Maitri’s vision is to work towards a world in which each lives with Identity, Dignity, and Respect.
Oxform Dictionary defines Identity as- the fact of being who or what a person or thing is, a close similarity or affinity, a transformation that leaves an object unchanged. To establish or indicate who or what (someone or something) is. These identities are either obtained or assigned by family, society and civil organization. Maitri works to restores the Identity when deprived of or redefine the identity, which marginalizes people.
We all recognize that we all have a deep, human desire to be treated as something of value. When we indicate that feeling, the expression to another, it is called Dignity for the said person. Maitri commits treating every individual with identity, dignity and respect.
A definition of respect includes
How you feel about someone and
How you treat him/her.
Showing respect to someone means you act in a way that shows you care about his or her feelings and well-being.
Showing respect for others include things like not calling people mean names, treating people with courtesy, caring enough about yourself that you don't do things you know can hurt you. Maitri believes in working with and for respect for every person.
Maitri’s mission is to act as a catalyst to enable access to basic rights to some of the most
Marginalized and Vulnerable Populations in India including:
Destitute and Elderly Women/Widows
Marginalised adolescent girls and children
Rickshaw pullers and their families in urban environments
Maitri as a collective believes in inclusive development, and identity, dignity and respect as the pillars. All our work is motivated by the idea of creating and shaping identity, dignity and respect for vulnerable populations. All our actions are carried out in response to human suffering alone with no distinction based on, cast, class or creed in providing services.
Maitri works with the values of :
Respect: Words of love are always to accept and respect others. _ Mother Teresa
Compassion: Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek. – Dalai Lama
Inclusivity: At Maitri, to make the organization inclusive—we create an atmosphere in which all people feel valued and respected and have access to the same opportunities.
Empowerment: Empowerment is the process of enabling people to increase control over their lives, to gain control over the factors and decisions that shape their lives, to increase their resources and qualities and to build capacities to gain access, partners, networks, a voice, in order to gain control.
Maitri is a New Delhi-based developmental humanitarian NGO that is committed to facilitating every individual’s Human Rights, especially the Rights to Identity, Dignity and Respect. Since 2005, Maitri has worked with over 45,000 individuals on the issues of social and health inequities and public health concerns through education, community outreach, networking, and legal advocacy. Maitri work is organized under two main pillars: Violence Against Women and Migrant Workers. The organization has been addressing the issue of violence against women (especially in the uniformed forces), running a victim support and victim to survivor program, and promoting dignity and support for abandoned elderly widows in Vrindavan (Mathura, India). Our initiatives with Migrant Workers include facilitating access to Citizenship Rights to ensure access to basic rights including healthcare to vulnerable migrant populations like rickshaw pullers and the homeless, and providing educational and skill-enhancement opportunities for underserved children and women respectively. We also run an Integrated Counseling and Testing Center (ICTC) for HIV/AIDS.
In 2005, Lt. General Bhopinder Singh (Retd) and Winnie Singh founded Maitri upon identifying the need for support for members of the Uniformed Services affected by HIV/AIDS. Since 2007, Maitri has expanded its areas of reach through a variety of projects.
“A world in which each individual lives with Identity, Dignity, and Respect.”
Maitri’s mission is to act as a catalyst to enable access to basic rights to some of the most Marginalized and Vulnerable Populations in India including:
Women who are at the risk of facing Gender-Based Violence
Migrant Workers and their families in urban environments