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Collegiate Education Department joins hands with Kudumbashree Mission offering job opportunities for Kudumbashree Women. The Kudumbashree women are entering into new horizons as the Collegiate Education Department, Government of Kerala entrusted Kudumbashree Mission for the house keeping, cooking and sanitation jobs in the Arts & Science colleges and hostels in Kerala. As per the order, 54 women across the state has got job opportunities.

It is during when the strength of non teaching staff at the Arts and Science colleges and hostels in the state was found inadequate, the Collegiate Education Department decided to entrust the Kudumbashree Women for the same. Government of Kerala has issued order advising the Principals of the Colleges to sign MoU with the concerned District Mission Coordinators for assigning the house keeping, cooking and sanitation works at the Colleges and hostels. As per the MoU, Kudumbashree will provide the units for meeting the needs of the colleges as per the request from the principals. Uniform and ID card would be provided and the quality of their work would b ensured by Kudumbashree through CDS and respective Assistant District Mission Coordinators. The Colleges would provide the space for the units and also arrange the rest room and sanitation facilities for the unit members as well. The cleaning equipment, cleaning materials and other utensils would also be supplied by the college.

Government Model Hostel, Attingal and Government College from Thiruvannathapuram, Kollam Government College and BJM Government College from Kollam, Government Polytechnic from Kottayam, Government College, Kattappana from Idukki, Maharajas College and Law College from Ernakulam, Government Arts College, Kuzhinjapara from Palakkad, PMGC , Chalakkudy from Thrissur, Thunchan Memorial Government College and Mankada Arts and Science College from Malappuram, Manathavady Government College from Wayanad, Manjeswaram Govinda Pai College and EKNayanar Memorial Govt College, Elerithatt from Kasargode are the identified colleges.

Kudumbashree women units from the respective districts would be identified for the same. The lack of non staff teaching in the colleges and hostels were creating inconvenience for the students and it was a solution to this issue, that the Government issued the order. Cleaning staff, sanitation worker, sweeper, night watch man,cook, house keeping, hostel cook, lab attender, security and matron are posts on which the job opportunities are offered for the Kudumbashree Women.

By issuing Identity cards Kerala became the first state in the country to ensure the proper inclusion of street vendors in the society. For rehabilitating the street vendors in a proper and effective way new programmes are to be implemented. And as a part of this it was decided to extend skill training to selected 1000 street food vendors. The training programme is being conducted as part of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). It has been designed to provide RPL training to 1000 street vendors this year.During the first phase 200 street vendors from 10 Urban local Bodies would be trained.

The training of the first batch was started at Kottayam District on 20 June 2018. Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS), the pioneer institute for tourism and hospitality in Kerala would extend 12 hour training to street vendors in Urban Local Bodies of the state under National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) Scheme. In the proposed training programme the participants will be exposed to the aspects such as food safety & hygiene, procurement of quality raw material, food contamination (physical, chemical and microbial), high risk foods, cross contamination, importance of safe food, quality of water/ice to be used, cleaning sanitation of utensils, effective waste/garbage disposal, table manners and etiquette, customer relation practices and basics of food safety laws.

On successful completion of the training, Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) will issue certificate to the participants. A hand book would also be issued for quick reference along with participation certificate. Prevent outbreaks of food/water-borne diseases from street food vending units, reduce the chances of spoilage of food, ensure quality of street food and health of the customers, effective waste management system for food vending units, understand basic table etiquette, customer handling techniques and enhance business potential of street food vending units, create basic understanding about the food safety laws, rules and regulations among street food vendors, brand the street food vendors in Kerala under a single brand- Kudumbashree etc are the proposed benefits of the training programme.

A large number of street food outlets are functioning across 93 urban pockets in the state. Local flavors are being served at such roadside outlets at cheapest prices. Food borne illnesses of microbial origin are major health problem associated with such street foods and its major causes are lack of proper knowledge in safe food handling, lack of clean environment, sanitation and hygiene, mode of food display, food service, hand washing, sources of raw materials, and use of potable water. If adequate measures are followed it can be prevented. It is highly imperative to give basic exposure to street food vendors about food safety & hygiene, effective waste disposal, table manners & etiquette, customer relation practices and laws, rules & regulations for food safety. It was on the realization of the prevailing situation that the training was planned.

DDU-GKY candidate from Idukki district received the highest salary ever in the placement history of DDU-GKY Kerala. It is Shri. Akhil Babu, 4th batch candidate of ITES trade at Idukki Centre who made this hilarious achievement. Hailing from Kannur, with the qualification of Plus Two, Akhil joined the Idukki Centre of DDU-GKY. Quess Corp was the Project Implementing Agency in which he attended the training. After the successful completion of the course, he joined Eureka Forbes Limited, Kottayam as customer sales specialist (vacuum cleaner) with basic salary of Rs. 8,000/- during November 2017. While he joined, he had to face high competitions from the antagonists. With his sheer confidence in himself and hard working he overcame them and made a milestone in his career life by receiving an additional incentive of Rs. 1,08,757/-. He sold more than 140 products so he got selected as a silver club member in the company. Now he is confident to move forward to achieve the goals. He is grateful towards DDU-GKY for placing him in such a position in which he could excel his best.

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. Kudumbashree SRLM is planning to give skill training to 30,000 rural youth during 2018-2019.

Adding the third canteen on to the list, Kudumbashree Kannur District Mission have been now running three canteens at various campuses of Kannur University. A new Kudumbashree Canteen unit was opened at Mangattuparamb Campus of Kannur University recently. Smt. E.P Omana, President, Kalliasseri Grama Panchayath inaugurated the canteen unit on 18 June 2018.

One canteen had been working in the main campus of Kannur University at Thavakkara from February 2018 and later from May 2018 onwards yet another canteen started working at the Thalassery Campus at Palayad.

Kudumbashree Cafeshree is providing healthy meals and have completely avoided artificial colours and other artificial taste makers. Meals, tea and snacks are made available at the canteen at reasonable rates. Only trained members are working in these canteen units. So far more than 30 enterprises in catering-hotel sectors has been working under Kudumbashree. To make avail the students and public, non adulterated food is the main aim of the canteen units. It also aims at developing a healthy food culture among the students and public thereby inspiring them to live in touch with the nature.

During this Onam season, a Mall for women by women would be opened in the State. Kudumbashree Mahila Mall, the exclusive mall for women would be launched by Kudumbashree Mission of Kozhikode soon. Kudumbashree Mahila Mall is the  project by the Kozhikode Corporation Kudumbashree, in association with the Kozhikode District Kudumbashree Mission. The mall located at the heart of the city on Wayanad Road would be launched during August 2018. 

The Mall is the initiative of 10 women of unity group under Corporation Kudumbashree CDS. Kudumbashree Mahila Mall would be an opportunity for the women entrepreneurs of Kudumbashree to market their products. With five floors spread over 36,000 sq ft in 54 cent plot, the project would have 60 shops which would give jobs directly and indirectly to at least 300 women. Preference would be given to Kudumbashree workers and space for women’s societies and private ventures. Women would take care of the mall management and the administration. All the staff  of the mall shall be women. The mall will house all kinds of enterprises such as supermarket, food court, kids park, spa, beauty parlour, women’s bank, fancy stores, textiles and readymades, boutiques, footwear, dry cleaning, car washing, opticals, handicrafts, baby care, home appliances and book stall. Besides, there will be conference rooms, training centres and underground car parking facility. A Food  court  would be set up at the roof top which would cater ethnic food items. 

Smt. K Beena, former CDS President, Smt. K. Vijaya, President, Technoworld, and Shri. M.V Ramzi Ismail, Project officer, Corporation Kudumbashree would be the President, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Mall. The booking for the shops at the mall is progressing. In addition to the trade fairs and temporary markets,there was the need for a more permanent arrangement so everyone would get a market. Mahila Mall would be launched as a solution to that. Through Mahila Mall, Kudumbashree is about to give all Kudumbashree women under one roof.

As part of the field visit, the members of the Fifteenth Finance Commission of India visited the Sreesailam Nutrimix Unit, located at Koratty of Thrissur District. It is as the part of the evaluation of the development programmes being implemented in the state, that the finance commission visited the Nutrimix unit. Sreesailam Nutrimix Unit had already been evaluated as the best example of women empowerment activities being implemented. The unit which was started 10 years ago is now producing 1800 tonnes of Nutrimix per month. After analyzing the working of the unit, the finance commission envisions to include the same as a model project in the finance planning programme.

The finance commission included Shri. Aravind Mehta, Secretary, Finance Commission, Shri. Mukhmeet Singh Bhatia, Joint Secretary, Finance Commission, Shri. Antony Cyriac, Economic Adviser, Shri. Bharat Bhushan Garg, OSD Director, Shri. A.S Parmar, Joint Director, Shri. Adithi Pathak, Deputy Director, Shri. Mahesh Kumar, Shri. Pramod Kumar and Shri. Gopalakrishnan ( Assistant Directors). Dr. A Kaushigan,District Collector, Thrissur, Shri. Joy Ilamon, Director, KILA, Shri. S. Harikishore, Executive Director, Kudumbashree Mission and Shri. K.V Jyothish Kumar, District Mission coordinator, Thrissur also accompanied the team. The Finance commission also appreciated the activities of Green Army of Wadakkancherry.

Amrutham Nutrimix is the food supplement provided to the children of the age group of 6 months to 3 years. It comes in 500 grams packet. Wheat, Soya Chunks, Bengal gram, Groundnut and Sugar are the basic ingredients . From 2006 onwards Kudumbashree is collaborating with the Social Welfare Department for the supply of Take Home Ration for Supplementary Nutrition to the 33000 ‘Anganwadis’ in the State. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) provides the Supplementary Nutrition for children in the form of Take Home Ration (THR).An average of 1300 metric tones of Nutrimix are distributed through the Anganavadis every month The Nutrimix powder was developed as per the directions of Integrated Child Development Services Programme. Nutrimix has enabled thousands of rural women to manufacture and supply the nutritional supplement to their children all across the state to reach out to the children who are suffering from the issues of malnutrition.