Kudumbashree Mission celebrated International Rural Women's Day. Different CDSs in the state celebrated International Rural Women's Day organizing various programmes. Awareness classes, felicitations for the women who have proved their strengths in various sectors etc were organised in connection with this. The United Nations has dedicated October 15 as the International Day of Rural Women. Starting from agriculture to food security, nutrition, land and natural resource management, domestic care and work, rural women are at the forefront and are taking charge. 'Rural Women and Girls Building Climate Resistance' is the theme for this year.

Kudumbashree Kannur District Mission organised Moovandan Fest in the district. The programme aimed at producing value added products from mango, ensure better market for it, which would help the Joint Liability Group members and other agro entrepreneurs earn better income of their own. The Mango fest was organised at Thaliparambu Town Square, Kannur. 

The programme was organised by collecting mangoes from the Kuttyatoor CDS, Mayyil CDS, Malappattam CDS, Ulikkal CDS, Udayagiri CDS, Pariyaram CDS, Thaliparamba CDS, Cherupuzha CDS, Eramam Kuttoor CDS, Payyanur CDS, Ezhom CDS,  Kannapuram CDS and Cherukunnu CDS.  More than 70 value added products were produced viz., Mango Halwa, Mango Ice, Mango Dosa, Mango Samosa, Mango Masala, Mango Sauce, Mango Idli, Mango Chappathi, Mango Cake, Raw Mango Juice etc. In addition to this, Women Agro Meet, Agro Seminar, Open Agro Quiz, poetry competition for Balasabha students and District Mission officials were also conducted. By organising Mango Fest, they could help the women find a better market for their agro products.

Kudumbashree's international partnership with Azerbaijan is making fruitful results. During 2017, Azerbaijan Rural Investment Project (AZRIP) team visited India to study various models of livelihood promotion for women groups as they wanted to start a pilot project of ‘women’s activity group formation’ for inclusive economic empowerment. After ascertaining that the ‘Kudumbashree model’ of livelihood promotion and women empowerment has the larger scope of convergence in their country, they invited Kudumbashree Mission to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan Rural Investment Project (AZRIP) is a world bank supported project being implemented in Azerbaijan from 2005 (in various phases). The project aims at developing the basic infrastructure in the rural areas. Further project envisages development of economic activities and livelihood programmes.

Shri. Sebastian Molineus, Regional Director, World Bank had shared a note through his twitter handle after visiting Massaly of Azerbaijan which itself could be considered a measure of the success of the project. (Twitter Post)

During 2018, a four member team from Kudumbashree went to Azerbaijan for the initial scoping study and to provide a 10 day training. Kudumbashree aimed at training the master trainees of AZRIP project, who in turn will train the interested women entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan. Kudumbashree's team visited different places in Azerbaijan including Separadi in Massaly, Chakrili in Lankaran and Gysa in Balakan and understood the field reality and needs and framed the training as per requirement. The master trainee team were given classes on ‘Kudumbashree Model’, Neighbourhood groups, activity groups, livelihood promotion methods and on women empowerment activities. 16 people including the community mobilisers of AZRIP project and livelihood specialists took part in the workshop as master trainees. During the time of initial training itself, 56 women came forward to form 4 Activity Groups. As of now, with the participation of 468 women, 38 enterprise units had already been started in Massaly of Azerbaijan. They are coordinating more than 100 business projects. The success of this project, which is being implemented with the support of World Bank is also the success of the international interventions of Kudumbashree.

It is a moment of pride for Kudumbashree that our team is capable of framing a training programme at any place in the world after assessing the country’s requirements and are able to provide the required assistance/ support/ knowledge to ensure continuity and growth. The Azerbaijan Rural Women's Association’ is the network of ‘Women Development and Enterprise Groups’ in the country. When they bagged an award from Government of Azerbaijan for their activities, Kudumbashree's contribution was also mentioned.

Coordination Committee Meeting  10.30 AM -BODHI HALL, SECRETARIAT ANNEXE - I

Kudumbashree mission launched E-Nest for the geo-tagging the 43 lakh Kudumbashree families which would smoothen the Micro Plan preparation from the grass root level. The programme was inaugurated by Shri. A.C Moideen, Minister, Local Self Government Department, Government of Kerala at the function held at Chaithanya Pastoral Centre Auditorium, Thellakom, Kottayam on 4 October 2019.

The programme aims at identifying the needs of the families with the help of Geographic Information System. On understanding the needs of the each families, plans would be prepared and compiled bin the ADS level and in the CDS level and would be included in the priority project lists of Local Self Government Institutions and Kudumbashree. The survey for the programme would be started soon.The data received would be checked by the officials and plans would be prepared in NHG level, ADS level and CDS level.

Social Development Plan, Livelihood Plan, Livelihood Plan, Basic Development Plan and Resource plan would be prepared in the NHG level. The micro plans of the NHGs would be compiled in the ADS level and the ADS plans are prepared. In the CDS level, the ADS plans in the area is compiled and is submitted to the Local Self Government Institutions. From the suggestions received from the CDS level would be compiled in the district level and would be submitted to the district/ block panchayaths. The need analysis would be carried out in the district level and the Kudumbashree District Missions would submit it to the Kudumbashree State Mission. Based on this, Kudumbashree would modify the future projects for the families. Kudumbashree had already been implementing the projects like Yuvashree, Prathyasha, Destitute Free Kerala, Snehitha calling Bell, Special NHGs etc. E-nest would help smoothen the Micro Plan preparation from the grass root level.

Mother Kitchen from North Paravur started supplying food in steel boxes to Kochi Metro Rail Limited. They had tied up with Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) for supplying homely food in steel boxes to the employees of Kochi Metro. The freshly prepared homely food is packed in steel boxes (dabbas) and are distributed to the employees of Kochi Metro. The food is served by the Mothers Kitchen functioning at North Paravur which functions under the North Paravur CDS of Ernakulam district.The Mothers Kitchen was set up as part of the Self Employment Programme Component of National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM). Kudumbashree Mission is the nodal agency for implementing the centrally designed programme, National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) in Kerala. The Mothers Kitchen functions under North Paravur City Mission Management Unit.

The dabba system stands out unique that only Rs 40 is charged per meal which includes rice with sambar etc including fish curry. The steel boxes are later collected and are brought back to the Mothers Kitchen. The unit is now distributing food in 100 dabbas now. They are making an income of Rs The members of the unit makes around Rs 8000 as monthly income.

Kochi Metro is maintained environment friendly. The dabbawala system was implemented to discourage the employees from bringing food in plastic containers and with the launch of the dabbawala system, there has been a decrease of plastic waste across all the metro stations. The Mothers Kitchen is also serving food to the Metro canteen.

Thrissur DPC Meeting 

Kannur District Mission launched 11 branded items of 10 Kudumbashree enterprises from Kannur. The products were launched by Shri. Ramachandran Kadannappally, Minister for Ports, Museums, Archaeology and Archives, Government of Kerala at the programme held at District Panchayath Hall, Kannur on 7 September 2019.

The products include Chocosoft Chocolate of Kottiyoor CDS, Payasam Mix produced by Oorjjashree Nutrimix unit, Yahoo Biscuits, Sahyashree Honey, Chaithanya Woolen Clothes, St. George Orgo Cleaner of Peravoor CDS, Shysol Cloth Chappals of Kannur CDS, Gokulam Agarbathi of Thripangottoor CDS, Nightingale Nighties produced by Kudumbashree Apparel Parks, Active Plus Liquid Cloth Wash produced by Koothuparambu CDS and Vibrant Shirts are the branded products launched by Kannur District Mission. The Chocosoft Chocolate is the first ever chocolate produced by a Kudumbashree enterprise. The Orgo Cleaner produced from waste clothes is also an innovative enterprise launched by Kannur District Mission. By launching the branded products, Kudumbashree Mission aims at securing more market for the products of Kudumbashree micro enterprises from Kannur.