Premium Basket is the Kudumbashree outlet opened by Kudumbashree in association with Kochi Metro at SN Metro Station to market premium products of Kudumbashree enterprises and vegetables of Kudumbashree JLGs. Shri. M.B. Rajesh, Minister, Local Self Government Department and Excise Department, Government of Kerala inaugurated the 'Premium Basket' outlet on 11 October 2022. 

Metro has allotted a space of 600 square feet at SN metro station for a monthly rent of Rs.18,000. Kudumbashree has designed the space as a modern style outlet and the construction work has been carried out by Nirmithi Kendra, a company based at Kakkanad of Ernakulam district, with an investment of Rs.14 lakhs. Premium products of Kudumbashree Micro Enterprises from Ernakulam district and other districts and the vegetables and cut vegetables of JLGs will be available in the 'Premium Basket'. Tea, coffee, snacks and cool drinks will also be available through the Kudumbashree Premium Basket.

Kudumbashree Premium Basket is implemented in an enterprise model. Kudumbashree Premium Basket is managed by a group of 3 people selected from nearby areas. The Kudumbashree Premium Basket will operate as per the agreement between the enterprise group and Kudumbashree District Mission.

Shri. K. Babu, MLA, Thripunithura Constituency, Ms. Rama Santhosh, Chairperson, Thripunithura Municipality, Shri. Loknath Behra, Managing Director, Kochi Metro Rail Limited, Shri. Jafar Malik,  Executive Director, Kudumbashree, Shri. Vishnu Raj, Sub Collector, Fort Kochi, Dr. Myna Umaiban, Public Relations Officer, Kudumbashree and Ms. Preethi M.B,  District Mission Co-ordinator, Kudumbashree Ernakulam District Mission participated in the opening ceremony.

Kudumbashree has arranged special opportunity to buy special products at Illikkal Kallu, one of the important tourist destinations in Kottayam district of Kerala. This opportunity was opened through 'Illikkal Kallu Special Trade Fair', a traditional product marketing fair jointly organized by Kudumbashree Kottayam District Mission, Moonnilavu Gram Panchayat and Kudumbashree CDS from 1 to 5 October 2022.

The products made by the traditional tribes of Moonnilavu panchayat and the products of 24 Kudumbashree units of Erattupetta block were brought for sale in the fair. There was a great demand for tribal products in the trade fair like baskets, winnowing sieves, mats, brooms, handicrafts made of coconut shells, medicinal arrowroot powders, honey and for products like umbrellas, curry powders, sweets, vinegar, coconut oil, vegetables, fruits, yam, taro, ginger and tapioca. They were able to make a sales of Rs. 62,360 within five days.

Kudumbashree has conducted Anti Drug Awareness Programmes across the state on 9 October 2022. Kudumbashree is thereby becoming part of the state government's efforts to build public resistance against the widespread use of drugs among the youth. The activities were planned and implemented by Kudumbashree centered around NHGs, Auxiliary groups and Balasabhas.

Special meetings have been called to create awareness among NHGs and Auxiliary groups. These activities were carried out in about three lakh NHGs and about 19,000 Auxiliary groups in the state. During these meetings, an awareness note was read and discussions were held based on it and anti-drug pledge was recited in these meetings, which included several topics such as the dangers of drug use, measures that can be taken to prevent drug use, precautions to be taken to save the youth from drug addiction and treatment facilities.

Drug awareness programmes were organized in the past few days involving the Kudumbashree Balasabha members in all the CDSs of the state. A marathon in which the Balasabha members participated, a signature tree displaying their anti-drug ideas, recitation of anti-drug pledge, and artistic competitions including football matches were organized in each district.

Kudumbashree has won national awards for its outstanding convergence activities under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) scheme, which aims to provide housing to all the homeless in urban areas. Kudumbashree is the nodal agency of PMAY project in Kerala.

Kudumbashree has won two state level awards of PMAY (Urban) Awards for 2021 constituted by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Also, based on the best performance showcased in the specified 150 days, Mattannur Municipality also won third place in the municipal level awards at the national level. In Kerala, PMAY (Urban) project is implemented in convergence with LIFE housing project.

Kudumbashree has won the Special Award for the Best Convergence Model with projects including livelihood projects and the Award for the Best Community Oriented Project under the Scheme at the state level. The Special Convergence Model Award is for the effective convergence activities including the LIFE Project, Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) implemented by Kudumbashree in urban areas and the various schemes of the respective Urban Local Bodies.

Kudumbashree provides better employment and livelihood opportunities through convergence by providing them with free job skill training, self-employment support etc. along with making the PMAY (U) beneficiary families part of Kudumbashree NHGs. Free gas connection is also provided as part of the central scheme. By making it a part of the Ayyankali Employment Guarantee Scheme, the beneficiary also gets an additional financial assistance of Rs. 27,990 for housing. Apart from this, Kudumbashree is also making interventions such as including all the beneficiaries who have completed construction of houses till 2021 in housing insurance, providing CSR assistance to the needy beneficiaries and providing housing construction materials at low cost were also considered in the award determination.

Also, Kerala is the state that provides the maximum assistance through this scheme in the country. In addition to Rs. 1.50 lakhs provided by the Central Government, the State Government and Municipal Corporations also provide Rs. 2.50 lakhs to the beneficiary. Also no beneficiary share is charged after converging with the LIFE Mission.

Excellence in the project execution, excellent performance in the 150-day challenge, commencement of construction of all approved houses and the strict adherence to Management Information System (MIS) made Mattannur Municipality eligible for the award. The Awards will be presented to the winners by Shri. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister during the Indian Urban Housing Conclave proposed to be held in Rajkot, Gujarat from 17 to 19 October 2022.

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.