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.

Kudumbashree Mission's Contributions for replicating the Kudumbashree Model of poverty alleviation in Azerbaijan has been felicitated by the Government of Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijan Rural Women's Association, the apex body of the Women Development and Enterprise Groups set up under the project had won an award from Government of Azerbaijan for their work. It was during that occasion the contributions of Kudumbashree Mission was mentioned.

As part of adapting Kudumbashree model in Azerbaijan and for conducting a scoping study, officials from Kudumbashree Mission had visited Azerbaijan during March 2018. And later, the second phase training was also extended during September 2018. The training was extended under the leadership of Kudumbashree NRO which was recognized by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India, to provide support to other States in their poverty eradication efforts. Government of Azerbaijan had shown interest on Kudumbashree's organisational structure as well as in Micro Enterprises ad vulnerability studies and had approached Kudumbashree Mission during October 2017.

The training for forming women's groups in Neighborhood group model in connection with the Azerbaijan Rural Investment Project (AZRIP) was extended during the first phase. Training was given for the AZIRP officials for conducting activities related to micro savings and for keeping the cash accounts. Along with the AZIRP officials, Kudumbashree officials visited different centres in Azerbaijan and had given training classes. Based on the first phase training women groups had already been started in Azerbaijan. In the second phase, training was extended for giving loans on the micro savings section and for starting micro enterprises in the livelihood development section.

DDU-GKY- Kerala SRLM has secured abroad job placement for a fully blind candidate from Malappuram district of Kerala. It is Mr. Ismayil Saidalavi , PwD candidate hailing from Pallikal village of Malappuram district of Kerala, who secured a well paid job at a reputed company in Abudhabi, United Arab Emirates as tele calling executive with a salary of Rs 40,000. The candidate was trained by Samarthanam Trust for the disabled in BPO Non-voice and BPO Voice courses. This is the first ever abroad placement of a fully blind candidate from Kerala.

It was at his peak of the career that Ismayil lost his eye sight. He went totally blank about his career and future life as he was married and had a family to look after. Ismayil lost his job and was in dilemma about the future. He came to know about DDU-GKY Skilling training at Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled at Kakkanad through Kudumbahshree Mission and got enrolled to the training. Ismayil underwent a rigorous training on BPO, communication skills and IT, during the course of the training Ismayil regained his confidence and prepared himself for better career opportunities. Ismayil managed to clear the interview arranged by Samarthanam placement team at AIMS training center, UAE with approx Rs. 40,000/- monthly salary as telesales executive. For Ismayil it is like dream come true and he is very much glad for the opportunity he received.

It is as part of the inclusion of all under DDU-GKY, Kudumbashree has encouraged setting up of exclusive PwD (Persons with Disabilities) centres and as a result two exclusive PwD projects were commenced. Rajagiri College of Social Sciences and Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, were given approvals to commence projects at Kochi, as per the Standard Framework for PwD with target of 150 and 500 respectively. The Rajagiri College had commenced courses viz Book Binder, Front Office Associate and Housekeeping Attendant at the centre whereas the Samarthanam Trust commenced BPO Non- voice and BPO Voice courses for the PwD candidates.

Kudumbashree Mission joins hands with Bank of India for providing loans to 5000 families as per the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) of PMAY before March 2020. The MoU regarding the same was signed between Shri. S. Harikishore IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree Mission and Shri. V. Mahesh Kumar, Kerala Zonal Manager, Bank of India at Kudumbashree State Mission office on 21 June 2019. Kudumbashree Mission had already associated with Axis Bank for CLSS. As per this, 9436 families from 93 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Kerala had already been issued bank loan.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) is an initiative by Government of India in which affordable housing will be provided to the urban poor by 2022. CLSS can be called as interest subsidy scheme under PMAY that is given to people for home construction, purchase, extension and improvement. Those who are permanently living in any urban areas in Kerala continuously for three years and those who do not have permanent houses can only apply for CLSS. As per this scheme, those families who have annual income upto Rs 3 lakhs (Economically Weaker Section) will get bank loan upto Rs 6 lakhs with interest subsidy of 6.5%. Those families who have Rs 3 lakhs- Rs 6 lakhs as annual income ( Low Income Group) will get bank loan in the same rate. Families with annual income of Rs 6 lakhs- RS 12 lakhs (Middle Income Group 1) may get bank loan upto Rs 9 lakhs with interest subsidy of 4%.Families of annual income of Rs 12-18 lakhs (Middle Income Group 2) may get bank loan upto Rs 12 lakhs with interest subsidy of 3 %.The repayment tenure of all banks would be 20 years.

Smt. Roshni Pillai, Smt. M Bhavana and Shri.Pradeep, State Programme Managers, PMAY and Shri. R. Rajesh, Area Manager- Thiruvananthapuram, Bank of India also attended the function. Kudumbashree Mission is the nodal agency of PMAY (U) in Kerala.

Kudumbashree Mission launched the second phase of DDU-GKY and signed MoU with new PIAs at the programme held at Harmony Hall, Mascot Hotel, Thiruvananthapuram on 20 June 2019. Shri. S. Harikishore IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree Mission inaugurated the programme, launched the Phase 2 of DDU-GKY and signed MoU with the new Project Implementing Agencies. Kudumbashree Mission had signed MoU with 27 New Project Implementing  Agencies of DDU-GKY. The second phase of DDU-GKY will be from 2019-2022. During this period training would be extended to 80,000 candidates. Rs 800 crores is allotted for the same. Now the target is given to the PIAs for extending skill training to 8810 candidates. The Awards conferred to the Project Implementing Agencies were also given away at the function.

The convergence model of DDU-GKY with Micro Enterprise units (uniform stitching and canteen operation) was recommended as a national model by Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to all the Programme implementation states. Asraya Beneficiaries (destitute), differently abled, tribal communities were given thrust while implementing the programme. In the first phase a target of training 51,200 rural youth was awarded to the state and based on the better performance and additional 20,000 target was awarded thus taking the total target to 71,200. The entire target of 71,200 was allocated to Project Implementing Agencies out of which 52,350 were given training and  42,352 have completed the course and 32,498 were given wage employment.

DDU-GKY, the skill training and placement programme under the Ministry of Rural Development ( MoRD) occupies a unique position amongst the other skill training programmes due to its focus to the poor rural youth and its emphasis on sustainable employment through the prominence and incentives given to post placement tracking, retention and career progression. DDU-GKY Kerala had received the national award for being the second best state nodal agency for implementing DDU-GKY programme during 2017-18 and had also bagged the national award for being the third best state nodal agency for implementing DDU-GKY programme during 2016-17 as well. 

DDU-GKY is being implemented in Kerala starting from 2015. Training is given to the candidates of 18-35 age group. Women, Persons With Disabilities, PGVT are given age concession upto 45 years. Backward communities are given 60% reservation and women are given 33% reservation. The training, accommodation, food and study materials are given to the candidates free of cost. Training is being extended in 126 courses of 32 sectors. The courses ranges from Accounting, Animation upto Air Hostess training. Those who complete the courses of  3 months to one year duration would be given National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) certificates and and Sector Skills Councils (SSC) Certificate. There are about 150 training centres functioning all across the state. Kaushal Panjee App or Skill Register App is also set up to rural youth,through which the candidate can register free of cost and be connected to training partners and banks working in collaboration with the Ministry of Rural Development. Apart from this, Migration Support Centres are functioning in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam districts as well.

The Project Implementing Agencies viz., Malankara Social Services Society, Appollo Med Skills, Rajagiri School of Social Sciences, PSN, KITES Softwares Private Limited, Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Kitex Childrens Wear Private Limited and MSM ITI were given awards for their best performance awards. Shri. S. Harikishore IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree briefed about the DDU-GKY programme implemented in Kerala. Shri. Shibu N.P, State Programme Manager, Kudumbashree Mission welcomed the gathering and Dr. K.R Shaiju, District Mission Coordinator, Kudumbashree Thiruvananthapuram District Mission extended Vote of Thanks.

SN Trust, DDU-GKY's Project Implementing Agency (PIA) from Kasaragod district secured 100% placement in the first batch training. The 70 students who had completed Food and Beverages Course, the basic course of Hotel Management in SN Trust had secured placement in famous hotels like  Oryx Village, Kanhangad, Kasaragod, Bungalow 47, Kanhangad, Kasaragod, The Raviz (Kadavu Resort), Calicut, Randhal Restaurant, The Raviz Hotel,  Hotel Woodies Bleisure,Calicut, Hotel Dhe Puttu, Park Residency, Harishree International, Juju Hotel and Hotel Vyshak International. The students were placed with a minimum monthly salary ranging from Rs.7000-Rs 12000. Hospitality Management and Accounting were the courses offered at SN Trust.

The candidates were trained in two batches with 35 candidates each respectively.

DDU-GKY, the skill training and placement programme under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) occupies a unique position amongst the other skill training programmes due to its focus to the poor rural youth and its emphasis on sustainable employment through the prominence and incentives given to post placement tracking, retention and career progression. DDU-GKY Kerala had received the national award for being the second best state nodal agency for implementing DDU-GKY programme during 2017-18 and had also bagged the national award for being the third best state nodal agency for implementing DDU-GKY programme during 2016-17 as well.

Along with the products listed from the different Kudumbashree micro enterprises in Kerala, Kudumbashree Bazaar, the E-commerce portal launched to sell out the Kudumbashree products enlisted 'services' icon in the website. Services like catering, daycare, matrimony, event management, dance school and ladies hostel are listed in the Kudumbashree Bazaar website. Just alike buying the products of  Kudumbashree Mission, the customers may avail the Kudumbashree services as well. Under every services, the detailed description of the service micro enterprise units are given. Under the profile of each service micro enterprise unit, the option for registration and login is also provided for the customers to pre-book the same. The photos of every units are also included in Kudumbashree's E-Commerce portal. The process of adding more number of service micro enterprise units are progressing.

Kudumbashree Bazaar, the E-commerce portal  was launched by Dr. K.T Jaleel, the then Minister of Local Self Government Department, Government of Kerala on 21 February 2018. In the first phase, different products of 250 micro entrepreneurs were added in the website for sale. Later products of more micro enterprises were added .Quality products from Kudumbashree are now timely delivered to the customers from different parts of the country and thereby the acceptance for the Kudumbashree products had been increased. 

Snehitha Gender Help Desk got the approval of Government of Kerala as a 24 hour working institution to provide care and support to women and children who are in distress. It is as per the Government order- G.O (M.S) No.56/2019/LSGD dt. 31/05/2019 that Snehitha Gender Help Desk has got Government approval. Snehitha had been making remarkable interventions and had been supporting women and children in distress and was also extending legal aid, emotional and social support as well. It is as per the request of the Executive Director of Kudumbashree Mission that Snehitha Gender Help Desk has now got Government approval.

Snehitha is a 24 hours working gender help desk. It is a district level centre set up to support and guide the women who are in need  or distress. Snehitha provides short stay and counseling facilities to the needy as well. Kudumbashree Mission established three Snehitha Gender Help Desks in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Malappuram districts of Kerala during September 2013. Snehitha gender help desks were started in all the 14 districts of Kerala since October 2017. As the name implies, Snehitha is being a ‘Female Friend’ to as many women and children who are in distress. Snehitha provides immediate help, shelter, counseling, motivation and legal assistance to the victims of violence. Snehitha provide short term shelter, with a view to protect and rehabilitate those women and children who are facing social, economic, and emotional problems due to family problems, mental strains, social exclusion, exploitation or other causes or are being forced into prostitution, widows, persecuted women and destitute women who had thrown out of from their families. It works to avail support and help to the shield less women in society. 

The main aim of the center is to provide help and support to those women and children who are in distress and provide voice for their issues and concerns, also to prevent, protect and prevail over domestic violence through advocacy, empowerment and social change. Snehitha are providing shelter to many women and children who have no one to protect and are living in insecure circumstances and who were rescued from the verge of committing suicide. The Help Desk is working on the principle of convergence, which is followed by a close interface and collaboration with different government, non- governmental organizations working in the relevant and related field. Snehitha also looks to enhance the socio-economic status of young, underprivileged women by empowering them with self-confidence and the required skills to enable them to become independent and contribute to family and society. Snehitha helps its beneficiaries in getting livelihood support and assistance for opportunities. Snehitha also coordinates various outreach activities in schools and other institutions. 

Kudumbashree Mission, with its strong networking structure can ensure the proper and timely implementation of the law and can protect the interest of the affected by working in collaboration with the service providers. Snehitha consist 11 staffs and all of them are women. There are two counselors, five service providers, one office assistant, two securities and one care taker in every Snehitha Gender Help Desk. As of now, 18,145 cases were reported in Snehitha out of which 9842 cases were reported over phone. Legal aid was extended to them with the assistance of Kerala Legal Services Society. Short stay service had been extended ti 3778 women and children so far.