Rev.Fr.Susai Michael Raj, a Catholic Priest of Madurai Archdiocese who had a deep rooted commitment towards social service envisaged in taking up this noble service in the form of a registered organization and founded MMSSS in the year 1968. He took over the responsibility of raising up the society to ensure its own functioning by being the society’s secretary for the first six years and followed by series of other clergymen who succeeded him. Since its origin it had been functioning as a Charity organization reaching out the poor and starving through poverty alleviation programs.
As mentioned MMSSS in its initial phase focused on poverty alleviation programmes and in reaching out its help to the victims of Natural calamities like flood, drought and fire accidents by activities like Land reclamation, Laying of roads, Deeping the old wells & digging new wells, ponds for irrigation and housing. Perhaps a series of seminars on Development, Self-Reliance and Emancipation ignited the society to work out a new project on “Integral Development Education” in 1982 which paved the way to the realization of the motto of the society “To Set free the oppressed”. In the year 1985 MMSSS got bifurcated into two giving birth to Sivagangai Multipurpose Social Service Society (SMSSS) covering Ramnad district(including the then Sivagangai district) and Madurai Multipurpose Social Service Society covering Madurai district (including the then Theni district), Kamarajar (Virudhunagar) and 3 Taluks of Anna District (Dindigul).
MMSSS made an introspection into its own activities, clarified its envisioned trajectory and rephrased the motto as “To achieve an equal society in solidarity with the oppressed” by the end of 1988. With such clarity, MMSSS in the year 1988 onwards started to involve in development issues and take on initiatives such as formation and animation of people as communities and organization, capacity building of grass root level communities especially women, children and dalits through innovative empowering programs. The significant programmes and activities are as follows:-
People’s Organizations in the districts of Madurai,Virudhunagar, Theni & Dindigul:
- Mahalir Mandrams (Women Associations/SHGs)
- Small/Marginal Farmers Associations
- Youth Clubs/Child Parliament
- Federations (in Cluster Level, Taluk Level and District Level)
- Empowerment Programs for Dalits and women in Dindigul and Theni districts.
- Promotion of livelihood and sustainable agriculture
- Child Rights Centres in 60 villages of Virudhunagar district
- Special Schools for Child Labourers in Virudhunagar district
- Pon Idhyam Induatrial School in Aruppukottai benefiting 100 child labourers every year.
- Reception and observation Home in Virudhunagar district
- Mahalir Thittam project supported by the Government to Tamil Nadu in Madurai and Virudhunagar districts
- Savings & Credit Programs: Promotion of small savings in SHGs/ Credit Unions for the economical development of federations.
- Kolping self Help Groups: promoting IGP
- Kolping Computer Centre for the development of youth
- Kolping Hostel for studying & working girls
- Care Home Association of Madurai (CHAM) for destitute and widows
- New Thrust Program in Madurai, Virudhunagar, Theni and Dindigul districts
- Disaster Management: Relief and Rehabilitation works during drought, flood and emergency situations
- Domestic Service Project for domestic workers falls under the categories of destitute, widows and single women
