Lucy Kurien

Sister Lucy Kurien

Sister Lucy Kurien (left)
Born Kerala
Nationality Indian

Sister Lucy Kurien is the founder and director of Maher, a community and interfaith organization for abused and destitute women and children, headquartered in Pune, India.[1]

Life

Born in South India's Kerala province, Sister Lucy moved to Mumbai with her family to access better education when she was twelve. The city's slums were her first introduction to the conditions of the poor. At the age of nineteen, she decided she wanted to become a nun and joined the Holy Cross order, which focused on teaching and nursing.[2]

However, she was inspired by Mother Teresa's work and felt called to be closer to the people she wanted to help, directly touching the lives of the poor. In 1989 she joined the HOPE organization, founded by the Holy Cross Convent to help abused women. In 1991, while she was there, she had an encounter that would inspire her life's work. A pregnant woman came to her asking for shelter from her alcoholic husband whom she thought would beat her. Sister Lucy did not know where to send her since the convent did not take laypeople. She had to send her away, but promised to help the following day. That evening, the woman's husband had doused her in alcohol and set her fire. Both the woman and baby died.[2]

This incident inspired Sister Lucy to found Maher to help women like the one she was not able to save.

Founding of Maher

After this traumatic incident, Sister Lucy established Maher, to help destitute women regardless of caste, creed, or religion. It took almost seven years to get the needed support, but in 1997, the first Maher house opened in the small village of Vadhu Budruk, on the outskirts of Pune.

Currently Maher has 38 short-stay and long-stay homes in the Indian states of Jharkhand, Kerala, and Maharashtra. In total they house over 860 street children and more than 320 destitute women.[3] In the short-term, Maher provides immediate shelter and interventions. In the long-term, the community focuses on upending India's systemic violence, exploitation, and segregation—of men and women, but also of rich and poor.[2]

In recognition of her services, Indian President Pranab Mukherjee awarded Sister Lucy Kurien with the Nari Shakti (women empowerment) award on March 8, 2016, in New Delhi.[4]

Honors

References

  1. ↑ "Maher away from home for abandoned mental patients - Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
  2. 1 2 3 Hillstrom, Christa. "After This Indian Nun Witnessed a Woman’s Murder, She Saved Thousands More from Domestic Violence". YES! Magazine. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
  3. ↑ "India's Sister Lucy Kurien: a life of self-less service - ucanews.com". ucanews.com. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
  4. ↑ "Nari Shakti awards for women achievers - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
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