A two-day workshop was jointly organized by Kudumbashree and KILA as part of the idea generation based on the theme 'Susthiram' - Localization of Sustainable Development Goals through Kudumbashree at Grand Chaithram Hotel, Thiruvananthapuram on 30 September 2022 and 1 October 2022. The main objective of localization is to provide all-round development in the lives of the bottom level of the society. The activities related to this will be developed by focusing on the Kudumbashree NHGs. 

Through the localization of the sustainable development goals, it is intended to achieve these through the Kudumbashree system by focusing the Sustainable Development Goals on ten different themes. The ten themes included in the Sustainable Development Goals are poverty-free and high-livelihood rural-urban areas, healthy, child-friendly, water-rich rural-urban areas, clean and green rural-urban areas, self-sufficient and well-equipped rural-urban areas, socially secure rural-urban areas, good governance, gender-equitable development, and quality education. In this regard, the emphasis is on increasing the efficiency of the NHG system in such a way that the bottom level NHGs achieve the goals set in this regard.  

A preliminary report was prepared after discussing various ideas related to setting sustainable development goals and the changes to be made in the Kudumbashree organizational system, working methods and mission system for this purpose.

Shri. S.M. Vijayanand, Former Chief Secretary, Ms. Sarada Muraleedharan, Additional Chief Secretary, Local Self-Government Department, Shri. Jafar Malik IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree, Dr. Joy Elamon, Director General, KILA, Shri. N. Jagajeevan, Chief Executive Officer, Grameena Patana Kendram, Shri. K.N. Vimal Kumar, Shri. C. Nandakumar, Members of Planning Board State Resource Group and Shri. Nishad, State Programme Manager, Kudumbashree spoke in the Workshop.

Shri. Vipin Vilfred and Ms. Vidya Nair State Assistant Programme Managers gave leadership to the workshop. Ms. Krishnapriya, Chief Finance Officer, Kudumbashree welcomed the gathering. Shri. Suresh Kumar, Accounts Officer, Programme Officers of Kudumbashree, State Programme Managers and Training Group members participated in the workshop. Dr. Myna Umaiban, Public Relations Officer, Kudumbashree delivered the vote of thanks.

Eriyad Panchayat CDS of Thrissur district of Kerala has started planning and implementing various activities like pension, health insurance, identity card, health and counseling camps for the elderly people only. Eriyad is one of the ten CDSs in Kerala which is being turned into elderly friendly CDSs as part of the Vayomaithri project run by Kudumbashree with the aim of protecting and uplifting the elderly. As a part of this, programmes have been planned for the welfare of the elderly in the panchayath.

The Vayomaithri project is being implemented as part of Kudumbashree's Relationship Kerala Programme for the elderly, differently-abled, transgender and others who deserve special attention and care. Eriyad is the panchayath with the largest number of elderly NHGs in Thrissur district. The target is to convert Eriyad into an elderly friendly CDS in the next three years. District Mission will provide financial assistance of Rs.25,000 to 50 elderly NHGs in the panchayath to start self-employment enterprises for livelihood. Also, elderly friendly spaces are also being prepared at the ward levels with the help of the panchayath.

802 people are members of 70 elderly NHGs in the panchayath. Ward-level elderly meetings were also held including them. Shri. Nirmal A.C, District Mission Coordinator, Kudumbashree Thrissur District Mission did the district level inauguration of the programme held at Eriyad. Shri. K.P. Rajan, President, Eriyad Panchayath presided over the function. Shri. Marshal C. Radhakrishnan, Technical Assistant, Social Justice Department led the seminar on the topic of elderly welfare services and legal protection. Ms. Jameela Aboobacker, Chairperson, Eriyad CDS, Ms. Sindhu V, State Programme Manager, Kudumbashree, Shri. Vijayakrishnan, District Programme Manager, Kudumbashree CDS members and public representatives participated in the function. Art programmes for the elderly were also held as part of the ceremony.

Kudumbashree units make sales of Rs. 10.25 lakhs through the food courts set up in connection with the India South Africa Twenty 20 held at Green Field Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram on 28 September 2022. This was achieved by distributing food to the cricket lovers who came to watch the match as well as the officials, ground staff, police personnel and security personnel. According to the order received, food was given to 3000 people and in addition to this food was served to 5000 people as well.

Twelve food counters of Kudumbashree units were been set up near the stadium's terrace pavilion. The Kudumbashree stall provided delicious food and drinks at affordable prices to the spectators who stood in queue for hours outside the stadium to get inside before the match started. Spectators flocked to the stalls before and after the match, but it was also remarkable that the food distribution was done in speedy manner and the crowd was avoided. The food distribution lasted until midnight. Hundreds of people including college students also came to buy the parcel.

Vigneshwara, Sreepadam, Sreeshailam, Samjees, Shruti, Samudra, Pratheeksha, Jiyas and Krishna Catering units functioning under Kudumbashree in Thiruvananthapuram district and two Cafeshree units have prepared food for the sports lovers who came to the watch the cricket match. Kudumbashree Thiruvananthapuram District Mission under the supervision of the Kudumbashree State Mission was in charge of the activities related to food distribution at the stadium.

Kudumbashree had got the opportunity to distribute food on the occasion of organizing a cricket match at the Green Field Stadium, before as well. Kudumbashree got the opportunity to distribute food this year too because of the ability to work better without complaints.

'Team Bedakam' is to set a new model by securing 28 acres of cultivable land to set up a Model Agri Village at Kasaragod. 6000 NHG members have joined together to gift a Model Agri Village that consists of high-tech farms, huts, convention centres, training centres and model farms to Kasaragod district.  

Team Bedakam Kudumbashree Agro Farmers Producer Company was formed just six months ago and acquired 28 acres of land for this purpose. They also cleaned their company premises at Anandamadam in Vattamthatta in a celebratory ceremony held on 22 September 2022. More than 2000 women from 350 NHGs in Bedakam had gathered together that day to clean the place. Team Bedakam Kudumbashree Agro Farmers Producer Company was started under the leadership of Bedaduka CDS with the help of Bedaduka Gram Panchayat and Kudumbashree Kasaragod District Mission.  Only the members of the 350 NHGs in Bedakam are the shareholders. Rs 1000 was charged for the share.

The master plan of the Model Agri Village has been prepared. The activities will start as soon as the registration is completed. The company has taken up the 'Koodum Kozhiyum' Project (Nest and Chicken Project) and distribution of egg chickens in Panchayats across the district and is now successfully implementing the same. Also, initiatives such as model farms, hybrid plant nurseries and the production of bio-fertilizer etc are being taken forward.

The company is moving forward with the efforts to directly collect fruits and vegetables from the farmers of the district and bring them to the market, by equipping them with an excellent cooling system, within the next three months. It is also aimed to carry out activities including meat processing units and branding.

Shri. Siji Mathew, President, Karadukka Block Panchayath inaugurated the forest clearing program. Shri. A. Madhava, Vice President, Bedaduka Panchayath presided over the function. Ms. M. Dhanya, Panchayath President,  Shri. VC. H Iqbal, Assistant District Mission Coordinator, Kudumbashree Kasaragod District Mission, Adv. C Ramachandran, Member, District Planning Committee, Ms. K. Ramani, Vice President, Block Panchayath, Ms. Savithri Balan, Member, Block Panchayath, Shri. T. Varadaraj, Chairman, Panchayath Standing Committee, Ms. Latha Gopi, Ms. Vasanthakumari, Ms. E. Padmavathi, Former Panchayath President, Shri. M Anandan, Shri. E Kunjiiraman and Shri. K. Manikandan spoke at the function. Ms. Gulabi, CDS Chairperson welcomed the gathering and Shri. Shivan Choorikkod delivered the vote of thanks.

A One Day Workshop has been organized for implementing the convergence between Sagarmala, the project for port sector development under the auspices of the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameena Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), the free skill training programme jointly being implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development and the Government of Kerala. The workshop was held at Imperial Insignia, Ernakulam on 26 September 2022.

Through the convergence, it is aimed to equip the coastal youth with necessary skills to take advantage of the many monthly salaried employment opportunities that will arise in various states of India following the harbour development. The aim is to train 3000 people in Kerala through the project. Around 186 courses are available in 17 categories such as Logistics, Green Jobs, Automotive, Plumbing, Life Science and IT-ITES. The project will be implemented in Ernakulam and Kozhikode districts.

Shri. Jafar Malik IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree, Shri. Pradeep Kumar R, Programme Officer, Kudumbashree, Ms. Preethi, District Mission Co-ordinator, Kudumbashree Ernakulam District Mission, Shri. Ajmesh Madankara, Shri. Sudheesh, Shri. Pradheesh Nair (Azhikkal Port), Shri. Santhosh (Marine Products Export Development Authority- MPEDA), Dr. Neelakandan (Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical & Engineering Training -CIFNET) participated in the function.

The State Level Training Programme organized for 151 master trainers at Manvila Agricultural Co-operative Staff Training Institute, Thiruvananthapuram on 19 & 20 September 2022, in connection with the implementation of Urban Poverty Reduction Plan (UPRP) activities has been concluded. The master trainers were selected from among the community organizers and CDS sub-committee conveners currently working in 93 municipalities. Through them, training will be extended to the members of the governing body of all urban CDSs and to the Resource Persons who coordinate related activities in the wards.

The Urban Poverty Alleviation Project is the new programme that has been developed as a part of the 'Community Organization and Institutional Development' component of the National Urban Livelihoods Mission currently implemented in the state through Kudumbashree. The aim of this programme is to prepare an action plan that will help to achieve comprehensive development in the urban areas of Kerala. It will be under the leadership of Kudumbashree three tier organizational systems.

In order to prepare the action plan, in the first phase, an NHG level discussion will be held and a demand plan will be formed based on livelihood, social development, infrastructure development, public resources, services and rights to be available to each individual. Later this demand plan will be codified at ward level and CDS level and the final plan will be prepared by adding the demands related to public resources and services. At present, Annual Action Plans are prepared in Municipalities and Corporations according to specific guidelines. The guidelines suggest that the working groups should also consider the recommendations of the CDS Level Urban Poverty Alleviation Plan while preparing the draft projects. Taking this into account, the plans prepared will be handed over to the Municipal Corporations on 1 November 2022.

The Urban Poverty Alleviation Plan will be completed by identifying the various needs and potentials arising at the regional level and coordinating them. With the implementation of the project, it is hoped that all-round development can be brought in the urban area. Shri. Jahamgeer. S, Programme Officer, Kudumbashree National Urban Livelihood Mission, Ms. Beena. E, Shri. Pridhvi Raj, Shri. Nishanth G. S, State Mission Managers, Ms. Vibitha Babu, Ms. Deepa Prabhakar, Shri. Muneer M.P, Shri. Sham Krishna, City Mission Managers, Ms. Maya Sasidharan,  Ms. Bindu Sanoj, Training Group Members, Kudumbashree National Resources Organization led the training.

The Food and Safety Department has extended training for 120 Kudumbashree entrepreneurs working in the food production and processing sector of Thiruvananthapuram district. The training was conducted at Bhakshya Suraksha Bhavan, Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram on 16 to 17 September 2022. Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) course of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FoSTaC) was organized for them. The training is organized as part of the 'Eat Right Challenge'. The classes were extended on various topics such as hygiene, packing and good practices to be followed in this field.

The date for submitting entries for 'Kudumbashree Oru Nerchithram' Photography Competition - Season 5 is extended till 13 October 2022. Kudumbashree Mission has launched the Season 5 of ‘Kudumbashree or Nerchithram’ Photography Competition for motivating the aspiring photographers and to propagate the activities of Kudumbashree Mission through photographs. The contestants may submit photographs that would reflect the priority projects of Kudumbashree Mission. The photographs should reflect the activities of Kudumbashree such as, Kudumbashree Neighbourhood Group (NHG) meetings, various enterprises run by Kudumbashree women including Kudumbashree canteens and cafes, the farming activities of Kudumbashree women etc.
 

The jury, composed of renowned photographers and officials of Kudumbashree Mission will select the winner. The Award for the Best Photographer will be Rs. 25,000. The second prize and third prize will be Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 10,000 respectively. Rs. 2,000 each will be issued for 10 entries as consolation prizes.

Entries may be sent to the mail id, kudumbashreeprcontest@gmail.com or may be sent in CD Format or as hardcopies to the address, The Public Relations Officer, Kudumbashree State Mission Office, Trida Building, Medical college P.O, Thiruvananthapuram-695011. The name, address, mail id and contact number should be mentioned along with. A short note on the photograph should be attached along with. The photographs should not contain any watermarks. The entries should be transcribed as 'Kudumbashree Oru Nerchithram Photography Competition'. More details of the notification is available in the link : www.kudumbashree.org/photography2022.

The first season of ‘Kudumbashree or Nerchithram’ was conducted during November- December 2017 and the second season during February -March 2019. Whereas the third season was held during January- February 2020 and the fourth season of the competition was held from July-September 2021. The four seasons of 'Kudumbashree Oru Nerchithram' Photography Competition had resulted in a huge success. Good quality photographs portraying the strength of Kudumbashree, functioning focusing on women empowerment is considered for the ‘Kudumbashree Oru Nerchithram’ Photography Competition, which is being conducted from 2017 onwards. Kudumbashree Mission which envisions eradicating poverty through women in Kerala had successfully completed 24 revolutionary years and has entered into its silver jubilee year.

Kudumbashree has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Union Bank for the disbursement of fast linkage loans to NHGs. Shri. Jafar Malik IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree and Shri. Raveendra Babu, General Manager, Union Bank signed the MoU in this regard.  The aim of the association is to provide loans to as many NHGs as possible. For this purpose, the banks will collect the information of the NHGs in need of loans from the respective District Mission offices and intensify the loan distribution programme. The bank will make relaxations in the existing procedures for opening new accounts and providing linkage loans to NHGs.   

The branch authorities of the bank will directly collect the information of the eligible NHGs from Kudumbashree. For this, Kudumbashree will identify NHGs who have completed grading and are eligible for loans. Kudumbashree will also ensure the proper repayment of the NHGs after receiving the loan. Along with the quick access to the linkage loans, Union Bank will also take over existing loans from other banks and financial institutions for NHGs. This will be subject to the Bank's prescribed guidelines.

Shri. Anish Kumar M.S, State Programme Manager, Kudumbashree and Shri. Raveendra Babu, General Manager, Union Bank exchanged the MoU, on behalf of Shri. Jafar Malik IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree. Shri. Sujith S Thariwal, Regional Head, Union Bank and Shri. Sijin B.S Rural Development Officer, Union Bank also attended the function.

Kudumbashree Kannur District Mission has opened Coffee Kiosks joining hands with the Kannur District Panchayat and has opened up a source of income to 25 families in the district. Kudumbashree Coffee Kiosks is a project included in the Annual Action Plan of Kannur District Panchayath for the Financial Year 2021-22 to provide livelihood opportunities to poor families in villages.

Kannur District Panchayath aimed at establishing five coffee kiosks in the district. Five Kudumbashree members will get employment in each unit. Rs. 2.8 lakhs per kiosk (total Rs 14 lakhs) is allocated under the District Panchayat Scheme. The additional amount is provided through Kudumbashree. The first coffee kiosk in the district was started at Padiyottuchal in Cherupuzha. Ms. Rani Reji, Ms. Gauri K.V., Ms. Ramya K.V., Ms. Bindu Cherian and Ms. Karthiyayani. K are the Kudumbashree members who got the opportunity to set up the kiosk.

Smt. P.P. Divya, President, Kannur District Panchayath inaugurated the kiosk during the function held on 31 August 2022. Dr. M. Surjith, District Mission Co-ordinator, Kudumbashree Kannur District Mission explained the project. Shri. V.K. Suresh Babu, Chairman, Standing Committee, Shri. M. Raghavan, Member, District Panchayath, Shri. K.F. Alexander, President, Grama Panchayath, Ms. Sunitha Kumari, CDS Chairperson and others participated in the function. Apart from Cherupuzha, the coffee kiosks will also be started soon in Kanichar, Payam, Kottiyoor and Padiyoor.