From newspaper collection to community-building: The remarkable rise of MESCO Trust and MES (VIDEO)

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.

“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.

MES began its journey by lending school textbooks to students in underserved communities, offering educational and medical scholarships, and eventually building schools. “We felt the need to do something that would help shape their entire outlook on life. That’s when the idea of starting a school emerged — a place where children would come to us, and we would have the opportunity to nurture their potential in every sphere, not just academics,” he shared.

So while the parent organisation MESCO Trust’s three main areas are educational scholarships, medical assistance and poverty relief; MES is involved in running educational institutions. “We now run two schools, both of which go up to class 12. Alongside this, we also offer vocational training programmes and operate nursery schools in the slum communities. Our newest addition is an Early Childhood Care and Education course — a preschool teacher-training certification required for those who want to teach at that level.”

“For students who haven’t pursued any professional course after Class 12 — such as engineering — we offer a separate professional scholarship,” he explained. “In addition to our school and college-level scholarships, we also provide merit-based support for diploma courses in engineering, architecture, degree-level engineering, medicine, and more. Each of these has its own criteria,” he added.

Sagir Deshmukh, Director, CanCare Research Foundation, “Dr Abbas is doing remarkable work for society in fields such as education and healthcare. His education-focused NGO has been consistently working to uplift underprivileged communities. His dedication has created new pathways of hope for countless families, giving them access to opportunities they once thought impossible. His compassion, commitment, and vision continue to inspire everyone around him. In simple words, he is nothing short of an angel for the poor.”