How many times does the thought of helping the poor cross your mind? Do you act on that feeling or do you just let it pass? Unlike most of us, Mohammed Abbas Khatkhatay and his friends just could not let that feeling pass. Which is why instead of just talking about it, they decided to actually do something about it. Their idea was simple. The 7 friends would go door-to-door, collect old newspapers from peoples’ houses and donate the proceeds from the sale of the same. So, they hired two vehicles to cover South and North Mumbai; and at the end of the day sold off the newspapers to vendors offering the best price. Sale proceeds were utilized to provide school/college books to poor students. This is how they spent the first Sunday of every month back in 1968, not realising that they were sowing the seeds for what would become a large scale non-profit one day.

From a meagre Rs.3,000 in the first year, MESCO today generates over Rs. 25 lakhs collecting and selling old papers from 2,500 households. And the funds are used to provide scholarships to school/college students, to assist poor patients in need of kidney dialysis/minor surgeries or to provide sewing machines to destitutes and widows. Their two teams manned by 7 employees and two vehicles go to 44 locations in the city – upto Mira Road in the western suburbs and Ghatkopar/Vikhroli in the Central suburbs. Check out the schedule for July 2013. A similar schedule is followed every month.

Date Week Day City Suburban
1st 1st Mon Holiday Versova, J P Road
2nd 1st Tue Bandra 1 Milat Nagar 1
3rd 1st Wed Belasis Road Santacruz (W), Kalina
4th 1st Thurs Kurla Pipe Road Versova, Yari Road
5th 1st Fri Bandra Reclamation Holiday
6th 1st Sat Byculla Lokhandwala 1
7th 1st Sun Pedder Road Jog, Vaishali Nagar
8th 2nd Mon Holiday Mira Road
9th 2nd Tues Mahim Milat Nagar 2
10th 2nd Wed Bandra Dharavi Andheri, S V Road
11th 2nd Thurs Kurla Hall Road Four Bunglows
12th 2nd Fri Holiday
13th 2nd Sat Mazgaon Oshiwara 1
14th 2nd Sun Colaba, Mohammed Ali Road Juhu, Goregaon, Malad
15th 3rd Mon Holiday Jogeshwari, Station Road
16th 3rd Tues Bandra Milat Nagar 3
17th 3rd Wed Grant Road Jogeshwari, S V Road
18th 3rd Thurs Kurla Kapadia Nagar Versova Gaon
19th 3rd Fri Bandra Hill Road Holiday
20th 3rd Sat Nagpada Shastri Nagar, Lokhandwala
21st 3rd Sun Churchgate Marol, Malad (E)
22nd 3rd Mon Holiday Andheri Link Road
23rd 3rd Tues Sewri Wadala Yamuna Nagar
24th 3rd Wed Chembur Govandi Mira Road
25th 3rd Thurs Kurla Taximen Seven Bunglows
26th 3rd Fri Ghatkopar Vikhroli Holiday
27th 3rd Sat Agripada Oshiwara 2
28th 3rd Sun Warden Road Jogeshwari, Rajnagar
29th 3rd Mon
30th 3rd Tues
31st 3rd Wed

Email (mescotrust@yahoo.co.in) them or fill out this form sharing your complete address and contact number (also mention it’s for the old newspaper collection) and they’ll arrange to pick up the same.

Don’t hesitate to be part of this programme – you’re going to have to discard your old newspapers anyway. Why not change lives as you do so?

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