Serving the slum people during the corona virus

Maher has been involved in Pune - Perna phata slum for the fast 12 years. In this slum we were running a kindergarten, computer classes, tuition classes, Self help group, adult literacy classes and livelihood program for women, Football coaching for the youth and Karate classes for children. Everything Maher was running free of cost. Maher’s dream was to put these children with the main stream children. But with corona virus spread all of them lost their jobs. Many of these people are rag pickers, daily labors, construction workers, some would sell drinking water bottles to travelers, and some would sell fruits, boiled ground nuts and other food items at Nagar road highway travelers. Now all of them have lost t their jobs. They have been to phoning to Maher for food grains and food. We could reach out to people with the generosity of many of our donors. Maher is grateful to all .

Reaching out to the brick kiln workers during the corona virus.

In the initial days of Maher we worked very hard for the brick kiln workers. But slowly the brick industry closed down when the cement bricks came into force. But once again a few brick kiln work started reopening and we have been involved with the children of the brick workers. With corona virus spreading even they have lost their jobs. No more building work now and they are now coming to beg for food grains. Maher is trying their level best.

Making beggars feel at home in their home (huts) during the corona virus.

Our beggars in Pune mostly live in Shirur. All of them have lost jobs of begging as they cannot get out and go for begging. Most of them are starving and they came to Maher to beg for food. Maher has been reaching out to them. Most of their children had been rescued by Maher from begging and put them through school. These children stay in Maher and they are going to school, but their parents continued to beg. During school holidays their children would be taken back by their parents and use them for begging.

This year we did not allow them to take back their children during the spread of covid – 19 as we saw it is so dangerous to children’s life. The baggers were angry with us for not sending children with them for begging, as children are their quick earnings. But now Maher is helping them with food grains and toiletries. They are now happy with Maher for not sending the children with them.

Reaching out to pavement dwellers during the corona virus.

These are the migrant workers who live in and around Maher. Of course you see them in all cities and help the city people a lot. The women go as servants in house hold workers and men go for construction work or go for sugar cane cutting. They take up almost all unskilled jobs available.

Helping the Tribal’s to cop up with Covid -19.

There are about 320 tribal huts near one of our homes. All of them daily wages people and all of them lost their jobs. Most of them are field workers or construction workers. None of them can manage their life without our support .

Support to the Bille Wasti during the corona virus.

These are another group of tribal. Most of these people are hunters. City has developed and they don’t have their original jobs, they do whatever they can to survive. Now none of them have any jobs. They live only what people are offering them.

Helping the Village people during the corona virus.

Most of the Vadhu villagers and Kendur villagers have their own field and jobs and they are independent and self sufficient. But there a few people who have no land and no jobs. They too approached Maher for help. Maher has been helping them to cop up with the covid – 19 virus.