page_title: Maher (NGO)
section_title: Mamtadham - A home for battered and destitute women
hierarchical_section_title: Maher (NGO) / Structure / Mamtadham - A home for battered and destitute women
caption_attribution_description: English: Children of Maher participating in a Sports Camp organized for them
context_page_description: Maher is an interfaith and caste-free Indian non-governmental organisation based near Pune with remote homes in Ranchi, Ratnagiri, Miraj and Ernakulam. The objective of the organisation is to provide shelter and support to destitute women and children. It was founded by Sister Lucy Kurien in 1997 in the village Vadhu Budruk.
context_section_description: Under this project Maher, runs homes for destitute women. The main aim of this project is to raise the women's self-esteem and support them in becoming self-sufficient.
  Women reeling under different kinds of emotional, psychological, social and financial tensions are welcome under this project. They are from all sections of our community and are given affection and acceptance long denied to them by their kith and kin.  Maher had initially planned to work only with the women who had sought refuge at Maher. However, in time it was realized that it was not just the women who were in distress; their children too were the victims of the hard times their mother faced. It was therefore decided to bring in children too within Maher's network. Maher so far has been able to reach out to and touch the lives of more than 3000 women. They came to Maher hoping for some shelter- temporary or for an extended period. Often they are illiterate or have just a smattering of alphabets. Despite these odds, Maher helps them with professional training with a view to making them economically self-reliant. At Maher, these women follow a regular timetable; they work together by helping out in the kitchen, in cleaning the house, working at the training centre. Maher gives courses in different handicrafts like candles, greeting cards, cloth bags and purses in order to give them independence and the possibility to earn money on their own. Many women are later employed by Maher to help with the various projects.
caption: Maher children participating in a Sports Camp organized for them
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