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An International Training Programme on ‘Entrepreneurship Development among Rural Women’ is being organized at Thiruvananthapuram from 6- 20 November 2018.The inauguration of the programme was conducted by Shri.S.Harikishore IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree Mission at Mascot Hotel Thiruvananthapuram on 6 November 2018. The special address was delivered by Dr Mahantesh Shirur, Deputy Director, Agriculture MANAGE and Dr Ravi Nandi Programme Manager, FTF ITT MANAGE. 

On inaugurating the programme, he spoke about poverty in Kerala and how poverty is being addressed through the large network of rural women of Kudumbashree, Kerala. He also highlighted on the various livelihood initiates being undertaken by the women and the impact in their lives.  He encouraged the participants to learn from the experience of Kudumbashree and contextualise in their own Countries.

The training Programme is organised by Kudumbashree Mission in association with National Institute of Agriculture Extension Management, Hyderabad (MANAGE). 

USAID and Ministry of External Affairs, Goverment of India designed a program named as Feed the Future India Triangular Training (FTF ITT) Program which was launched on 25 July 2016 at New Delhi. During the program period until 2020, a total of 1400 Agricultural professionals from 17 partner countries of Africa and Asia will be trained. The program will conduct 32, fifteen days duration training courses (excluding travel period) at select Indian institutions for 25 participants in each programme, and twelve, 10 days duration trainings (excluding travel period), in selected partner countries in Africa and Asia, for up to 50 participants per programme.

This approach is designed to respond to the needs of target Countries based on the Demand Analysis carried out at the beginning of this program. National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, India, an autonomous organization under ministry of Agriculture and farmers welfare, Government of India has been designated as lead Institution for implementation of the program.

Kudumbashree has been identified as one of the training partners for their expertise in Entrepreneurship of rural women.  During the year 2017 and 2018, three training programme under Feed the Future (FTF) was successfully conducted by Kudumbashree. The programme is being attended by six countries and 26 participants.

The details of this is being given below.

Kudumbasree Wayanad District Mission took a new initiative in women empowerment programme called 'Women Grama Sabha', which was conducted as a joint venture with Meppadi Grama Panchayath of Wayanad District. Women Grama Sabha was organized as an initiative of the Gender Resource Center. About 300 women from the village participated in the program. Special attention was given to the venture as part of the new Project Planning of Local Self Government Department (2019-20). Participation of housewives and NHG members were ensured in the program. Shri. Sahad, Panchayath President, Meppadi Grama Panchayath inaugurated the program.

Discussions were held on development activities, strategies and tactics to be used in the development process of the panchayath. Elected ward Counselors had actively participated in the program and discussed about the issues related with each ward and developmental plans. Acute observations and analysis were made and a lot of innovative plans were noticed. The participants were divided into 10 groups and discussions were held on various subjects and a leader elected from each group were made a presentation based on the discussions. The Women Gramasabha seemed to be a reflection that, how the Kudumbashree initiatives made changes in the Society.

'My ME' State Level Workshop was conducted at Kites Training Centre, Pongumoodu,Thiruvananthapuram on 30 October 2018. “My ME” project envisaged the adoption of one micro enterprise by one program manager, as a part of “Year of Micro Enterprises” Campaign. A total of 400 employees took My ME project out of which 87 people made real difference in the ME Sector and also presented in the District Level Workshop and each district selected one person from the pool and nominated for State Level Workshop. The nominated employees presented their projects and the Best Performers in the State Level were selected.

Shri. UnniKrishnan, District Programme Manager, SVEP, Pathanamthitta came in the first place. Shri. Binish Sebastian, District Programme Manager, DDUGKY, Kottayam came second and Shri. Gireesh Kumar.T, Assistant District Mission Co-ordinator, Kozhikode and Shri. Nabeel, Block Coordinator, Malappuram came in third place. Shri. Monish Mohan, Block Coordinator, Kasargod received Special Jury Mention. Shri. Jagjeevan. N, Consultant, Haritha Kerala Mission and Shri. Dathan. C.S, Programme Officer,Agriculture, Kudumbashree Mission were the jury who selected the Best Performers who made a real difference to the production, marketing and profit of the Micro Enterprises.

The tastes and ethnic cuisines of Kudumbashree women will also mark the crease in the 5th One day International between India and West Indies match at Kariyavattom Green Field Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram. The One Day International which is scheduled to be conducted on 1 November 2018 will be characterized not just as the match between the titans of cricket but also as the match between the mouth watering ethnic dishes catered by Cafe Kudumbashree units. 

The stands of the Green Field stadium will experience both the intense battle at the pitch and also the tasty dishes delivered hot, spicy and tasty from Kudumbashree women. 11 Cafe Kudumbashree units across Thiruvananthapuram will cater ethnic dishes ranging from tea, snacks to spicy biriyani and pathiri with juicy yet tasty curries of Thiruvananthapuram delicacies.These units are brought under the banner of delicacies of Ananthapuri by the Kudumbashree Thiruvananthapuram District Mission. 

Kudumbashree was also present among the stands as the official food partner of the match last year when India faced New Zealand in the first ever T20 match hosted at Kariyavattom Green Field Stadium. While India registered a convincing victory over New Zealand, there was also these culinary experts of Kudumbashree registering over Rs. 3.5 lakhs sales and also the hearts of fans who came cheering for India and the greater game of cricket.

It's time to cheer for India and also for these Kudumbashree women who are going to script another saga of taste and quality food just like Kohli structures his perfect straight drive! Come on India! Come on Kudumbashree !

'Harithajeevanam'- the state wide street play campaign for the publicity of Organic Farming are progressing in various districts across the state. The Street Play is visualized and presented by Rangashree, the community theater group of Kudumbashree Mission. The ultimate aim of the campaign is to aware the society about the importance and benefits of the organic farming as well as the harmful side effects of the farming using chemical fertilizers. The use of chemical fertilizers may lead to atmospheric pollution, climate change and also different diseases like cancer.

Organic Agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic Agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved.

Organic farming is the method of cultivation which helps to keep the land live and healthy using organic/ biological manures. It also involves the ecologically balanced agricultural principles like crop rotation, green manure, organic waste, biological pest control, mineral and rock additives. Rangashree team is visualizing the street play at 168 venues throughout Kerala, 12 street plays at each district during15-30 October 2018. The campaign has attracted a great mass of population.

“Organic agriculture combined tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved……”

Balasabha Children from Kollam are active in extending services converging with Snehitha Gender Help Desk. The Balasabha children has become the part of the house visit of 'Snehitha Calling Bell programme', an initiative to help elderly people living alone in homes.The children are active in visiting the real beneficiaries of the programme in their respective localities, in a way are helping the Snehitha Gender Help Desk. On visiting the lonely elderly people, the children are communicating with them as well.

As per the statistics, 1255 people had been identified as beneficiaries for 'Snehitha Calling Bell Programme in Kollam District. Out of the 1255 beneficiaries, the Balasabha children have already visited 358 beneficiaries. It was found that the visit of the children had evoked a sense of self confidence among the beneficiaries.The home visits to the houses of the lonely elderly people are ongoing in the district. The Snehitha Calling Bell Programme envisions social integration of senior citizens who lead an isolated life in their homes by connecting them with NHG groups and gradually integrating them with the society by visiting and speaking to them.

A legal clinic had started functioning at Snehitha Gender Help Desk of Palakkad District with the help of District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to spread its services to the grass root level of society and to ensure that everyone should have access to legal awareness and justice regardless of their income for those who cannot afford them.Snehitha Legal Cinic had started working from September 2018.

Snehitha Legal Clinic would offer the needy to avail all help and support from the other Government Services and to empower people to achieve inclusion, independence and justice by providing free, quality representation to overcome legal obstacles and other problems under umbrella.  

Legal assistance would be given to the clients by a woman advocate on every wednesdays during 2 PM to 5 PM. The woman advocate would help them to overcome legal issues by giving legal advice and legal service. Snehitha will contact the clients who need legal assistance, those who already registered a case in Snehitha and link them with the advocate and follow up through District Legal Services Authority (DLSA).

Sanjeevani Agri Therapy, the innovative programme launched by Kudumbashree Mission at its BUDS and BRC institutions across the state are working wonders among the mentally challenged children. As, physical, mental happiness and exercises are very much needed for the persons with disability for bringing out the inherent talents within the mentally challenged children, Kudumbashree Mission tried different models through which the children can be active, motivated and productive. Different districts came up with different initiatives for the same. Training the BRC beneficiaries in livelihood activities to generate some income was the motive behind the activities of all districts in their initiatives. All the districts practiced different activities to make the children motivated. During that time Malappuram and Thiruvananthapuram districts introduced Agri therapy in the BUDS institutions. The district initiative of Malappuram District was named as ‘Thalir’ and the district initiative of Thiruvananthapuram was named as ‘Jaiva Mukulam’.

As this programme received much acceptance from the children and the society, Kudumbashree State Mission decided to extend Agri therapy to all the BUDS institutions in 2018 and named it as “Sanjeevani”. As soon after the introduction of the programme, all the institutions came forward with enthusiasm to start Sanjeevani. All the Local Self Government Institutions provided 2 cents land for the children to cultivate vegetables. In the Sanjeevani programme, Ernakulam District made a step forward by finding one and half acre land for the children to involve in the Agri therapy. The Agri-therapy programme envisages at the mental and physical development of the individuals at BUDS and BRC through vegetable cultivation. In this project a minimum of 2 cents of land would be used for cultivation by the students. These lands can be either the school premises itself or adjoining lands used by the Joint Liability Groups (JLGs). A training session (to cover the supply of inputs) to school was done at the rate of 5000 per school. A master was assigned the duty of managing the plot, he who would visit the plot each week and guide the students. The BUDS institutions are cultivating vegetables like peas, ladies finger, spinach, brinjal, green chilli and tomato. A total of 144 schools are practicing Agri Therapy in 345 cents of land across the state.

Horticultural therapy is a time-proven practice and now it is accepted as a beneficial and effective therapeutic modality. It is widely used within a broad range of rehabilitative, vocational, and community settings. Horticultural therapy techniques are employed to assist participants to learn new skills or regain those that are lost. Horticultural therapy helps improve memory, cognitive abilities, task initiation, language skills, and socialization. In physical rehabilitation, horticultural therapy can help strengthen muscles and improve coordination, balance, and endurance. In vocational horticultural therapy settings, people learn to work independently, problem solve, and follow directions. BUDS Schools are free and open special schools for mentally challenged children of poor families, owned and managed by the Local Self Government Institutions under the support and guidance of Kudumbashree Mission and the community structure. Whereas, BUDS Rehabilitation Centres (BRCs) are day care centres for mentally challenged persons which are intended to fill a gap in the State’s existing system for providing care to the mentally challenged that caters only to persons up to 18 years of age. BRCs are meant for those who have already undergone special education through BUDS Schools or other centres. However, centres are also open to mentally challenged children who are unable to attend schools. BRCs are meant to train and support persons with special needs for equipping them with skills that make them employable. There are 114 BRCs and 88 BUDS Schools in Kerala which make a total of 202 BUDS institutions in Kerala.