Maher has built such a large base of friends and supporters who keep Maher running and growing. To empower marginalized woman and children, that through providing a rightful and needed education that caters to their total well being for complete transformation. Irrespective of their caste, creed, religion or any other distinction, the women and children that come to Maher are purely and safely given humanitarian treatment with utmost love and care and concern. It is to give them a residence where they are safe and secured, living in an atmosphere of being accepted as they are with their uniqueness and self respect honoured by the staff and social workers. Having been received with open arms they be made just comfortable and at ease with themselves. It is then Maher tries to get out the inbuilt talents in order to give them the training for their expertise. Thus giving them the confidence for a sustainable future in order to stand firm to build haven for themselves in a society dominated by man. The women unmistakably becoming self reliant and self sufficient. They need not be governed by any other. Maher has been creating economical and social environment to enable them to realize their full potential. Creating awareness among the excluded communities and creating global awareness about inclusive policies Organising the exclusive communities especially women advocating for their socio-economic, educational, health, gender, political, cultural, and environmental rights.

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