Lucy Kurien Biography 
Lucy Kurien is a social worker and activist from Kannur, Kerala. She is the founder-director of the community Maher, which works for abused and destitute women and children. The organization functions in Pune. She is a recipient of the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar, India's national honours conferred on individual women for their exceptional achievement, and many more honours for her service. She was a recipient of Vanitha Woman of the Year 2016. Global Women's Leadership Award 2011 and Paul Harris Fellow - Rotary International are a few more honours. She is a Women's rights activist and Catholic Nun.
Lucy Kurien was born in Kannur, Kerala in the village of Kolayad on June 1st, 1956. At the age of 12, her family moved to Mumbai for better education. That’s how she got introduced to the slums of Mumbai for the first time, and health hazards associated with them, due to unstable and non-healthy living conditions. At the age of 19, she took the decision to become a nun and joined Holy Cross order. During those years, she got attracted to the selfless social service of Mother Terasa and her associates.
In 1989 she joined the HOPE organization of the Holy Cross Convent to help abused women. In 1991, a real life incident changed her perspective towards life and service, when a pregnant lady sought her help to hide herself from alcoholic husband, who used to physically abuse her daily. Since the convent did not take laypeople, she sent her away promising that she would assist her with help the following day. But unfortunately before it could happen, the husband burnt the woman and her baby alive. It took years of struggle for Lucy to come out of the trauma of this incident, but by that time she was determined to start an organization which gives support to such woman in the society. That’s how Maher came into existence.
Published: September 16, 2018
Updated: September 16, 2018
