Amidst unprecedented floods and the calamities caused, the teaching and the non teaching staff of Kudumbashree's BUDS Rehabilitation Centres (BRC) contributed Rs 1 lakh to Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), the emergency assistance release mechanism granting immediate relief to families and individuals distressed by calamity, loss of life due to accidents and chronic diseases. It is the 270 members of the association of the teaching and non teaching staff of the 114 BUDS Rehabilitation Centres across the State who made this glorious contribution. The members of this association Smt. Sheeja Beegum, Smt. Ambika Kumari, Smt. Vineetha and Smt. Shanthi handed over the cheque of Rs.1 lakh to Shri. E.P Jayarajan, Minister for Industries, Commerce, Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Kerala on 14 September 2018. 

The staff of BRCs wanted to do something for the society and they collected the amount in no time. The BRCs at Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha Districts were drowned  and the staff were badly affected by the floods. Several staff have children who are mentally and physically challenged and many of them are the inmates of BRC. Even though many BRCs were badly affected by the floods, the staff came forward to contribute their share to the Government.

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.The staff of the  BUDS Rehabilitation Centres are contented that they could make their contribution to support the Government in rebuilding Kerala. 

Kudumbashree opened 4 coffee vending kiosks at Kerala Government Secretariat.Two coffee vending machines are installed at Annexe 1 and Annexe 2 and the two other  coffee vending machines are installed  near Chief Secretary's Chamber and Finance department. 15 women from Thiruvananthapuram Corporation were given training. Eksath Training Agency had extended the training for the women. The beneficiaries were extended training under the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) of the centrally designed programme, National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM).

The initiative is working under the leadership of Smt. Diana, CDS, ADS Vice Chairperson of Valiyathura Ward, Thiruvannathapuram. Smt. Sherin, Smt. Princila, Smt. Viji, Smt. Malini, Smt. Mini. Smt. Preetha, Smt. Jolly and Smt. Baby are the other members behind this initiative. The coffee vending kiosks are receiving good responses and an average of 200 cups is sold per coffee vending machine. Cookies are also provided along with. They have also took up on call services. The Kiosk serves more than 60 flavors of tea. Natural seeds are used for making coffee. Sugar Sachets are served separately that the tea and coffee are served customized as per the needs of the customer. Space for cafe units had already been requested for making it more viable. They are also planning to serve ethnic snacks through the kiosk. Kudumbashree Mission is the nodal agency for implementing the centrally designed programme, National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) in Kerala.

Veteran Journalist and Ramon Magsaysay Award laureate Shri. P. Sainath features article on Kudumbashree's Flood hit JLGs in People's Archive of Rural India. Under the heading 'Kerala’s women farmers rise above the flood', Sainath deals on how Kudumbashree women's determination outstripped the devastation caused by the unprecedented floods. According to him, savaged by the August floods, facing a looming drought, the women of Kudumbashree’s path breaking group farms are rebuilding, using solidarity as a strategy.

"Across the state, sangha krishi farmers who have lost almost everything – still pitched in with some contributions to help the larger Kudumbashree network raise Rs. 7 crores for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. September 11 brought another poignant moment. That day, in New Delhi, Kudumbashree was awarded the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) prize for ‘Outstanding Performance in Farm Livelihoods.’ The first time the NRLM has given out such an award. " Sainath points out.

Throughout the feature, he explains about the will power and courage that the Kudumbashree women had drawn from their solidarity. He also explains the working of the sanghkrishi units of Kudumbashree who cultivates on the leased land. He says that their success and efficiency means that unlike elsewhere in the country, banks run after them, not the other way around. P. Sainath undoubtedly says that Kudumbashree could well be the greatest gender justice and poverty reduction programme in the world.

Sainath had made notable mentions about Kudumbashree Mission and the Kudumbashree JLGs during his speech at Laadli Media Awards, the largest awards system in Indian journalism that are specifically given for promoting gender sensitivity in the media. During his speech, he also appealed to the journalists to go out and write about Kudumbashree Mission.

He had visited a few flood affected lands of Kudumbashree JLGs recenltly. People's Archive of Rural India (PARI) is a digital journalism platform in India founded by Shri P. Sainath himself who was the former rural affairs editor of 'The Hindu' daily.

Kudumbashree- Kerala State Poverty Eradication Mission bagged seven Awards including Skoch Award for Corporate Excellence and Skoch Order of Merit Awards. The Skoch Award for Corporate Excellence (Bronze) has been awarded to Kudumbashree Mission for Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY). The Skoch Order of Merit have been awarded for Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY), Kudumbashree School Capacity Building programme for 43 lakh Kudumbashree NHG members, Kudumbashree Facility Management Center, Homeshop, Kudumbashree Women Construction Groups and Amrutham Nutrimix for qualifying amongst the Top Corporate Excellence Projects in India. The Awards were distributed at a function held at Constitution Club of India, New Delhi on 19 September 2018.

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, which is being implemented in Kerala state through Kudumbashree Mission. Kudumbashree School is the informal education programme which aims at the personality development and social, cultural, educational empowerment of women executed coordinating with the NHGs envisaging to improve the intellectual quality of common women.
Kudumbashree Facility Management Center provides facility management services to major public and private sector companies such as Kochi Metro Rail Limited,Vyttila Mobility Hub, Panampilly Nagar Walkway Maintenance etc and has become an epicenter for providing employment for women by providing thousands of women employed with its clients. The Home shop is a mode of community marketing, which promotes the sale of locally produced products of Kudumbashree micro enterprise units, by employing the women, thereby creating market for the products and source of income generation for the women. It is a model emerged out of the explorations for establishing marketing channels for Kudumbashree's products.

It was on anticipating the huge shortage of the labour force in the near future because of various determined Government campaigns of mass housing,that training was extended to women in construction sector which resulted in the formation of the construction groups in the state who can take up construction of houses, buildings and roads. Presently, Kudumbashree women construction units are constructing the LIFE Mission houses in various places across the state. Amrutham Nutrimix is a nutritional food supplement suitable for six months to three year old children as Take-Home-Ration (THR), prepared by the Kudumbashree micro enterprise units with the patronage and guidance of Kudumbashree. using wheat, soya chunks, bengal gram, groundnut and sugar as basic ingredients.

Skoch Order of Merit constituted by Skoch Group, a think tank dealing with the socio economic issues with a focus on inclusive growth since 1997. By bagging the Skoch Award for Corporate Excellence (Bronze) and six Skoch Order of Merit Awards for various programmes, Kudumbashree Mission has achieved National recognition.

On getting extra support from K Chittilappilly Foundation, the housing construction under PMAY Special Project at Maradu Municipality is progressing at fast pace. Kudumbashree Mission had converged with K Chittilappilly Foundation for the housing project at Maradu Municipality. A total of 446 beneficiaries have been sanctioned, out of which 325  were found eligible and agreement has been executed with 214. The construction of 172 has already been started and 66 has been completed.

As per the PMAY project at Maradu Municipality, a total of 1596 had been identified in various verticals. 702 beneficiaries had been identified in Affordable housing vertical. A total of 448 has been identified under Credit Linked Subsidy and 446 under  Beneficiary Lead Construction (New House).

As per the collaboration with  K Chittilappilly Foundation, 40 houses were selected at the first phase. Rs.50000 each would be given to beneficiary's accounts in two installments. The selection of the beneficiaries  was done by PMAY officials of Maradu Municipality and the officials from KCF visited the houses and shortlisted for the support.The houses which completed roof level were selected for support. Efforts have been taken to select beneficiaries from all wards and the most deserving beneficiaries were considered.

K Chittilappilly foundation (KCF) is an initiative by Shri. Kochouseph Chittilappilly with the prime objective of undertaking public charitable activities in India in a corporate level without any discrimination as to religion, caste, creed or gender.  A total of 100 houses are being supported by K Chittilappilly Foundation. Kudumbashree Mission is the nodal agency of Pradhan Manthri Awas Yojana (PMAY) Programme under Central- State Ministries working with the mission of achieving 'Housing for All'.

Three day training for Kudumbashree Animators of Attappady has been started. Shri. S.Harikishore, Executive Director, Kudumbashree Mission inaugurated the training programme at Agriculture Co-operative Training Institute, Manvila, Thiruvananthapuram on 17 September 2018. To make the community kitchens more active, to ensure consistent income for  atleast  3 persons of every  hamlet,  to start construction units, to start the MGNREGS programme at the earliest which ensures wages in advance, to make the Kudumbashree Mission Programme being  implemented in Attappady more active, to  systematically review the programmes etc were the suggestions put forward by Executive Director during his inaugural speech. Classes on self confidence, self realisation, leadership were also extended  during the programme. Classes on organization, social development, micro finance etc were also extend during the programme.  The animators also visited Joint  Liability Groups ( JLG), goat village, IT units, buds institutions as well. The training would come to an end on 19 September 2018.

Renowned Journalist and Ramon Magsaysay Award laureate Shri. P. Sainath, visited Kudumbashree Mission on 13 September 2018. He also addressed the staff of Kudumbashree Mission and discussed about the calamities caused to the Kudumbashree Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) due to the unprecedented floods. He had also visited the flood affected agricultural fields of Kudumbashree JLGs.

Shri. P. Sainath said that the self confidence of the women of Kudumbashree JLGs are really appreciable. The growth of the Kudumbashree JLGs is based on regionalism. It is the biggest agricultural revolution that Kerala had witnessed after land reforms. On visiting the flood affected land it is understood that the lose caused to the JLGs is much more. But it is notable that the women managed to overcome the trauma caused due to the floods and the loss. They are confident that they could get back their livelihood through agriculture itself. They had attained thus self confidence and courage by getting united through Kudumbashree's activities. Sainath said.

He also added that its urgently needed to extend assistance in finding livelihood in agriculture sector. It is needed to frame new agricultural programmes for them based on modern scientific technologies. The production techniques of the corporate in agricultural sector are ruining the fertility of the soil and the products cultivated so are injurious to health. A time should come where we can consume food grains and agricultural products that are produced within 100 mile area from our homes.

Shri. Dathan. C.S. welcomed the gathering. Shri. S. Harikishore, Executive Director, Kudumbashree Mission. extended Vote of Thanks. Smt.Vishakha George, Banglore Correspondent, people Archive of India, Shri. S. Sabir Hussain, District Mission Coordinator, Pathanamthitta, Smt. Suja Eapen, District Mission Coordinator, Alappuzha also attended the programme.