Kudumbashree members from all across the state were active in textbook distribution. As the children were back to the offline classes at schools after the crisis of Covid-19 pandemic, Kudumbashree members played an important role in ensuring that, the textbooks will reach them on time. Kudumbashree coordinated these activities along with the Education Department and KBPS (Kerala Books and Publications Society).

320 Kudumbashree members and around 30 Kudumbashree family members had took part in the efforts to sort the textbooks and prepared the same for distribution at the text book distribution hub across the state. The officials and staff of the District Mission Offices of Kudumbashree also joined the efforts, for more than two weeks round the clock.

'Kilikootam', the three day summer camp for Balasabha members is being organized at Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), Thrissur from 27-29 May 2022. A total of 45 Balasabha members from across the state joined together at KILA, Thrissur to take part in the 'Kilikootam' summer camp. Shri. E. Santhosh Kumar, Writer inaugurated the three day camp.

Three Balasabha members each were selected from the districts and 3 members from the Balagothra Sabha as part of the Attappady Comprehensive Tribal Development and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group Development Project. The Balasabha members are curiously listening the classes led by the subject experts and shared their ideas. The camp is organized as part of the efforts to empower the Balasabha members socially and academically. Through this camp, Kudumbashree is arranging a creative platform for the Balasabha members to meet and share ideas with eminent personalities in various fields like art, literature, science, environment and society. The summer camp will come to an end on 29 May 2022.

UFC Pottikkal become the winner of the first season of Attappady Tribal Football League. They had defeated FC Anavai in penalty shootout by 5-4. Ms. Mrinmayi Joshi, District Collector, Palakkad distributed the Award comprising of trophy, medal and cash prize of Rs 5000 to the first place winners, at the valedictory function. New Millennium Club came in the second place and received a trophy and a cash award of Rs 3,000. Whereas, Anashwara FC Abbannoor came in the third place and received a cash prize of Rs 2,000. The finals were held at the Agali Panchayat Ground on 25 May 2022.

The tribal youth of Attappady wholeheartedly welcomed the Attappady Tribal Football League. The Football League which was launched as part of the Attappady Comprehensive Tribal Development and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group Development Project being implemented through Kudumbashree at Attappady was started on 23 May 2022. A total of 38 teams took part in the league which gave opportunity to the tribal youth of Attappady to showcase their talents.

Football is a sport that is very popular among the younger generation of Attappady. Although the tribal youth of Attappady have a lot of great sports talent, there is little platform for them to showcase and nurture it. Realizing that, Attappady Comprehensive Tribal Development and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group Development Project organized football matches under the name of ‘Attappady Tribal Football League’ for the tribal youth with the objective of nurturing the physical abilities of the youth in Attappady and to keep them free from the grip of intoxication and alcoholism. It is for the first time a Football League Competition was organized for the tribal youth of Attappady. The main objective of the activity was to nurture the athletic abilities of the youth, as opportunities like these will help to find the best sports talents through such competitions and to publicize the football prowess of Attappady all over Kerala.

Awards were also given for the Best Player in the Football League, the Best Player in the Final, the Best Goalkeeper, the Best Defender, the player who scored the maximum number of goals and the Emerging Player of the League. Those awards were distributed jointly by the District Collector, Palakkad and the elected representatives. Smt. Maruthi Murugan, President, Attappady Block Panchayath, Presidents and Secretaries of the Panchayath Samithi of Attappady Comprehensive Tribal Development and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group Development Project and other department officials also took part in the function.

'Venal Paravakal' Summer Camp was organized at Attappady as part of the Attappady Comprehensive Tribal Development and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group Development Project under the leadership of Child Resource Centre for tribal children.

400 Bala Gothrasabha members from various hamlets of three panchayaths took part in the summer camp. The 8 day long Summer Camp was held at  B.R Ambedkar Training Centre, Kakkupadi, Attappady.

The classes were led by Shri.Nikhil, Smt. Josna and Shri. Arun Chandran on topics such as art of communication, leadership and 'Pazhamayude Paatukal' (songs of the olden times).  Elected representatives, Panchayath Committee, office bearers of the Ooru samithi and Kudumbashree members took part in the programme.

The Inauguration programme was held on 9 May 2022. Smt. Chandra Elachuvazhi, President, Puthur Panchayath Samithi inaugurated the camp. Shri. Manoj B.S, Project Officer, Attappady Comprehensive Tribal Development and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group Development Project was the Chief Guest of the programme. Shri. Binil Kumar welcomed the gathering and Shri.Sudheesh Maruthalam delivered vote of thanks.

'Noorang' Programme has been started at Thirunelly Panchayath of Wayanad district of Kerala. The programme has been started at the Irumbupalam hamlet of Thirunelly Panchayath as part of the Thirunelly Tribal Special Intervention Programme. Tuber varieties were planted at the Irumbupalam hamlet as part of the Noorang programme on 10 May 2022. The tuber cultivation aims at preserving the tuber crops, production and distribution of seeds and giving awareness about tuber crops to the newer generation. The tuber cultivation is being done as part of the Noorang Programme. More than 300 varieties of tuber crops are being cultivated. 

The cultivation is jointly being done by the Kudumbashree farming groups of the Irumbupalam hamlet. Shri. P.V Balakrishnan, Panchayath President inaugurated the programme and Smt. Saumini, CDS Chairperson presided over the function. Smt. Rukkiya, Ward Member welcomed the gathering. Smt. Valsala, Shri. T.C Joseph, Smt. Shafna M.S and Shri. P. J Manuel delivered the felicitations. Shri. Sai Krishan, Coordinator, Thirunelly Tribal Special Intervention Programme delivered the vote of thanks.

Kudumbashree has launched Attappady Tribal Football League to give the tribal youth of Attappady, the opportunity to prove their football skills. The Sevens Football League as part of the Attappady Comprehensive Tribal Development and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group Development Project was kicked off on 23 May 2022. The competitions were held at Panchayath Ground, Agali. The final match will be held on 25 May 2022.

The logo of the league was launched by Shri. M.V. Govindan Master, Minister, Local Self Government Department and Excise Department, Government of Kerala at District Panchayath Hall, Palakkad on 19 May 2022. The Tribal Youth Clubs and the Yuvashree Groups registered in Youth Welfare Board, Scheduled Tribes Department, Local Self Government Institutions and Kudumbashree may take part in the Football League.

Kambalam Festival, the traditional agricultural festival of the tribal people of Attappady has been started at Attappady in glowing colours with traditional dance and music. 4606 women farmers of 1037 farming groups of Attappady are getting ready to retain the agricultural prosperity of their hamlets by cultivating and harvesting food grains such as ragi, little millet, pigeon pea, pulses etc, through the Kambalam festival.

'Kambalam' is being celebrated in selected tribal hamlets as part of the agricultural livelihood activities of the Attappady Comprehensive Tribal Development and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group Development Project. The Kambalam will be held till 30 June 2022. The first phase of Kambalam was started at Kallakkara hamlet under the leadership of Sholayur Panchayath Samiti and Kallakkara Ooru Samiti on 20 May 2022. The start as per the tribal rituals. 22 farming groups will do cultivation in 42.5 acres here. Programmes like Ethinic Food Fest, seed swapping, tribal dance etc were also held as part of Kambalam.

Smt. Saleena Shanmugan, President, President, Sholayur Panchayath Samiti, Smt. Praja Narayanan, Secretary, Sholayur Panchayath Samiti and Shri. Manoj Balan, Assistant Project Officer, Attappady Comprehensive Tribal Development and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group Development Project gave leadership to the celebrations of the Kambalam festival.

Kudumbashree is also conducting a photography competition, including the photos of the Kambalam Festival. First Prize will be Rs. 5,000. Second Prize and Third Prize will be Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 2,000 respectively. 30 June 2022 is the last date for receiving the photos. The photos may be sent to the mail id- kshreeattapadiphotocontest@gmail.com . For more details, contact : 04924 254335.

Kudumbashree Gothrakiranam Programme has been launched as a new ray of hope for the tribal youth of Attappady, Thirunelly and Devikulam areas. This special programme aims at developing the skill set of the tribal youth, ensuring livelihood for them and thereby improving the quality of their lives. The State Level Inauguration of this programme was done by Shri. M.V Govindan Master, Minister, Local Self Government Department and Excise Department, Government of Kerala at the function held at District Panchayath Hall, Palakkad on 19 May 2022. Smt. K. Binu Mol, President, District Panchayath, Palakkad presided over the function. The guidelines of the Gothrakiranam Programme were launched by the minister at the function.

The programme envisages motivating the traditional skills of the tribal youth knowing their employment needs, extending them skill training and connecting them with the local employment opportunities. In the first phase, 5000 beneficiaries will be identified and employment will be ensured for at least 500 of them. As part of this, Situation Analysis will be done at Attappady, Thirunelly and Devikulam blocks under the leadership of Kudumbashree. Based on this, the opportunities as per the availability of the natural resources and human resource at each hamlet will be identified and following that, beneficiary list and micro level plan will be prepared for them. Unlike the skill training programmes being implemented through Kudumbashree, through the Gothrakiranam programme, training will be extended in such a way that the traditional employment sectors among the tribals will be given more importance and equip them for self employment-waged employment sectors. More skill training will be extended to the tribal youth who are currently engaged in traditional product making as part of the Gothrakiranam programme, connect them with the tourism sector and local markets and thereby arrange more employment opportunities for them. Convergence with other skill training programmes other than Kudumbashree will also be ensured for the success of the programme. The skill training programmes will be formulated in such a way, ensuring the participation of the tribal youth.

Shri. P Saithalavi, District Mission Coordinator, Kudumbashree Palakkad District Mission welcomed the gathering. Ms. Mrunmai Joshi IAS, District Collector, Palakkad was the Chief Guest of the function. Smt. Priya Ajayan, Chairperson, Palakkad Municipality, Shri. B. Sethumadhavan, President, Block Panchayath, Palakkad, Shri. E. Chandra Babu, Secretary, Kerala Grama Panchayath Association, Palakkad, Smt. Maruti Murukan, Member, Kudumbashree Governing Body, Shri. B. Subhash, Ward Councilor and Smt. Rita, CDS Chairperson delivered the felicitations. Shri. Manoj Balan, Assistant Project Officer, Attappady Comprehensive Tribal Development and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group Development Project delivered the vote of thanks.

Kudumbashree JLG member from Kasaragod district has entered the International Book of Records. Smt. Dolly Joseph, Master Farmer of Kudumbashree, hailing from Balal Kudumbashree CDS of Kasaragod district of Kerala has got into International Book of Records with the world record of 'Longest Snake Gourd'. She cultivated the longest snake gourd of length 2.65 meters in her homestead garden using organic manure and has set the record. The former record was 2.63 meters. Officials from Agricultural University had also visited her garden to see the record winning snake gourd.

She uses organic manure, organic pesticide and 'Jeevamrutham', manure which she made on her own for cultivating vegetables. Dolly is growing seven such snake gourds in her garden. She bagged the second prize in the 'Onathinu Oru Muram Pachakkari' Competition organized by the State Agriculture Department, Government of Kerala, at the state level. She had also bagged the award for the 'Best Woman Vegetable Farmer'.

Dolly Joseph, who is also a Resource Person of Kudumbashree is cultivating rubber, coconut, areca palm, pepper, cashew, plantain and other tubers. She is also a dairy farmer as well. She had also successfully implemented the Agri Nutri Garden Programme of Kudumbashree effectively in the district.

Kudumbashree Silver Jubilee Year Celebrations has been kickstarted at Thiruvananthapuram. Shri. M.V Govindan Master, Minister, Local Self Government Department and Excise Department, Government of Kerala inaugurated the Silver Jubilee Year Celebrations of Kudumbashree, in the presence of 1070 CDS Chairpersons from across the state, at the function held at Girideepam Convention Centre, Nalanchira, Thiruvananthapuram on 17 May 2022. "Kudumbashree has raised the women of Kerala to the main stream of the society through relentless efforts of the last 24 years", the minister said. "Kudumbashree has played a prideful role in empowering the women of Kerala, socially and financially, equipped the women to enter into power, increase their visibility in the society and increased their intervening skills in social issues and these are the important milestones in women empowerment", added the minister.

"Kudumbashree has turned into an organization that plays an important role in strengthening the local economic development by securing various livelihood opportunities, skill training, housing, basic amenities and available of clean drinking water. Kudumbashree has a history of leading the society forward through selfless efforts and undoubtedly, Kudumbashree will become an important organization that play a significant role in building 'Navakeralam' (New Kerala). This women fraternity is implementing traditional and innovative projects in agricultural-micro enterprise sector and has extended support to the state in crisis situations. In addition to the successful implementation of various centrally sponsored programmes, Kudumbashree has grown into a National Resource Organization, that replicates the women empowerment- poverty eradication models of Kudumbashree in other states. Now, the next aim is to equip Kudumbashree to implement more comprehensive development programmes as per the need of the new era with the strength of the work experience of 24 years. Kudumbashree is now making efforts to extend livelihood to maximum number of people by converging with K-DISC and other departments", he added.

"Kudumbashree had succeeded in bringing women who were stuck up in the households to better entrepreneurs and had also in equipping the women mentally and intellectually and make them effectively intervene in the developmental activities of the state", said Dr. R Bindu, Minister for Higher Education and Social Justice, Government of Kerala, who presided over the function.

"Kudumbashree had taught thousands of women to fight back poverty and live with pride and thereby was able to make a revolutionary change in the social scenario of Kerala", said Smt. J. Chinchurani Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, Government of Kerala.

Smt. P.I Sreevidya IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree welcomed the gathering. Chairman, Vice Chairman and senior officials from Sunder Nagar Municipal Corporation of Himachal Pradesh who came to Kerala to study about Kudumbashree had felicitated Shri. M.V Govindan Master, Smt. Sarada Muraleedharan IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Local Self Government of Kerala and Smt. P.I Sreevidya IAS.

Ms. Arya Rajendran, Mayor, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Shri. Johnson Joseph, Counsellor, Nalanchira, Smt. Geetha Nazeer, Member, Kudumbashree Governing Body, Smt. Saleena and Smt. Omana Kumari who represented various CDS gave away the felicitations. Smt. Sindu Sasi, CDS Chairperson, Thiruvananthapuram CDS 1 delivered vote of thanks.

Seminars were conducted on topics such as 'Navakerala Formation and Kudumbashree', 'Local Economic Development-Role of Kudumbashree', 'Gender Equality and Priority Approaches'. Shri. T.K Jose. Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Government of Kerala, Smt. Sarada Muraleedharan IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Local Self Government of Kerala, Dr. T. N Seema, State Coordinator, Navakeralam Mission, Smt. P.K Sreemathi Teacher, Dr. J Devika, Social Scientist, Shri. Jagajeevan, Executive Director, Grameena Patana Kendram, Karakulam, Smt. Shyama S Prabha, State Coordinator, TG Cell, Adv, Sindhu Ajayakumar, Smt. Haritha, Smt. Omana Kumari, Smt. Saleena, Smt. Sajna, Smt. Sasikala, CDS Chairpersons spoke at the function. Dr. M Surjith, District Mission Coordinator, Kudumbashree Kannur District Mission, Shri. Sajith Sukumaran, Chief Operating Officer, Kudumbashree NRO and Adv. T. Geena Kumari, Social Activist were the moderators of the seminar.