“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap…”-1Samuel 2:8

• NGO working in the slums of Chennai for more than 4 decades.

• It is an ecumenical organisation working for the urban poor irrespective of caste, creed and color.

• An organisation which evolved from charity to empowerment and human rights perspective.

• Pioneers in the Prevention of Trafficking, awareness education in the field of HIV& AIDS, people’s movement, counseling centre & Short stay home for women and girls in distress.

Overview about MCCSS

Kodungaiyur the dumping yard…

• Kodungayur is the biggest waste dumping yard in Chennai (400 acres )

• dumps nearly 3,200 tones of garbage every day. 

• This garbage consists primarily of organic waste,

• different kinds of plastics, packaging waste, paper, metal, glass, construction debris, bio-medical waste and slaughterhouse Waste

• The main targets of the pollution are the residents, especially children.

• Even bio-medical waste from the Hospital, is regularly dumped

• The Columbia Analytical Services in California, analysed the air and had found 69 volatile organic compounds and 20 sulphur gases.

• Of the 9 chemicals found, 8 chemicals target the eyes and the skin, 7 target respiratory and central nervous system, 5 target the kidneys, 4 target the liver, 2 target the reproductive system and the Cardio Vascular System, 1 targets the bone marrow and Peripheral Nervous System.

How we started…

• In order to help children of rag pickers and rag pickers who are children, the Chennai Corporation launched a project to provide night shelter for street children in 2009

• MCCSS did a survey under the leadership of Mr. Alexander and found more than 100 children in the dumping yard.

• MCCSS was awarded the project for 2yrs (2009-2011)

• India’s booming urbanization brings the problem of waste management.

• migration towards the cities, increases the amount of waste.

• waste management is likely to become a critical issue in the coming years.

• Rag pickers play an important, but usually unrecognized role in the waste management system of Indian cities.

• They collect garbage in search of recyclable items that can be sold to scrap merchant (paper, plastic, tin...)

• This activity require no skills and is a source of income for a growing number of urban poor.

Our journey…• More than 60 enrolments.• 16 children in the process of

mainstreaming into formal education.• Few came out of addiction and rag

picking as profession.• The rag picker project also included

children at risk.• Life skills education and personality

development training was imparted.• Awareness to the general public to

reduce stigma and discrimination.• Closure of project due to change of

government.• MCCSS started its own children’s

home to continue the project.• The slow change among the rag pickers

sustained our motivation to continue the project with local funds.

• Recognition of the children’s home as “FIT Institution” by the Govt. of India.

• Collaboration with little lambs school.

Challenges…• It was an eye opener• The very first day no rag picker

turned for the inauguration• Bathing was considered as a

torture.• Brushing and hygiene was not

part of their daily routine.• Shelter’s proximity to the

dumping yard posed a huge challenge.

• Addictions like solution sniffing was very new to us.

• They loved the dumping yard making rehabilitation difficult

• Lost childhood • Petty thieving like stealing the

brass taps, bulbs and pipes.

• Rowdies interference in the project• Irregular attendance.• Lack of sustainable donor.• Interference of brokers, middlemen

of the rag pickers.• their hate for school or any type of

formal education.• Huge difference between migrant rag

pickers and local rag pickers.• Health related issues.• Bullying of small children by the

bigger boys• Difficulty in sticking to a routine• They hate supervision or monitoring• No understanding of hierarchy .

Challenges…

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