OUR HISTORY

The Beginning (1959-70)

It was in the year 1959 that the Catholic Bishops of the then West Germany launched MISEREOR campaign against Hunger and Disease in the World. The goal was to express the active solidarity of German Catholics with the poor population of the Third World for alleviation of poverty and for integral human development. Rev. Fr Felix A Plattner SJ from Switzerland was deputed to India as the Special Representative of B H MISEREOR e. V (MISEREOR), Aachen, Federal Republic of Germany.

The Indo-German Social Service Society (IGSSS) was registered on May 09, 1961 under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. The main objective was to function as the Trustee, in India, of MISEREOR. Its aims also included assisting and promoting projects and programmes for the socio-economic development of the weaker sections of the people in India without regard to caste, creed or community.

Initially (1961-64) IGSSS acted exclusively as a financial agent of MISEREOR by receiving and disbursing funds according to the directions given by MISEREOR. The agreements regarding project implementation were executed directly between MISEREOR and the project holders.

However, from 1965 the procedure of disbursement of funds and the role of IGSSS changed greatly when MISEREOR made grants and IGSSS issued Letters of Offer to respective project holders for the acceptance of the terms and conditions of the aid sanctioned by MISEREOR. Thus IGSSS became the de jure donor of the grants sanctioned for projects in India. It was also entrusted with the decision making on administering the Small Projects and Emergency Grants Fund, the Scholarship Fund, the Personal and Medical Aid Fund, and the Agricultural Fund.

The Indo-German Bilateral Agreement was signed in New Delhi on July 24, 1968 under which MISEREOR, through BEGECA, became an approved donor organization and IGSSS an approved recipient agency. Article II of this Agreement allowed duty-free import of “food grains and other food stuffs, medicines, multi-vitamin tablets, hospital equipment and supplies included vehicles fitted as ambulance and/or mobile dispensaries, agricultural implements and such other donated goods and articles for purpose of relief and rehabilitation.”