A special livelihood campaign of 100 days is coming as part of the Extreme Poverty Eradication Programme implemented by the Government of Kerala to make Kerala a completely poverty-free state. This campaign, named as 'Ujjeevanam' will be organized under the leadership of Kudumbashree from 25 October 2023 to 1 February 2024.

The aim of the campaign is to ensure sustainable income for 6429 families who are in need of livelihood out of the 64,006 extremely poor families identified through a survey organized by Kudumbashree and bring them to the mainstream of society. For this, job training and necessary support will be provided to those who are capable of employment in the poor families.

Campaign activities

The first step is to make home visits till 15 November 2023 to understand the survival and livelihood needs of each family. Through a home visit led by a special team formed in each LSGI, the beneficiary's livelihood requirement, various schemes that can be availed for employment availability and necessary financial support will be recorded in a special mobile app prepared for data collection.

Based on the information obtained through house visits, the list of livelihood activities required for each family will be completed before 25 November 2023 under the leadership of respective LSGI level teams. Kudumbashree Micro Enterprise Consultant in each CDS is responsible for preparing the Individual Livelihood Plan of the beneficiaries. Separate list will be prepared for those who need essential support and those who have problems that can be solved by providing community enterprise funds.

Vocational training will be provided to needy beneficiaries after checking the feasibility of livelihood schemes. If financial assistance is required for the schemes designed to provide employment to the beneficiaries, that too will be provided by 8 February 2024 through various schemes of Kudumbashree. Also financial support will be provided through local body level projects and sponsorship.

The Cookery Competitions as part of 'Keraleeyam' progressing across the state. The district level cooking competitions organized for Kudumbashree catering units was started at Wayanad. This cooking competition is being organized to promote the Food Mela as part of the 'Keraleeyam 2023' proposed to be held in Thiruvananthapuram from 1 to 7 November 2003. The unit which comes in the first and second places will get Rs. 5000 and Rs. 2500 respectively.

Around 1500 catering units across the state, affiliated to Kudumbashree, will participate in the cooking competitions organized on  district basis. Three dishes should be prepared by each district according to the variety of tastes of their respective districts. The competition will follow green protocol. Cooking competition has already been organized in Thiruvananthapuram, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Alappuzha districts. The competition was also organized in Thrissur on 17 October 2023.

13 Kudumbashree enterprise units participated in the cooking competition organized at Food Craft Institute, Thrissur. Kalyani Cafe, enterprise from Thrissur Corporation CDS-2 bagged the first prize. My Blossom, enterprise from Orumanayur Kudumbashree CDS bagged the second prize and Lavender Cafe from Vellangallur CDS bagged the third prize. Adv. K. Rajan, Minister for Revenue and Housing, Government of Kerala distributed the prizes to the winners. Shri. P.K. Davis Master, President, Thrissur District Panchayath presided over the function. In connection with the Cookery Competition, a seminar on 'Food Safety & Hygiene' was organized for Kudumbashree Livelihood Sub-Committee Conveners.

Kudumbashree's Back to School Campaign, the largest training programme for women ever held in the country which aims to bring 4.6 million women to school on holidays, is progressing in full swing across the state making steady growth in the participation of NHG members. As the third batch of the 'Back to School' Campaign has been completed, more than 11 lakh NHG members attended the campaign within 6 days. As per the data received till 15 October 2023, a total of 11,07,627  NHG members from 1,29,392 NHGs have attended the 'Back to School' Campaign. Palakkad, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts came in first, second and third places with participation of 139851, 136575, 116611 NHG members respectively. The campaign was launched with the aim of strengthening the  three-tier structure of Kudumbashree and for equipping the NHG women to take up novel ventures in tune with the changing times.
 
The district wise data as on 15 October 2023 are as follows: (In the order of district, no. of NHGs attended, no. of NHG members attended)

Thiruvananthapuram- 11161- 95855
Kollam- 11031- 78683
Pathanamthitta- 5139- 37511
Alappuzha- 8569 - 74670
Kottayam- 6834 - 58942
Idukki- 4674- 35274
Ernakulam- 13734 - 116611
Thrissur- 14140- 114728
Palakkad- 15609- 139851
Malappuram- 15788- 136575
Kozhikode- 6593- 67328
Wayanad- 4868 - 40872
Kannur- 6327 - 58458
Kasaragod- 4925 - 52269
Total- 129392 - 1107627

The campaign was started when Shri. M.B. Rajesh, Minister, Local Self Government Department, Government of Kerala performed the State Level Inauguration of the Campaign at K.B. Menon Memorial Higher Secondary School, Thrithala, Palakkad on 1 October 2023. The campaign envisages bringing 46 lakh Kudumbashree NHG members back to classrooms on holidays until 10 December 2023.  On the first day itself, lakhs of NHG members took part in the Campaign across the state, amidst the heavy rains.

The campaign activities have been designed in a way reminiscent of the school days. Class time is from 9.30 AM  to 4.30 PM. The Assembly is from 9.30 AM to 9.45 AM. Kudumbashree's Mudra Geetham (Anthem) will be sung during the Assembly.  The Lesson topics include Organizational Strength Experience Lessons, Vibrancy of NHG is in Mathematics, Community-Life Security Our Happiness, Livelihood-Ideas Projects and Digital Age.

As part of the Campaign being conducted in collaboration with the General Education Department, the NHG members are coming to the schools under the respective CDSs during available holidays from 1 October-10 December 2023 to gain knowledge on various subjects. More than 2000 schools in the state have been sanctioned for the campaign.

The classes are led by more than 15,000 Resource Persons all across the state. There will be a 10 member team of Resource Persons in each district which includes 2 Kudumbashree Training team members, 2 Auxiliary Group members, 2 Micro Enterprise Consultants, District Programme Manager in charge of Organizational Strengthening, Assistant District Mission Coordinator and 2 Gender team members. There are Resource Persons in Block level as well as in CDS level.

Notable personalities including ministers and others from social-political-cultural sectors have visited the 'Back to School' Campaign.

The Second Phase of Kudumbashree's 'Namath Theevanaga' was flagged off at Malappuram. 'Namath Theevanaga' the Millet Sandesha Yathra organized by Kudumbashree as part of the Attappady Tribal Comprehensive Development Project on the occasion of the International Year of Millets was flagged off by Shri. B.R. Prem Kumar, District Collector, Malappuram on 17 October 2023. The first phase of the Millet Sandesha Yathra was held from 18 to 27 September 2023 in the districts from Thiruvananthapuram to Thrissur.

Ms. M.K Rafiqa, President, Malappuram District Panchayat inaugurated the Millet Stall. Shri. Jafar K Kakkooth, District Mission Co-ordinator, Kudumbashree Malappuram District Mission welcomed the gathering. Shri. P.A Sharif, Ward Councilor presided over the function and Shri. K.P Karunakaran, Co-ordinator, Attappady Comprehensive Tribal Development Project explained the project. Kudumbashree members, officials and officials of other departments participated in the function.

The Millet awareness journey which started from the Town Hall ended at the Civil Station. Exhibition, marketing and food fair of various millets like Maize, Ragi, Foxtail Millet, Little Millet, Kodo Millet / Kodo Millet Rice, Barnyard Millet has been arranged. Also there are seminars related to Millets. The Millet Sandesha Yatra at Kozhikode is on 18 October 2023.

NHG members from Malappuram flies from Karipur to Bangalore making their dream come true. Neither the morning-to-evening work nor family responsibilities stopped them from realizing their lifelong dream of flying. Around 35 NHG members, who run the Kudumbashree Canteen in the Civil Station area of Malappuram district, flew from Karipur to Bangalore at 7 AM on 14 October 2023. The group reached Bangalore at 8:30 AM and visited various tourist spots in Bangalore. Then they retuned to their hometown by bus. Through this flight journey, Kudumbashree members set an example for everyone to fulfill their little wishes that make them happy in life.

Kudumbashree celebrated this year's World Egg Day in a grand manner. It is a day to remember the importance of eggs in the diet as a source of nutrition, a storehouse of protein and the role it plays in health care. Extensive awareness programmes were organized at district, block and CDS levels. 349 CDSs became part of the programmes. A total of 26,729 eggs worth Rs. 2,13,832 were distributed to 582 centres such as Anganawadis (427), BUDS Institutions (116), Extreme Poor Families and Old Age Homes from 385 Kudumbashree Producer Groups. Various programmes like seminars, egg fests, cooking competitions etc were also organized as part of the programme.

The second phase of 'Chalanam', the four-day guidance / leadership training camp for Kudumbashree chairpersons, sub-committees and Kudumbashree officials organized with the objective of uplifting Kudumbashree CDSs in all 129 cities of Kerala as Centers of Excellence was started. Shri. Jafar Malik IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree inaugurated the pilot camp at Marthoma Dhyanatheeram Centre, Peringanam, Kollam district on 17 October 2023. The training will last up to 20 October 2023. Shri. Vimal Chandran R, District Mission Co-ordinator, Kudumbashree Kollam District Mission welcomed the gathering. Ms. Athira, Ms. Aneesa, Shri. Umesh, Assistant District Mission Co-ordinators, Kudumbashree Kollam District Mission, Ms. Beena, Shri. Nishanth,  State Programme Managers, Kudumbashree State Mission attended the inaugural function.

The first phase of 'Chalanam' Training was conducted in the State Level during last April aiming at strengthening the organizational system in urban CDSs. This second phase training at the district level is a continuation of this. After completing this pilot training which is being conducted directly from the state level in Kollam, the second phase of movement will be conducted at the district level by 15 December 2023 in the remaining 13 districts.

Around 80 people including 36 CDS office-bearers from 6 CDSs in Kollam District (Conveners of sub-committees of these Municipalities - Social Development, Infrastructure Development, Livelihood, Ward Sabha - Employment Guarantee, Micro Finance) from six Municipal CDSs of Kollam District, City Mission Managers of Kollam District, one City Mission Manager each selected from all districts, NULM Team Members of Kudumbashree State Mission and District Programme Managers of Kollam District Mission have been part of this four day pilot training.

The second phase of 'Chalanam' Training  focuses on various issues such as direct involvement of District Missions, support of Kudumbashree officials, ensuring better relations and convergence with Municipal Corporations, ensuring proficiency in their respective subject areas, better functioning of sub-committees and evaluation committees, moving sub-committees up to NHG level, effective preparation of Urban Poverty Reduction Plan (UPRP), thereby moving the organizational structure and linking it with the municipal plan, utilizing the services of Kudumbashree Community Resource Teams.

Through Kudumbashree, 51,046 beneficiaries were provided loans through the PM SVANidhi scheme implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to provide livelihood to urban street vendors. The project is being implemented in convergence with all the banks in the state. Out of this, SBI is leading with 25,984 loans and Canara Bank with 10,485 loans. The aim is to connect maximum number of street vendors with the project by December 2023 and provide them with better employment opportunities.

PM SVANidhi is a scheme launched by the central government to provide small credit facilities to street vendors who have lost their livelihood during the spread of covid-19 to restore their employment and income. Under the scheme, the beneficiaries will get a loan of Rs. 10,000, Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 50,000 each in the first, second and third phases respectively. The next phase loan will be available on completion of the repayment of the loan given in each phase, thus each beneficiary will get a maximum loan of Rs. 80,000. At present, 6531 beneficiaries have been provided with second phase loans and 1926 beneficiaries with third phase loans. Beneficiaries are also relieved to get 7 percent interest subsidy on the loan. Also, those who make payments through digital platforms will also get a special incentive.

In order to get a loan, one needs to provide a letter from the Urban Local Body certifying that he is a street vendor, a vending certificate, any of these, and an Aadhaar card. It is also very comforting for the street vendors that there is no need to provide collateral to get the loan. Currently, the scheme implemented by Kudumbashree in all 93 ULBs of the state is helping to ensure better employment and income for the street vendors working in the unorganized sector. The implementation of PM SVANidhi is a part of the National Urban Livelihood Mission(NULM) project implemented by Kudumbashree in convergence with the Urban Local Bodies.

For the second year in a row, Kudumbashree has gained attention by participating in the product exhibition fair organized as part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission workshop organized as part of the foundation course for civil service trainees at Lal Bahadur Shastri IAS Academy, Mussoorie. In the fair held on 7-8 October 2023 , Kudumbashree achieved a sale of Rs 78,350 in just two days by bringing handicraft and handloom products for display and marketing. This partnership can be considered as yet another example of the great acceptance of Kudumbashree products. 

Ms. Rajalakshmi K.V, Ms. Nanduja K.J and Ms. Sahina A.Y, Micro-Enterprise Consultants working as part of the Startup Village Entrepreneurship (SVEP) project started in Mathilakam block of Thrissur as part of the Rebuild Kerala Initiative aimed at rebuilding post-flood Kerala, Ms. Suja, Micro Enterprise Consultant, SVEP and Ms. Bindu, Entrepreneur from Thiruvananthapuram came to the academy with Kudumbashree products and participated in the fair.

Last year, the Micro Enterprises Consultants who were part of SVEP project in Kodakara block participated in this fair. Due to the good reception Kudumbashree got then, another opportunity was received in Mussoorie.

An online mega quiz is being organized in connection with the Keraleeyam event proposed to be held in Thiruvananthapuram from 1 to 7 November 2023, in which all Keralites across the globe can participate. Participate in the mega quiz by registering in the link keraleeyam.kerala.gov.in. The online quiz competition will be organized on 19 October 2023 at 7:30 PM IST. A prize of Rs. 1 lakh will be awarded to the winners of the grand finale. All participants will be awarded a certificate. All Kudumbashree NHG members and family members can participate in this online quiz competition.