Formation and strengthening community based organizations (CBOs): Of
women, youths, aged, children, differently abled, tribals, artisans, and small farmers – MSSS could organize and strengthen around 5000 functioning CBOs in its Project area representing more than 50,000 families. More than 80 percent of the members of these CBOs belong to the weaker socio-economic groups.
Community-based Health Programmes: Activities include community-based
rehabilitation of the differently abled persons, addressing HIV/AIDS and problems of those affected/infected; addressing problems of the aged etc.
Educational Support Programme for Children from the Weaker Sections: Activities include providing scholarships to the most deserving students from the weaker sections with the support of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (already provided scholarships to 95,000 children); scholarships for youths from the weaker sections pursuing professional studies; coaching and guidance of deserving and needy children on different aspects of education and life.
Women Development: MSSS is working for reducing discriminations based on gender by capacitating women and promoting more opportunities for them in their personal, family and public lives. To achieve these aims MSSS formed around 3,000 women organizations (self-help groups) with membership of around 45,000 women. Women SHGs are effective instruments in capacitating women and promoting more opportunities for them in the personal, family, social, economic, political spheres of their lives. MSSS has incorporated the new gender perspective – of providing equal opportunities for women – in its programmes.
Social Security of the Weaker: MSSS has linked more than 5,000 families belonging to the weakest sections of the population, with the different insurance programmes – Jana Sree Bheema Yojana, Jeevan Madhur, Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthya Bima Yojana etc. – of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (a Government of India enterprise – to cover the costs of illness, deaths, accidents etc. These activities were required as the social security provided by the Government is either absent or quite inadequate.
Housing and Sanitation: MSSS has been involved in providing better houses
and sanitation facilities to the weaker sections since its inception. Most often it collaborated with the Government programmes, like the One Lakh Housing Scheme of the Government of Kerala in the 1970s, promoting low cost housing programmes of Mr. Laurie Baker, and mobilizing resources for construction of houses and sanitation facilities for the most deserved. During the last two years MSSS could provide 1500 houses with basic facilities to the most deserved families.
Youth Development: MSSS started focusing on Youths and Adolescents as they face many challenges and difficulties to manage their lives and future in the fast changing socio-cultural and political context in Kerala/India. Main problems include alcoholism, drug abuse; stress related to education and profession,
Absence of proper skills in managing their lives properly, consumerism and wasteful expenditure, etc. As a result there is steady increase in violence, suicide rates, and conflicts in families and in number of people with psycho-social problems. MSSS plans to focus more on development of youths and adolescents in the coming years to help the youths and adolescents have happier and healthier lives based on the Catholic values and principles. .