Our Founder
Sr. Lucy Kurien
Founder Director of Maher
Sr. Lucy Kurien founded Maher in 1997 after years of working with people facing poverty, violence and exclusion. Her vision was simple and radical: create a place where people could find safety, dignity, care and a path toward self-reliance.
“Love is my religion.”
THE GUIDING SPIRIT OF MAHER
A journey shaped by service
Before Maher became a movement, Sr. Lucy’s life was shaped by a growing commitment to serve people who were being left without support.
THE MOMENT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
A PAINFUL REALITY BECAME A CALL TO ACTION
While working with marginalized women at the HOPE Foundation, Sr. Lucy witnessed firsthand the fear, vulnerability and suffering caused by domestic violence. In 1991, a pregnant woman who had come seeking help was tragically killed by her husband after Sr. Lucy was unable to provide immediate shelter.
The devastating incident deeply affected Sr. Lucy. It made her realise that women facing abuse needed more than compassion — they needed a safe place where they could be protected, supported and given the opportunity to rebuild their lives.
This experience strengthened her resolve to create a home for women who had nowhere else to turn. That determination would eventually lead to the founding of Maher in 1997.
That experience strengthened her resolve to create a safe home for women facing abuse and trauma. In 1997, that resolve became Maher.
