Who Are We?

Founded by Social Activists in 2009

MSC is an NGO founded by young people, social activists and like-minded people in 2009. Many members of MSC experienced caste discrimination first-handed. The organization commits itself to the social and economic empowerment of the scavenger community through the medium of education and by connecting engaged actors all over the country, and also beyond.

Our Work in Summary

OrganizationEducationRaise Voice
MSC interconnects the members of scavenger communities. We build a network of support, even across national borders.MSC actively promotes the concept of leadership education, where we teach local members how to work on their own projects.MSC raises its voice for equality. We represent the struggles of the scavenger community at national and international events

Organization

In every city, you will find communities of scavengers. They are mostly living at the outskirts of the centers, almost in social isolation. The members of the communities are used to share the stories of their struggle only among themselves.

By connecting members of different communities, MSC breaks this isolation and supports the exchange of their stories. A significant boost of self-esteem can regularly be witnessed during our workshops. The exchange of experience plays an essential role to show our people that they are not alone with their situation. Most importantly, people learn that their individual struggle is not their own fault. The heridatary status of caste can best be understood by a vivid exchange of life stories.

MSC works hand in hand with local community members to shape a better future.

In a second step, MSC helps local leaders and activists to coordinate their work. We foster the exchange of ideas between distant communities and also aim at including experience of similar communities, in South Asia and the rest of the world.

The caste structure of the Indian society limits the access of the scavenger community to new spaces of education and work. MSC aims at connecting members of the scavenger community to large-minded entrepeneurs, organizations and educational institutions to break down the walls of these walls of inequality.

Education

MSC is a movement which grows within the society. We pursue a model of leadership education, which enables every community to find suitable solutions for their own challenges. Instead of imposing standard solutions on specific situations, MSC believes in a decentralized organization of the movement.

By encouraging communities to work on their own specific situation, we keep their members involved. MSC helps them finding solutions which suit their unique challenges and also match their ideas and concepts of progress.

MSC encourages local community members to support their own community.

One important part of our work is to encourage community members to set up a space of education and exchange within their area. Often, communties have spare community centers which are increasingly decayed and stay unused. MSC supports local actors to refurbish these places and fill them with life and ideas.

In workshops for our Fellows for Equality and like-minded activists, we provide the necessary knowhow and a platform for exchange. Our Fellows for Equality as well as other engaged community members, work on different community projects and maintain local education centers. The Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Community Resource Centers include free after-school lessons for students from within and also outside of the scavenger community.

Raise Voice

MSC offers a platform for people to organize themselve and make their voice heard.

Even though MSC doesn’t see itself as a political movement, we still inform and engage against any for of discrimination. MSC is a movement for equality. We clearly distance us from any form of discrimination by ast, class, race, religion or gender. Our movement is strictly non-violent. We also welcome any person from other castes, religions and other groups.

Let’s work together for a future of equality!