The Beginning
A Journey of hope
Our first home started on 2nd Feb. 1997 at Vadhu BK. Koregaon Bhima, in Pune, Maharashtra, India
26 years of Love and service with miracles experienced along the way
LIVES TOUCHED AND TRANSFORMED (as of 1 March 2023)
4637
Women Sheltered
4237
Children Sheltered
1015
Men Sheltered
69 Homes
In 7 states of India
624
self-help groups
Our History
In 1989, Sister Lucy came to Bombay (now Mumbai) as a social worker to work with the HOPE Foundation. The HOPE Foundation was founded by the Holy Cross Convent and helps abused women. On one evening in 1991, a pregnant woman came to her asking for help. The woman believed that her husband was going to kill her in order to live with another woman and she feared for her life. Sr. Lucy was not authorized to invite her into the HOPE Foundation shelter to spend the night but she promised to try and do something for her the following day.
“I was brought up in a secure family environment and I was unaware that one night could make such a difference to the life of a woman”, says Sr. Lucy. “That very night, her husband, in a drunken rage, set her on fire. I 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 her seven-month-old fetus. I was devastated. I wanted to run away from the world and its cruelty. My friends persuaded me not to retire completely. Father Francis D’Sa was a great supporter. He told me to do something to improve the situation for women and not to run away.”
Sr. Lucy decided she had to establish a home for abused and traumatized women, where they would feel secure and cared for. Father Francis D’Sa gave Maher the financial ability to establish itself by convincing his many friends outside India to support Maher. It took a long time to bring together the necessary support. The first Maher house opened its doors in 1997 in the small village of Vadhu-Budruk on the outskirts of Pune. Today it still serves as a refuge for those in distress and is the center of Maher’s activities.
Growing Years
Maher started as a single shelter home for women in need but quickly met with an influx of underprivileged children who were also in need of help. These children quickly outnumbered the women and Maher found itself expanding to encompass an ever-increasing number of satellite centers within the state of Maharashtra, as well as other states including Kerala and Jharkhand. More recently, Maher has expanded its reach to Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Bihar. Maher’s services include awareness programs, creches, Balwadis (Kindergartens), tutorials, workshops, and self-help groups.
Maher helps victims of domestic violence and trains the poor and illiterate to become self-reliant and consequently independent of Maher. Maher organizes awareness programs for villagers to provide them with a practical understanding of their rights, duties, and responsibilities within the society and guides them on how they can stand united against unscrupulous landlords and moneylenders. Often this is the first opportunity for the villagers to break free from the unfair domination of landlords and establish a life of self-reliance and dignity.
The toughest obstacles Maher has had to face in establishing itself have been questions about the organization’s finances, religious orientation, and motives. However, with steady proof of its financial credibility, non-sectarian beliefs, and unwavering commitment, Maher earned the veneration of its local community, Indian officials, and a global support network.
Maher today
Maher has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1997. Today Maher is an official UN-registered NGO – Non-Governmental Organization.
Over 4000 women and children have been impacted by Maher and have overcome their life’s challenges; coming out brimming with self-confidence and dignity. Those who cannot be reunited with their families because of trauma or other complications, continue to live in Maher’s homes under Maher’s watchful care. Many stay on, fully rehabilitated, and work as housemothers or assistants.
All inmates receive the highest quality diet, medical attention, and psychiatric counseling, irrespective of their caste or religion. All human beings and all religious faiths continue to be given equal respect and all major festivals are celebrated with the same fervor. Maher is present in over 98 rural communities around Pune and Ratnagiri, Satara, Miraj, Wardha, Navi Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kolkata, Bihar, Kerala, and Jharkhand.
February 2nd, 2024 marked Maher’s 27th Anniversary and the completion of 27 years of work for the homeless and needy.
