“MSSS”, Whom We Are....

Malankara Social Service Society (MSSS), the social work organ of Major Arch Diocese of Trivandrum, was constituted in the year 1961 under the Travancore-Cochin Literary Scientific and Charitable Societies Act XII of 1955. Since 2004, MSSS is known by the name “SROTHAS”, which is the Sanskrit term of Source.

MSSS initiated with welfare and charity oriented approach. In accordance with the critical self-reflection and analysis of its experiences, MSSS changed its approach from 1999 onwards. During the past decades, MSSS has been learning a lot from its committed service for the deprived and the marginalized, which has given more clarity on its roles, responsibilities and perspectives about people and their problems. During the years MSSS could serve the human kind through delivery of material inputs, employment generation programs, housing and sanitation, training, capacity building activities, education, agriculture development, livestock development, micro-ventures, women’s development, health delivery systems in remote areas, support to vulnerable sections like orphans, destitute women, aged, gender sensitivity and through introducing innovative farming practices.

We REACH Out to....

MSSS reaches out to 202 villages of Kerala spread across the three districts viz. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and Pathanamthitta. Our coverage encompasses 7.8 million populations irrespective of religion, caste or creed.

Our Developmental Approach

We adopt a developmental approach by empowering the rural poor to unravel their problems, spot out the causes and consequences, identify resources and make out feasible solutions through a facilitation mode that shall enable the weaker and deprived to render independent work in this society.

MSSS consider development process as multifaceted and inter related. Poverty and marginalization cannot be tackled in an uneven manner. Solutions of these problems should be attempted through a comprehensive and integrated approach. Therefore, linkages, collaboration and networking are given utmost importance in the approach to development.

VISION, MISSION AND PHILOSOPHY

The Vision of MSSS is to create a just society based on gospel values of social harmony and equity with democratic and human values. This vision is evolved from its development philosophy that the poor are the real owners and they are to be placed at the centre development process.

The Mission of MSSS is to serve the poor, marginalized, unorganized sections of the society, through promoting and strengthening their community-based organizations, in order to enhance the creative potentials of the individuals and the groups, for sustaining the development and empowerment processes.

The MSSS has internalized a development philosophy that is people led and people based, where people should be the subject and the goal of development and not its means. Therefore, the role of MSSS is of a facilitator.