Sr. Lucy Kurien

Maher

Maher was founded in 1997 by Sister Lucy Kurien at Koregaon Bhima, about 30 km from Pune, after she witnessed a pregnant woman burned alive by her husband. It began as a single shelter for destitute women and grew into a network of homes across Maharashtra and other states for women, children, men, elderly people and those with mental illness, run on an explicitly interfaith basis open to all castes and faiths, alongside rural outreach, education and skill development.

Maher reports the following, on its own site:

• Helped over 50,000 women, men and children
• 367+ national and international awards received