(Original article posted in Indian New England on August 10, 2015)
BURLINGTON, MA— Saheli Boston, which recently opened its office in Burlington, MA, and is hosting its fundraising gala on Sept. 18 at Westin Hotel in Waltham, MA, has hired a new program coordinator: Mariya Taher.
Taher, who has moved to Cambridge from San Francisco to pursue a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing at Lesley University, comes to Saheli with a wide range of experiences. Prior to her move, she was working in the gender violence field for seven years, working with W.O.M.A.N., Inc., The Women’s Foundation of California, and San Francisco State University.
Saheli, a non-profit organization for the support and friendship for South Asian families, has been crusading against domestic violence for nearly two decades. It’s new office is located at 11 Bedford Street in Burlington.
Taher received her Master in Social Work from San Francisco State University and her B.A. from the University of California Santa Barbara, where she majored in Religious Studies and double-minored in Global, Peace, and Security and Socio-Cultural Linguistics.
In pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree degree at Lesley, Taher hopes to combine both her passion for social justice with her passion for writing.
On Sept. 18, Saheli will hold its bi-annual fundraising gala to support its activities. It hopes to raise $80,000. During their last event that was dubbed Nirbhaya in 2013, Saheli exceeded its original goal and raised $56,000. Anu Chitrapu has been named chair of the fundraising committee. She will be joined by Dr. Manju Sheth, who serve as co-chair. The Chitrapu-Sheth duo also served in similar roles in 2013 and helped Saheli raise $56,000.
Founded in 1996, Saheli is a community-based women’s organization in New England whose mission is to empower South Asian women and their families to live safe and healthy lives. Led by a small staff and a cadre of dedicated volunteers headquartered in Burlington, MA, Saheli is uniquely focused on the needs of South Asians and offers help regardless of religion, ethnicity, age, gender or sexual orientation.
