From humble beginnings to a thriving institution
Our story & journey
Fifty-eight years, followed from 10 scholarship applications in 1968 to more than 170 villages today.
How it began
In 1968, as India marked twenty years of independence, a group of community members from Malekpore, Surat, Valsad, Navsari and Vyara recognised a pressing gap in the educational and socio-economic development of the local Muslim community. Driven to bridge that gap, they founded Anjumane Talimul Muslimeen.
The founders began with groundwork across the surrounding villages, and started by offering scholarships to needy students — the first of what would grow into a full residential school, a boys’ hostel, and an Islamic education programme.
The first year on record
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10
Applications
1971-72
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₹5,429
Disbursed
1971-72
Every year since has been written down. The ledger is unbroken.
Fifty-eight years
The journey, year by year
The milestones that shaped ATM's growth, in the order they happened.
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1968
ATM is founded
Founded by community leaders from Malekpore, Surat, Valsad, Navsari and Vyara to address the education gap facing local Muslim families.
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1971
Formal registration and the first scholarships
The Trust is formally registered — No. B/1127/Surat, 18 June 1971. Scholarship record-keeping begins: the first year on record shows 10 applications and ₹5,429 disbursed.
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1970s–80s
The scholarship programme grows steadily
Annual applications climb from single digits into the hundreds by the late 1980s, reflecting growing awareness of the work and increasing need in the community.
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1990
The boys' hostel opens
Initially 25 boarders in Std. 8–10. It later extends to cover Std. 1–12 and grows to house more than 300 residents.
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1990s–2000s
International partnerships begin
Long-standing relationships form with overseas donor partners — GMA in the UK, IDRF in Canada, IMRC and SEED in the USA — enabling the programmes to expand.
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2018
Golden Jubilee — fifty years of service
ATM marks fifty years of continuous service to the community.
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2020s
Record scholarship disbursement
Disbursement reaches new highs — ₹1.46 crore in 2024-25 alone — reflecting both rising need and rising donor support.
Then and now
What fifty-eight years changed
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Villages reached
35
1971
170+
Today
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Annual scholarship disbursement
₹5,429
1971-72
₹1.46 Cr
2024-25
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Applications on record
10
1971-72
1,000+
Recent years
Both ends of every row come from ATM’s own records. Nothing here is projected.
Impact in words
Voices from the journey
The measure of fifty-eight years is the lives it touched.
I was the first girl from my village to go to college. Without the scholarship from ATM, my family wouldn’t have been able to afford my tuition. Now I work as a teacher, giving back to the community that supported me.
A former scholarship recipient
Now a primary school teacher
The hostel became my home away from home. I came from a remote village with no high school nearby. ATM didn’t just give me a place to sleep; it gave me the resources and discipline to finish my 12th standard with honours.
A former hostel resident
Now pursuing a degree in engineering
Looking ahead
Plans for the future, not programmes today
The Trust’s founding objects and vision statement describe a longer-term expansion. These are aspirations listed on the current Vision page — they are not active programmes unless ATM confirms otherwise.
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A dedicated girls’ hostel
PlannedA residential facility for girls from underserved communities.
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An extended school complex
PlannedCollege, ITI and polytechnic facilities on the main campus.
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Vocational training
PlannedTechnical skill development programmes for local youth.
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A community hospital
PlannedA free or low-cost medical facility for the surrounding villages.
Every item above is a stated intention. Nothing on this list exists yet.
Keep reading
More about the Trust
The next chapter
Be part of the story
Fifty-eight years of this record were funded by people who gave. Your support writes the next line.