From Ramzan reunions to community impact: The MESCO journey

In the early 1960s, Dr M A Khatkhatay and a group of his school and college friends would meet once a year during Ramzan, as careers and family commitments kept them busy. Over time, their conversations shifted toward doing something meaningful for people who came from backgrounds similar to their own. Those discussions eventually led to the founding of MESCO Trust in 1968 and the MESCO Education Society (MES) in 1977.

- Pooja Patel

"Someone suggested collecting old newspapers - a simple idea that would help households clear clutter while generating funds for social work. The initiative took off and continues to this day. We now collect newspapers from more than 3,000 households every month, generating an annual income of nearly 60-65 lakh. What began as a small effort has grown into a sustained revenue model, strengthening the organisation's mission to support underserved communities," shares Dr Khatkhatay, president, MES.