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Honey jack, a venture from Kothamangalam producing value added products from Jack fruit is being a big hit. A group of 5 youth from Kothamangalam municipality of Ernakulam district started an enterprise with the value addition of Jack fruit and branded the same. Launched on 1 January 2018, the unit is producing different products made out of Jack fruit and branded the product as Honey Jack. They are producing jack fruit Jam, jack fruit chips, jack fruit puttu powder, jack fruit avalosunda, jack fruit coffee powder, jack fruit chutney, jack fruit murukku, dry jack, jack fruit pickle, jack fruit pulp, ripe jack fruit vacuum fried chips etc. The unit is also making jack fruit pulps, passion fruit pulps, jack fruit juice, passion fruit juice, guava juice, mango juice, water melon juice, pineapple juice and grape juice, lime ginger squash, birds eye chilly squash, gooseberry- birds eye chilly mixed squash and nutmeg candy as well.

The team include 5 members. Jithesh P Cherian is the Chairman of the unit. Jaison Chacko, Georgekutty Peter, Anoop Manoharan and Jismon Joseph are the other members of the unit. The team wanted to launch an enterprise that was unique and has viability under NULM project. When they came to know about the NULM project, they approached the City Mission Management Unit (CMMU) and discussed their idea on value addition of Jack fruit. As a result, they attended the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) & skill from accredited agencies and submitted project before the task force.

Initially,the banks didn’t sanction loan for the group and later Indian Overseas Bank sanctioned Rs.10 lakhs as loan. They availed a shop on rent and started the unit. The unit participated in different food fests and Kudumbashree exhibitions which resulted in developing the brand name and able to generate more orders from outside the Urban Local Body. The unit is having an average sales of Rs 2.5 lakhs to 3.5 lakhs a month. The unit is marketing their products in 3 districts and is planning to conduct Jack fruit fest in the Urban Local Body to sensitize the various products that can be produced using Jack fruit. The unit is one of new enterprise model of the Urban Local Body. Jackfruit was designated state fruit by Government of Kerala in 2018.

Transgenders, who were considered outcast by the society till recently, is now coming to the forefront with the confidence in themselves. Nicy Chips, a first of its kind Micro Enterprise unit was launched by a group of transgenders from Aanakulam of Kannur district. Nicy Chips is the venture of Nanma NHG group. They are manufacturing and selling 5 different types of chips from banana, potato and are selling in the market. A start up fund of Rs 1 lakh was handed over to the team by Adv. A.N. Shamseer, MLA recently.

In the initial stage, the team started selling through home shops and because of the quality of the products they prepare, Nicy Chips are of high demand in the market. Even a few supermarkets have shown interest to sell Nicy Chips in their shops. Nicy Chips are also undertaking bulk orders as well. An average of 2,000 kg of Chips are sold in a month, even though the business is mainly done focusing on trade fairs inside and outside Kerala. The response they received while take part in the Trade fairs at Delhi, Maharashtra and Rajasthan are adding more confidence to them. Sandhya is the president and Sona is the Secretary of the Micro Enterprise unit. Sneha, Maya, Saumini, Aparna, Jasmine, Reema Satheeshan, Sanana and Laisa are the other members of the unit. On getting motivated from the Nicy Chips Micro enterprise unit, many more transgender groups have shown interest in launching such ventures. The team is planning to expand their venture and redesign the packing to gave their product more attractive look.

Safari Driving School of Malappuram cannot be considered a mere driving school. It bears the saga of a woman who dare to make a difference through her life. Smt.Rejina from Malappuram and her team are engaged in providing training to women who wanted to learn driving or to get driving as a means of livelihood. The concept of Women drivers or driving teachers was not at all acceptable in a district like Malappuram. It was during such a period that Smt. Rejina came forward boldly to start her driving school. The women were usually reluctant to get into the field due to the existing social conditions. Smt. Rejina came into the sector boldly availing linkage loan from Kudumbashree Mission. Her efforts soon became successful with the highlight that its a woman who had been teaching driving to other women. This made her driving school ‘Safari driving school’ even more famous.

Smt. Rejina teaches women to ride two-wheeler and four-wheeler and helps them in getting the license and thereby she helped women to acquire driving skill at affordable cost. She conceived the idea from the awareness session of City Mission Management Unit of NULM to utilize the linkage loan for income generation activity alongside personal consumption. She is proud that she has been able to provide training to 128 women so far and is earning Rs. 40,000 per month and is having the confidence to repay the amount within three years. She is also able to avail interest subsidy. Smt. Rejina is one of the best examples of women entrepreneurship as she chose a sector where many women were afraid to attempt.

Kudumbashree women from Pallipad, Karthikapally and Cheruthana Panchayaths of Alappuzha district are busy creating history by constructing the house of Life Mission in Pallipad Panchayath.  The construction is progressing in a fast pace. A beneficiary from Pallipad CDS earlier and a group of 32 women were given training with the help of Eksath training centre.

Kudumbashree Mission clubbed the construction for Life Mission and the construction training for the women together to reduce the cost of construction. The building blocks are availed from MGNREGA as free of cost. An amount of Rs 4 lakh is estimated cost of the house which would be released to the beneficiary in 4 stages. As the training and the construction of the house is clubbed, the labour cost for the same could be reduced. This is the first construction work took up by the Kudumbashree Women. 4 masons gave leadership for the construction training. Motivational training was also extended to them. Training was also given in brick making and ferroslabs making as well.

It is planned to build the Life Mission houses in each block in the same model. The construction of the house at Pallipad would be completed by next month. It is also planned to extend the same model to another panchayaths as well.  Thamarakkulam Panchayath is the next identified Panchayath in which the construction model would be replicated.

The Photo exhibition 'Kudumbashree @ 20' being set up at the Emerald Mall, Kozhikode charts the evolution of Kudumbashree Mission. Rare photographs, miniatures, sculptures, installations, timeline, video display and releases are on display at to mark the 20th anniversary of Kudumbashree Mission. Shri.T.P. Ramakrishnan, Minister for Labour and Excise, Government of Kerala inaugurated the exhibition on 17 May 2018. Only jute and wood is used at the installations and exhibits at the exhibition, which makes the exhibition an eco friendly one.

Organised by Kudumbashree State Mission in association with Kudumbashree National Resource Organization, the exhibition is becoming a new experience for the visitors.The exhibition features interesting photos and milestones of Kudumbashree Mission. A miniature of the Neighborhood Groups are also arranged at the Exhibition premises.

The Community Development Societies which were identified as the best CDSs in the state were felicitated by Dr. K.T Jaleel, Minister, Local Self Government Department, Government of Kerala during the 20th anniversary celebrations being held at Swapnanagari, Kozhikode on 17 May 2018. Pampadumpara CDS of Idukki became the first CDS in the state. Mararikulam North CDS of Alappuzha came second and Nadathara CDS of Thrissur became the third best CDS in the state. The CDS Chairpersons of the respective CDSs received the award on behalf of the CDSs.

8 other CDSs viz. Kavalangad CDS of Ernakulam for the convergence activities, Nedumkamdam CDS of Idukki for the activities in attaining food security, Chavakkad CDS of Thrissur for the importance given for improving the agriculture, Malayattoor CDS of Ernakulam for the activities in connection with Haritha Keralam, Kanjikuzhy CDS of Alappuzha for properly implementing the Haritha Keralam and Food security, Malayalappuzha CDS of Pathanamthitta for the successful implementation of pollution control activities, Alathur CDS of Palakkad for agriculture and Haritha Keralam, Kinaloor- Karinthalam of Palakkad for Agriculture, forestation were given special mention by the Jury. Smt. Mini Sukumar, Shri. Jayajeevan. N and Shri. Jayakumar. A were the Jury who selected the CDSs for the Award

Kudumbashree's AC waiting launch opened at Kozhikode railway station become a boon to many. It was with the aim of providing better passenger amenities for the public that Kudumbashree Mission has entered into the service sector of Railways. Kudumbashree has taken over the rest room at Kozhikode Railway station on 10 May 2018. 

Facilities like modern toilets, television sets, sanitary napkin vending machine and automatic ticket printing machine are already available at the lounge. Besides the existing facilities, additional features like feeding corner reading point, children’s play space and additional seating will also be arranged.Four women staff will be available in the lounge round the clock for providing the services. 

Tirur is the next station to come under the collaboration. The project has been implemented on a cost-sharing basis between Railways and the Kudumbashree Mission. Currently, Kudumbashree has presence in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam Junction, Ernakulam Town and Kollam railway stations. The pay-and-park facilities and vegetarian refreshment rooms at various stations in southern Kerala during Sabarimala season had evoked good response from everyone.

This is the story of a woman who turned her leisure time activity into livelihood with the help of Kudumbashree Mission. Through the Self Employment Programme Component of National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM), Remya founded out her strengths and found livelihood. Kudumbashree Mission is the nodal agency for implementing the centrally designed programme, National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) in Kerala.

For Smt. Remya, a 36 year old woman residing at Guruvayur Municipality, photography was just a leisure time activity. Remya is a graduate who was forced to discontinue her education after marriage and was merely engaged in raising her children. She spend her leisure time without using her skills and education in any form for the last 10 years. She was so worried about it and she wanted do something which utilizes her skills and knowledge. Her husband being a photographer by profession, Remya used her leisure time to learn photography from her husband. But without a new camera she was not even able to earn income as her own. She bought a new camera under NULM Self Employment Programme (SEP) Component. Now she is earning income as a freelance photographer. Apart from that, she also continued her education by attending Accounting course at Employment through Skill Training and Placment (ESTP) component of NULM. Now her eyes are sparkling with rays of hope of getting a job after this course. This lady was so excited about continuing her education and earning income, that too from her leisure time activity.

Self Employment Programme Component of NULM focus on financial assistance to individuals/groups of urban poor for setting up gainful self-employment ventures/ micro-enterprises, suited to their skills, training, aptitude and local conditions. The Employment through Skill Training & Placement(EST&P) programme provide skill training of the urban poor to enable them setting up self-employment ventures and for salaried jobs in the private sector. The EST&P Program intends to fill the gap between the demand and availability of local skills by providing skill training programs as required by the market. These two components changed her life positively by bridging the gap between her education and career. Here women empowerment joints hands with financial empowerment.