Kudumbashree Mission bagged Self Help Group-Bank Linkage Programme Best Performance Award. The award is constituted by the Kerala Regional office of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). Shri.S.Harikishore IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree Mission received the award from Dr T.M Thomas Issac, Minister of Finance and Coir, Government of Kerala at the programme held at Thiruvananthapuram on 12 July 2019. The award was presented to Kudumbashree Mission for promoting Self Help Groups (SHG) and co-ordination with banks for SHG- Bank linkage in Kerala during the year 2018-19.

Neighbourhood Groups-Bank Linkage Programme has emerged as a cost effective mechanism for providing financial services to the poor which has been successful not only in meeting financial needs of them but also strengthen collective self help capacities of the poor, leading to their empowerment as well. Neighbourhood Groups had proved to be one of the best model that provides the opportunity to save regularly, access formal savings institutions and participate in the management of these savings. SHGs have good impact on members, in their ability to save their hard earned money.

With Multi pronged benefits, NHGs  had improved women’s access to credit. The financial mobility due to participation in the SHG has led to an improvement in the quality of their lives. As many families were able to address their basic needs better than ever before. Access to credit from the bank in affordable interest became the greatest boon for poor women. Hence linking Neighbourhood Group with the banks became a prerequisite in Financial Inclusion. The two key step involved in bank linkages are opening bank account and facilitating credit linkages.  Kudumbashree Mission being one of the pioneers in establishing successful SHGs (NHGs) have promoted bank linkage since the inception. This model became successful that at a certain extent poor could access finance and could meet their immediate needs.

Kudumbashree Thiruvananthapuram District Mission flagged off Mobile Vegetable unit. The initiative is launched associating with District Panchayath. Shri.V.K Madhu, President, District Panchayath flagged off the programme. Shri. V.K Prasanth, Mayor, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation made the first sale.

The Oruma JLG (Joint Liability Group) unit of Perumkadavila Panchayath in Thiruvananthapuram district is responsible for the functioning of the mobile vegetable unit. The unit consists of five members.The initiative was launched with an aim to make available organic vegetables in the urban areas of the district.

Ready cum cook-cut vegetables would also be available at the mobile vegetable unit, which would make the household chores of working women much more easier. The initiative is designed in such a way that the main government offices in the city viz.,Government Secretariat, Corporation office etc would be able to avail the services of the mobile vegetable unit. The vegetables are collected directly from different JLGs in the district. Oruma JLG is also using the vegetables they cultivate in their field. Milk, eggs and value added products would also be made available through this mobile unit.

The project cost of the unit was Rs 5 lakhs, out of which Rs 2 lakhs subsidy was availed from District Panchayath against bank loan. Their next aim is to launch a programme to deliver indigenous products to the households as per the orders received.

The construction of the 85 houses being built using Ramoji Fim City's CSR Fund is approaching completion in Alappuzha District. Out of the proposed 116 houses, 42 houses were included in the first phase and 43 houses in the second phase. The 75 % construction works of the houses are almost completed and the rest of the construction works would be completed by 15 August 2019. Out of these more than 10 houses are ready to occupy. The construction of the houses in the third phase would be started by 16 July 2019. The houses are built in Ambalappuzha, Aryad, Bharanikkavu, Chambakkulam, Haripad, Kanjikuzhi, Mavelikkara, Muthukulam, Pattanakkad, Chengannur, Thaikkattusserry and Veliyanad blocks of Alappuzha district. Nirmashree', a labour contracting society, formed by Kudumbashree Mission joining 55 Kudumbashree women construction groups which has more than 250 members is undertaking the construction of the 116 houses being built in the district.

Kudumbashree had received Ramoji Film City's CSR fund for constructing 116 houses in Alappuzha. Ramoji film city, the world’s largest integrated film city and India's only thematic holiday destination had offered Rs 7 crores for building houses for the people in the flood hit areas of Alappuzha. It is as per the request of Shri. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister, Government of Kerala that Ramoji Film City came forward with the CSR fund for constructing the houses in Alappuzha. As per the agreement, a total of 116 houses are being constructed in the district. Construction of each house would cost around Rs 6 lakhs. The agreement regarding the same was signed at the function held at Camelot Convention Centre, Pathirappally, Alappuzha on 1 March 2019 in the presence of Shri. A.C Moideen, Minister for Local Self Governments, Government of Kerala and Dr T.M Thomas Issac, Minister of Finance and Coir, Government of Kerala. Shri. Krishna Teja IAS, Sub Collector, Alappuzha is in charge of monitoring the status of the construction of the houses. Kudumbashree Mission had identified the beneficiaries and forwarded the list to the CSR committee of Ramoji Film City. The project is being implemented in three phases.

Minnaminni and Kunjatta, two Joint Liability Groups under Anugraha Neighbourhood Group in Kavalangad Panchayath of Ernakulam district of Kerala used to cultivate paddy on regular basis. The paddy so cultivated was used to be sold to Supplyco (Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation), which serves by assuring the much needed food security in a substantive style by supplying life's essentials and reaching out to the rural-poor and the urban-rich alike. It is as part of this year’s Samrudhi Campaign that Kudumbashree Ernakulam District Mission and Kavalangad CDS gave the Joint Liability Groups, the idea of value addition. In order to increase their income, they were encouraged to convert paddy into rice with the brand name of Kudumbashree Mission as a solid support. This year cultivation was done in 8 acres of land and it produced an yield of around 30 quintal of paddy out of which 4 quintal was used for conversion to rice on commercial basis under the name Kudumbini. Necessary professional support and guidance was provided by Kudumbashree District Mission and Kavalangad CDS.  Kudumbini rice was officially launched by Shri. Antony John, MLA on 7 October 2019. The group plans to take the venture to higher levels in the days to come so that more people will get maximum profit out of paddy cultivation. 

From now onwards, counselling services of Snehitha Gender Help Desk would be made available to the students staying in the  Government Premetric Hostels of Scheduled Caste Development Department in Kannur District. The programme which extends counselling sevices of Snehitha to the students at SC hostel is named as ' Sakheya', which itself means 'a friend'. The counsellors of Snehitha Gender Help Desk would visit the premetric hostels two days a month and arrange sittings. The inauguration of the programme was held at Government Premetric Hostel, Thaliparamba, Kannur on 6 July 2019.

The programme aims at extending mental support to the students staying at premetric hostels thereby helping them to achieve success in their lives by making right decisions. It is also planned to start Kudumbashree Mission's Balasabhas, which aims at preventing inter-generational transmission of poverty through capability enhancement of children at SC hostels in the district. During the sittings at hostels, personality development classes would also be organised. For women and child related issues, Snehitha Gender Help Desk can be contacted through the toll free number 18004250717. It is for the first time that Kudumbashree Mission is launching such a programme in the state.

The role of Community is inevitable in the rehabilitation process of the destitute families in Kerala. Kudumbashree Mission and Local Self Government Institutions have jointly found out 17,569 destitute families in Ernakulam district through a survey conducted using a Mobile App. The basic needs of these destitute families include food, medicine, hygienic toilet, electrification of houses and maintenance of dilapidated homes. Among the needs mentioned, food and medicine had been provided from the challenge fund allocated to Local Self Government Institutions by Kudumbashree Mission. The other needs mentioned are the responsibility of Local Self Government Institutions. It is a fact that the other needs like hygienic toilet, electrification of houses and Maintenance of dilapidated homes have not been materialized due to the dearth of funds in local bodies. With a view to offer the help to the most needy destitute families, Kudumbashree Ernakulam District Mission has launched a programme called Oppam.

The 101 Community Development Societies (CDS) in Ernakulam District collect money from the Neighborhood Group (NHG) members of the district with a minimum target of Rs 10 from each member to materialize the Oppam scheme. Each CDS has already found a most suitable destitute beneficiary to whom the service would be rendered. The services include hygienic toilet, electrification of houses and maintenance of dilapidated homes. 104 beneficiaries have already been selected by CDS for providing various services. A sum of Rs 28.5 lakh has been collected by the Kudumbashree community in Ernakulam so far and the amount is likely to increase. Some CDS in the districts have started implementation and the other CDSs would start implementation soon. This scheme is expected to increase the participation of community in Destitute Free Kerala (DFK) project in the district. This year, Kudumbashree Mission aims is to make available all the services proposed in DFK project to the beneficiaries. In Manjapra, Malayattoor, Poothrikka and Kavalangad CDSs the maintenance works will be undertaken by Kudumbashree construction groups. This can be considered as a model of convergence as well.

Kudumbashree Malappuram District Mission organised Gender Sensitization Programme for Police Officers of Malabar Special Police, the paramilitary unit of the State Police of Kerala. The training programme was organised as part of the Gender Self Learning Programme team of Kudumbashree Malappuram District Mission associating with Malabar Special Police in 18 and 26 June 2019. The officers were divided into four groups and group discussions were conducted. Awareness classes were given on sex and gender. The police officers were then given detailed training on sexual attraction, sexual identity, socialization, male domination etc. Class was also given on the topic 'transgender'. Group discussions were also conducted on Women's Reservation. As many police officers who attended the training programme said that the training programme itself was an eye opener on the perceptions towards inter sex, transgender etc. The services of Snehitha Gender Help Desk was introduced among the police officers as well. Smt. Savithri, Smt. Reshma and Smt Febina, members of State Gender Resource Pool led the classes. A total of 102 police officers attended the training programme.

The Buds School situated in Chellanam Grama Panchayath of Ernakulam district did not had a good building of its own and the school was functioning in a very pathetic condition. The main hindrance regarding the construction of the building was the issue of their land falling in the coastal Residential Zone (CRZ) where building construction was not normally permitted. The pitiable condition of the school has been reported many times but no solution has been found. Another important feature was that the school had given birth to many artistic talents who were instrumental in bringing the overall championship in State Buds Festival to Ernakulam district in the previous two years.

Recently the school was shifted to a rented building. Even though the building was a rented one, it was far better than the old one. The concerned Smt. Dani Varghese, Block Coordinator, Social Development who has been a regular visitor there, thought about a convergence model when she visited the school recently to form a special Balasabha of the students there. Being in charge of DDU-GKY scheme as well, she sought the support of a PIA (Programme Implementing Agency) namely KITES Softwares, Palarivattom to beautify the walls of the school. The students undergoing Animation course in  KITES, Abdul Jubab, Arun, Narayanan Kutty Linu Philip, Francis, Sijoy, Muhammed Shinas and Aldub K.A. worked for two days (both day and night) to complete the task . Necessary materials like paint and brush were collected from nearby shops through sponsorship. After the completion of the work the walls became so attractive with pictures all around. The students of the school are so enthusiastic to see the pictures. It’s a good example of Social Development effectively converging with DDU-GKY in Ernakulam District.

Kudumbashree Kasaragod District Mission is all set to counsel the jail inmates in the district. The District Mission of Kasaragod came forward with this innovative idea as a humanitarian gesture. The programme is named as 'Nervazhi' Snehitha Outreach Centre, which means the righteous path. The official inauguration of the programme was held at District Jail, Hosdurg on 28 June 2019. The programme would be executed with the help of Kudumbashree Snehitha Gender Help of Kasaragod. As part of the programme, counselling, awareness classes, legal assistance, vocational trainings etc would be extended to the jail inmates. The District Mission had took permission from the Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Thiruvananthapuram. As per this, the first programme would be conducted at Hosdurg Jail. On getting further approval, the programme would be extended to Kasaragod sub jail and Cheemeni open jail as well. Counselling services would be extended twice a month.

Counsellors with MSW qualification would visit jail during 10 AM and 4 PM and converse with the jail inmates. Both men and women inmates would be given counselling. Legal assistance would be extended to women inmates who have no one to help. 'Nervazhi' had extended help to an inmate who was isolated as she had not one for herself, even though she had secured bail. She was given temporary shelter at Snehitha at Kanhangad and assistance was given for helping her secure a job of her own.

As per the programme, skill training would be given to the released convicts to stop them from committing further offenses. Assistance would be given to help them secure job as well. "Nervazhi' aims at helping the released convicts to setup better life circumstances.

The Snehitha Gender Help Desk of Pathanamthitta launched 'Veetil Oru Doctor' Programme. It is an innovative programme framed and launched by Kudumbashree Pathanamthitta District Mission in collaboration with Medical Department to provide awareness on First Aid. Two members from vigilant groups of each ward in the district would be given training and they would train one member from each neighborhood group. As part of the programme, 1840 members i.e.,2 members each from 920 wards and 1,57,475 members from 947 NHGs would be given training in the first phase. The programme aims at  having at least one member at each NHG who is aware of First Aid. In the second phase, the programme would b extended to each family in every NHGs. The inaugural meeting of the programme was held at Chaathangari  Community Health Centre.  Dr.Mammen Cheriyan delivered a class on first aid and demonstrate first aid techniques to the members. As it is aimed to extend the programme district wide and to ensure this as an initial step,  2 CDSs viz., Nedumbrom and Peringara were selected and  the vigilant group leaders from each ward attended the meeting and learned how to give first aid to people.