Kudumbashree has opened 10 stalls at the 40th India International Trade Fair 2021- Saras Mela 2021 being held at Delhi. The Indian International Trade Fair is being held under the leadership of India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) and Ministry of Rural Development at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Saras Mela of National Rural Livelihood Mission for introducing the best products of the rural enterprises, all across India is also being held as part of the IITF. The IITF is being held from 14-27 November 2021. Kudumbashree has four stalls in IITF and there are 6 stalls of Kudumbashree micro entrepreneurs at the Saras Mela. 

Commercial Stall to market the various products of Kudumbashree entrepreneurs and Theme Stall on 'Self Reliant India' that explains the livelihood activities and development activities of Kudumbashree are set up at the Kerala Pavilion in connection with the IITF. Also two stalls of Kudumbashree catering units are set up at the Food Court. The selected products of entrepreneurs from Wayanad, Kottayam, Idukki and Kozhikode are for sale at the IITF Commercial Stall. At the food fest, Kalyani Catering unit from Thrissur district and Annapurna Catering Unit from Malappuram district are also participating. 
 
Vishnumaya Handloom, Supriya Foods from Palakkad district, Malleshwara Producer Mill from Attappady of Palakkad district are participating in Saras Mela. Also, Lakshmi Spices and Pickles from Idukki district, Sneha Clay Pottery unit from Malappuram district and Queens Bakery unit from Thrissur district are also taking part in the programme. Kudumbashree has been participating in IITF since 2002. Kudumbashree had bagged for the Best Stall, several times. The Kudumbashree units which participated in the IITF 2019 were able to make a sales of Rs 22 lakhs.

State Level Review Meeting under the leadership of Kudumbashree State Mission was held at Kudumbashree State Mission office, Thiruvananthapuram on 12 November 2021. The meeting was held under the leadership of Shri. M.V Govindan Master, Minister, Local Self Government Department, Rural Development and Excise, Government of Kerala and he shared his valuable insights at the meeting. The Minister said that Kudumbashree would attain new pace and aims once the Auxiliary Groups start functioning. Young women would get the opportunity to actively involve in the social issues such as domestic violence in the name of dowry, suicide, drug addiction etc and thereby work for the development of the society, added the minister.

Kudumbashree should turn into a centre of power, that would productively involve in the issues that the women fraternity are facing now and in fighting back the same as well. He also suggested that various campaigns should be formulated joining with Women's Commission, Jagratha Samithi, Vimukthi etc. He also said that Kudumbashree members should be able to give leadership to the survey to identify the extreme poor in the state. 

The project to give employment to 5 people each in every Local Self Government Institutions so as to find a solution for the unemployment issue of the youth in the state, is effectively progressing and is being implemented in the state. He also added that, K DISC (Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council) would converge with the Local Self Government Department  and would formulate projects to arrange employment to maximum number of young women within five years under the leadership of Kudumbashree. 

He also reviewed the activities implemented in the districts through Kudumbashree during the period of covid-19 pandemic, Subhiksha Keralam Project, Auxiliary Group Formation, Three Tier Organizational System and Election, Local Financial Development, various projects being implemented in agriculture, farming, animal husbandry and micro enterprise sectors, micro finance, social development, women empowerment activities and skill training, PMAY, National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) etc being implemented in Kerala through Kudumbashree and their progress as well. The respective District Mission Coordinators explained the various activities being implemented by Kudumbashree in the districts. 

Smt. Sarada Muraleedharan IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Local Self Government Department also reviewed the programmes. Smt. P. I Sreevidya IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree welcomed the gathering. Kudumbashree Programme Managers, District Mission Coordinators, Assistant District Mission Coordinators and State Programme Managers also attended the review meeting.

The process of the formulation of VPRP (Village Poverty Reduction Plan) and UPRP (Urban Poverty Reduction Plan) through Kudumbashree has been started. Kudumbashree is implementing activities to prepare the Poverty Reduction Plans to become part of the Development Plans (VPRP-Village Poverty Reduction Plan/UPRP-Urban Poverty Reduction Plan) of the Local Self Government Institutions, through the organizational system such as NHGs, ADSs and CDSs. Kudumbashree is implementing activities, knowing the basic needs of every area, compiling the same and including it with the Development Plan of the respective Local Self Government Institutions. Kudumbashree had started implementing such activities from the last year onwards.

Through the 'Gramakam 2021' Campaign,Kudumbashree would do the data collection for various needs in the rural areas. This year, the data collection in the rural sector is being done through the specially prepared mobile application. This year, Kudumbashree does the data collection in the urban areas as well. These Poverty Reduction Plans include projects that include the access to various entitlements of individuals (social welfare pensions, insurance support, MGNREGS Job Cards etc), livelihood programmes ( in agriculture, animal husbandry, small scale enterprises, marketing sectors), Social Development Projects (to find solutions for the local social problems such as alcohol consumption, environmental issues, pollution etc), preservation and development of  public properties and natural resources (roads, drinking water facilities, health) etc.

The micro details of the above mentioned needs are collected from the bottom level itself under the leadership of the Kudumbashree NHGs. These needs are compiled in the ward level through ADSs and in the Local Self Government Institution level through CDSs and the Poverty Reduction Plans are prepared in various sectors and are submitted to the respective Local Self Government Institutions. The entitlement-livelihood projects would be included in the NHG level plan and the Social Development, Public Properties- Natural Resource Development Projects would be included in the ward level plan. These four factors would be compiled and the report would be submitted as Local Self Government Institution Level Plan.

Based on the previous year's Poverty Reduction Plans Kudumbashree is aiming to organize MGNREGS Job Card Mela, Insurance Campaign named as Jeevan Suraksha Campaign, Haritha Sabha Campaign in connection with organic waste management, livelihood development campaign, skill development campaign, campaigns to ensure 100 % covid vaccination, campaigns to include unorganized workers in E-shram portal and Swachh Survekshan campaign as part of the 'Gramakam 2021' Campaign. The Master Trainers were selected and their training had already been completed. The training of the District Trainers is progressing. They would enter into the Plan Formulation activities once the CDS, ADS training would be completed. Kudumbashree is trying to submit the Poverty Reduction Plans to the respective Local Self Government Institutions by 10 December 2021.

Kudumbashree, which is an integral part of more than 45 lakh families in Kerala is effectively intervening in the poverty eradication activities of the state focusing on about three lakh NHGs. Kudumbashree has regularly been making efforts to identify the needs of the common people and bring the same to the attention of the Local Self Government Institutions and get it fulfilled. 

Balasabha members from Wayanad district of Kerala had prepared a book on the detailed history of Wayanad. The book is titled as 'Charithramurangunna Wayanad' and is prepared in two volumes. The book was launched by Shri. Kalpetta Narayanan, famous writer, by giving the book to Shri. O.K Johny, Historian at the function held at Krishna Gaudar Hall, Puliyarmala, Wayanad on 2 November 2021. 

Kudumbashree Wayanad District Mission had decided to prepare a book that includes the history of Wayanad, soon after the 'Nadariyan' Campaign was implemented for the Balasabha members in 2017. For preparing the book, a five member Advisory Committee that include renowned persons and Editorial Board that include 4 Balasabha members and 9 former teachers were also formed. The history of every areas in the district were collected with the help of renowned persons and books under the leadership of the Balasabha Resource Persons and CDS members.

There are 970 pages in the book and there are 20 chapters on 20 various subjects. The first volume deals with chapters on Environmental History, Administration History, Immigration to Wayanad, People and their lives, Agriculture, Development of the trade routes, Growth of the Trade and Merchandise, Growth of the Economy, Rich legacy of Wayanad and History of the Cultural Institutions. Whereas the second volume of the book deals with chapters on Social and Political Movements of Wayanad, Past lives of the Estate Workers, Cultural History of Wayanad, Cultural uniqueness of the tribals, Uniqueness of Wayanad, Through the Art-Literature of the tribals, Those who were marked in the history of Wayanad, History of the Educational Institutions in Wayanad, History of the evolution of the name of the places and History of Kudumbashree. 

Shri. C.K Pavithran, State Resource Person, Kudumbashree and Shri. K.J Bijoy, District Programme Manager, Kudumbashree Wayanad District Mission are the Chief Editors of the book. The Editorial Boars members include Dr. Suma Vishnudas, Shri. P. C Mathew, Shri. A. Sivadasan, Smt. V.V Parvathy, Shri. Sivan Pallippad, Shri. C.M Sumesh, Shri. Shaji Pulppally and Balasabha members- P.S Saniya, Aabha Lakshmi, Sandra Sajeevan and Rani Paulose. The book would indeed be a reference to those who wishes to know about Wayanad in detail.

'Kakkolla Pareeksha', the second phase of 'Kunju Pareeksha' to give awareness about Covid-19 pandemic to Balasabha members in the state functioning under Kudumbashree was conducted on 30 October 2021. A total of 26,054 students from across the state had participated in the examination. The exam is being conducted to take the message of countering the Covid-19 pandemic to students and equip them to analyze whether the Covid protocol is maintained in their own houses.

Kunju Pareeksha is being conducted in online mode in four phases viz., Model Exam, 'Kakkolla Pareeksha' (Quarterly Exam), 'Arakkolla Pareeksha' (Half yearly Exam), and 'Kolla Pareeksha' (Annual Exam). The Model Exam which was conducted on 10 June 2021 as the first phase was also wholeheartedly welcomed by the Balasabha members. The link to participate in the exam was given to the Balasabha members in every district through the respective Kudumbashree CDSs and ADSs. There were 25 questions regarding the prevention of covid-19 pandemic. The students participated in the exams during the time between 10.30 AM and 10.30 PM. Kudumbashree expects that the students would be able to get a clear awareness on how to prevent covid-19 pandemic once all the four exams would be completed. The date of the other exams would be notified later.
 
The participation of the Balasabha members was ensured in the examination through the Balasabha Resource Persons, Block Coordinators, CDS Chairpersons and ADS members. The State- District Mission had supervised the activities. 'Kunju Pareeksha' (A Small, Simple Exam), the awareness programme is the continuation of the efforts being taken by Kudumbashree to take the awareness lessons about the Covid-19 pandemic to everyone in the society through children.

The ownership of the houses which are built through PMAY(U)-LIFE Project being implemented through Kudumbashree in Kerala is given to women as part of ensuring women's participation, in addition to providing safe and secure homes. Out of the 1,11,835 approved beneficiaries 87,753 of them are women. Under certain circumstances, when it is unable to give the ownership in the name of the women, the ownership would be given jointly in the name of man and woman or in the name of the man. As of now, construction of 70,463 houses have been completed. By giving the ownership of the completed houses, Kudumbashree is making a notable intervention in women empowerment. Through the 31 Women Construction Units functioning in the urban areas, under the leadership of Kudumbashree, construction of 52 houses which is included in the programme has been completed.  

In addition to providing the houses to the beneficiaries, the project ensures a better lifestyle for them as well. As part of this, with the convergence with Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, gas connection was provided to 7490 families at subsidy rates and LED lights were provided to 17603 families free of cost. In addition, by converging with Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme, each beneficiary was given 90 additional work days and additional financial assistance of Rs 26,190 was also provided to them. Financial assistance of Rs 70 crores was provided to them in this manner. 95 % of the project beneficiaries are Kudumbashree members. The efforts to make the remaining 5% as Kudumbashree members is progressing.

'Kakkolla Pareeksha', the second phase of 'Kunju Pareeksha' to give awareness about Covid-19 pandemic to the four and a half lakh Balasabha members of 32,627 Balasabhas in the state functioning under Kudumbashree is proposed to be held on 30 October 2021. The exam is being conducted to take the message of countering the Covid-19 pandemic to students and equip them to analyze whether the Covid protocol is maintained in their own houses.

Kunju Pareeksha is conducted in online mode in four phases viz., Model Exam, 'Kakkolla Pareeksha' (Quarterly Exam), 'Arakkolla Pareeksha' (Half yearly Exam), and 'Kolla Pareeksha' (Annual Exam). The Model Exam which was conducted on 10 June 2021 as the first phase was wholeheartedly welcomed by the Balasabha members.  The link to participate in the exam would be given to the Balasabha members in every district through the respective Kudumbashree CDSs and ADSs. There would be 25 questions regarding the prevention of covid-19 pandemic. The students may participate in the exams during any time between 10.30 AM and 10.30 PM. Kudumbashree hope that the students would be able to get a clear awareness on how to prevent covid-19 pandemic once they would complete all the four exams.  The date of the other exams would be notified later.
 
The participation of the Balasabha members is ensured in the examination through the Balasabha Resource Persons, Block Coordinators, CDS Chairpersons and ADS members. The State- District Mission would supervise the activities. 'Kunju Pareeksha' (A Small, Simple Exam), the Awareness Programme is the continuation of the efforts being taken by Kudumbashree to take the awareness lessons about the Covid-19 pandemic to everyone in the society through children.

Kudumbashree Kannur District Mission has launched the first of its kind 'Cycling Club' for the Balasabha members in the district. The Cycling Club is named as 'Kudumbashree Cycling Club Kannur' (KCK). Kudumbashree Kannur District Mission formulated the concept of Cycling Club Formation aiming at the physical- mental health of the Balasabha members, gender equality and environment conservation.

There are 2446 Balasabhas in Kannur district, which has 37,039 students as members. In the first phase, Cycling Clubs would be formed at 50 Kudumbashree CDSs in the district. 1000 children would be included in these Cycling Clubs. Children between 10 and 18 years of age can take membership in these clubs. One club would have a maximum of 25 members. 'Riders Club' would be formed at the district level by including the best 200 children from the Cycling Clubs in the CDS level. Riding Competitions would be conducted for them. They would be uplifted as 'Amateur Racers' by arranging riding opportunities for them inside and outside the state.

The activity of extending training to those including Balasabha Resource Persons in three phases has already been started under the leadership of the Kannur Cycling Club. The District also aims to extend the activities of Cycling Clubs to Kudumbashree Auxiliary Groups for young women as well.  It is expected  that the interested would come forward to become part of the Cycle Club.

Balasabha is the federation of students formed under the leadership of Kudumbashree. Acquiring knowledge through entertainment, developing leadership qualities, nurturing co-operative attitude, raising aptitude towards science, helping in  understanding democratic processes, ensuring participation in conserving the environment, and focusing on personality development of the students are some of the key aims of Balasabha. Children between 5 and 18 years of age can become members of Balasabha. As of now, there are 28,387 Balasabhas in Kerala, which has 3,95,401 students as members.  Various programmes are formulated and are being implemented at the State level and every district as their own to achieve the objectives.

Amidst the crisis of covid-19 pandemic, 47 DDU-GKY students are all set to go to Malaysia & Middle East after securing Foreign Placements through Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), the skill training programme jointly being implemented by the Central-State Governments in Kerala through Kudumbashree. They had completed their training in the same course, that too from the same training centre. It is a notable fact that, it is amidst the crisis of the covid-19 pandemic, that these much students have secured foreign placements. And now, the number of students who had secured foreign placements through the DDU-GKY programme being implemented through Kudumbashree has became 350. 

The students who had completed the Injection Molding Machine Operations Course from Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology (CIPET), the Central Government Institute at Palakkad has secured placements at Malaysia and Middle East Countries within two months. The Visas for them had already been issued. Sujeesh, Shihabudeen, Mubasheer, Jithesh K S, Muhammed Favas, Unnikrishnan, Sreenath K R, Jishnu Arakkingal, Sreerag K, Sanjay K V, Shahinsha, Sulthan Basheer, Samsad, Muhammed Shafi, Akshay M K, Afsal M A, Naseeb Rahman, Jishnu K, Muhammed Junaid K, Jagan C J, Sandeep, Sanal G P, Shyamjith, Arjun K K, Premjith, Jithin, Kamal Kumar, Rahul Krishnan, Junaid K, Jithil T T, Muhammed Yasin K, Vishnu K K, Abijith K K, Abhilal Abhayan, Abdul Hashim Sunaid, Christo Jose, Ijlal T I, Nimal Mohanan, Nitheesh K,  Shahil Siraj T P, Sharshad K, Ubaidh K K, Hareesh Murali, Muhammed Swalih VM, Mohammed Thamseed, Ibrahim M H and Shuhaib are the 47 students who had secured the foreign placements through DDU-GKY.  

The poor rural youth between 18 to 35 years of age is extended free skill training in various 26 sectors such as Tourism Hospitality, Electronics, Healthcare etc, through DDU-GKY. Those who have completed the courses as part of the programme has secured foreign placements in various foreign countries such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Spain.

'Kerala Chicken', the project conceptualized and launched by the Government of Kerala to ensure the market of good quality chicken at affordable rates all across the state is being a hit among the public. Kudumbashree was able to make a sales of Rs 50.20 crores until now through this project which was started during November 2017. Sales of around Rs 20 lakhs are recorded per day. More than 25 lakh chickens have already been sold out. The project is jointly being implemented by Kudumbashree and the Animal Husbandry Department.

The project is supervised by the Animal Husbandry Department. Kudumbashree implements two activities, viz., taking chicken to the market through integration farming and launching & running the processing units. Kudumbashree Broiler Farmers Producers Company Limited (KBFPCL) has been started for the same. In the initial phase, Kudumbashree did the activity of starting the farms and bringing the broiler chicken from these farms to the market. Later, from June 2020, onwards, specially branded, exclusive marketing outlets of Kerala Chicken were also started. Through these outlets, Broiler Chicken was made available in the brand, 'Kerala Chicken'.

As of now, 248 farms and 82 marketing outlets are functioning as part of the Kerala Chicken project, which is being implemented through Kudumbashree. The farms and marketing outlets are functioning in 6 districts viz., Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode. The matured broiler chicken is directly taken from the farms to the marketing outlets. Livelihood opportunities were opened for 330 families through these farms and marketing outlets. In the second phase, these activities would be extended to4 more districts viz., Palakkad, Malappuram, Kannur and Alappuzha. We are also making efforts to extend Kudumbashree's Kerala Chicken Project to the remaining 4 districts as well.