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When the local body election procedures came to an end, Kudumbashree has secured the greatest success. Out of the 16,965 Kudumbashree members contested in the local body elections, 7071 of them were selected as people's representatives. It is a great achievement for Kudumbashree that, out of the entire set of people's representatives, about 1/3rd are Kudumbashree members! This could be considered as the epitome of Women Empowerment.

The experience attained by working along with the public for longer periods, the skill to identify and resolve the issues of the public (especially that of women), the experience earned by providing leadership to the various programmes of Kudumbashree (implemented in convergence with the LSGIs), the trainings received in connection with the same and the experience thus gained about working with the Government etc. would have contributed to the participation of Kudumbashree members in local body elections. This resulted in huge opportunities for them as well. The public support, leadership, experience, practical knowledge, confidence gained through social activities and willingness for selfless service they have attained through Kudumbashree will help them in their activities as elected representatives.

The details of those competed in the local body elections with the number of winners are given below (In the order of the District, number of Kudumbashree members who competed and number of members who won elections)

1. Thiruvananthapuram- 1415- 547

2. Kollam-1607- 551

3. Pathanamthitta- 889- 333

4. Alappuzha-1668- 609

5. Kottayam-1279- 457

6. Idukki- 733- 381

7. Ernakulam-1918- 656

8. Thrissur-815- 537

9. Palakkad-1617- 654

10. Malappuram- 1429- 678

11. Kozhikode-1676- 694

12. Wayanad-382- 228

13. Kannur- 1266- 602

14. Kasaragod- 171- 144

Total- 16,865- 7071

All the 21,865* elected members have sworn in as members/ counsellors of the local bodies in the state. It is expected that these elected representatives will be able to ensure local economic development in the best possible manner by making use of the experience attained by working along with the public.

*As per www.trend.kerala.gov.in

Kudumbashree would arrange International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Special Training for Micro Enterprise Consultants. The 7 day training would be extended starting from September till December in all districts. Topic of ‘Sick ME Revival' would be mainly dealt during the training. Along with the main trainers of ILO, the Master Trainers from among Kudumbashree Micro Enterprise Consultants (MECs) would also be part of the teaching team. The topic of 'Sick ME Revival' is selected for reviving the enterprises that faced crisis during covid-19 and the unprecedented floods.

During the crisis situation of Covid-19 pandemic, entrepreneurs have been facing many challenges, viz., the scarcity of the raw materials, lack of sales opportunities, difficulty faced in running the enterprises due to lockdown etc. It is a greater challenge to bring back the enterprises which faced these issues to normal production status. As the MECs are expected to provide leadership for these activities, it is inevitable to extend good training to the MECs. So, Kudumbashree have decided to extend online training to MECs through the International Labour Organisation's (ILO)s training division. Kudumbashree had already received ILO's training before and were benefited with the inputs. Hence, Kudumbashree decided to opt for the services of ILO for the training for MECs.

The International Labour Organization is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice through setting international labour standards. International Labour Organization (ILO) deals with labour problems, particularly international labour standards, social protection, and work opportunities at international level. Non farm livelihoods (micro enterprises) of Kudumbashree plays a key role in helping the NHG members identify sources of livelihood of their own. Micro Enterprise Consultants (MEC) are the strength of Kudumbashree enterprises. They are selected from within the community itself (from NHG members) and they gain expertise in the enterprise sector after undergoing various training. MECs provide General Orientation Training and Enterprise Development Training to Kudumbashree enterprises. Also, MECs provide enterprises with support in preparing the project report and in obtaining various funds and subsidies. There are a total of 325 MECs in Kerala. MECs always try to identify the issues faced by entrepreneurs, offer help to resolve the issues and extend them needed support. Once this training is completed, it is expected that Kudumbashree will be able to capacitate the MECs in supporting the entrepreneurs who have faced challenges. In addition to this, training would also be extended in branding and accounting. After providing training, ILO will continue supporting MECs for the next three months.

Kudumbashree is planning to launch 100 Permanent Marketing Outlets in the state for making the agricultural and non agricultural products produced by NHG women, available for the public. Monthly markets that function in a good way are identified and will be converted into permanent marketing outlets. These permanent marketing outlets would be uniformly branded as well. The activities for implementing the same had already been started.

Kudumbashree has been organising monthly markets at every block and Urban Local Bodies, which is one of the key marketing activities of Kudumbashree. Such monthly markets organised at some locations continuously function for one week or so. It is then Kudumbashree decided to turn these selected monthly markets that function well into permanent marketing outlets. During the 2019-20 financial year, 1876 monthly markets were organised by Kudumbashree across Kerala. Sales of Rs 5.85 crores was recorded through the Monthly markets.

The permanent marketing outlets will function under the ownership of the respective CDSs. It is aimed at arranging a permanent marketing outlet for a minimum of 25 NHG entrepreneurs/ farming groups in the respective Local Self Government Institutions (LSGIs) for marketing their products. Likewise, marketing support will be provided to 2500 women entrepreneurs through these outlets. Sales of a minimum of Rs 50,000 per month is expected from these permanent outlets. The plan is to set up 100 uniformly branded marketing outlets. District Missions will select the locations of monthly markets that are to be converted for permanent marketing outlets. Respective CDSs will be entrusted with the management of the marketing outlets. An entrepreneur or a staff can be assigned for the management of the outlets by CDS.

A meeting of the entrepreneurs and farmers could be called at first. Then the next step will be to finalise products that will be displayed for sale from the entrepreneurs. CDS will ensure the regular supply including logistics from the production house of the entrepreneurs to the outlets. Services of the Micro Enterprise Consultants (MECs) could be used for the same. A fixed amount will be collected from the entrepreneurs for display of their products in the marketing outlets. This amount will be paid to the outlet operators/management team. Rs 5 lakh is earmarked for setting up each of these permanent marketing outlets.

The activity of selecting the permanent marketing outlets is progressing. 100 uniformly branded marketing outlets would be set up by November. Following that, the geo tagging would be done. Once these marketing outlets would be functional, a new avenue will be opened for the Kudumbashree entrepreneurs for ensuring a permanent income of their own and the public will get an opportunity to use the agricultural and non agricultural products produced by NHG women.

Yet another Kerala Chicken Sales Outlet has started functioning at Kodungallur of Thrissur. Shri. V. R. Sunil Kumar, MLA, Kodungallur Constituency officially inaugurated the sales outlet at Kodungallur on 19 August 2020. The sales outlet is run by Ms. Seetha Balakrishnan of Aishwarya NHG under Kodungallur 1 CDS. For delivering broiler chicken regularly to this outlet, a contract has been made with 3 poultry farmers. The sales outlets are being opened, as part of entering the phase of extending the advantages of the Kerala Chicken programme to the public.

In addition to the sales outlet started at Kodungallur, 2 new sales outlets of Kerala Chicken have been started at Mulavukad and Sreemoolanagaram of Ernakulam district. The outlet at Mulavukad is run by Ms. Treesa, Ms. Shibi & Ms. Livera, Kudumbashree members from Mulavukad panchayath. The sales outlet at Sreemoolanagaram is run by Ms Ramla Subair, who is the member of the same CDS. A tie up has been made with 33 poultry farmers for the sales outlets in the district.

The first sales outlet of Kudumbashree as part of Kerala Chicken Programme was started in North Paravoor of Ernakulam district during June 2020. An average daily sales of Rs 21,000 is recorded at the sales outlet opened at North Paravoor. The enterprise was started by Ms. Renuka Rajan of Anaswara NHG under the Ezhikkara CDS. By opening such Kerala Chicken outlets Kudumbashree aims at making available good quality chicken to the public at reasonable rates. Kerala Chicken Programme was started envisaging the sustainable change in the broiler chicken market of Kerala.

Kudumbashree is formulating special activities for the LEAP (Local Employment Assurance Programme), which aims at extending employment to at least 5 people locally in every panchayath, as Kudumbashree has an important role to play in the implementation of the programme. As part of this, various activities are progressing in the Local bodies. LEAP project is one of the important projects announced in the 2020-21 State Budget of the Government of Kerala.

Through these activities, Kudumbashree kept the goals of identifying beneficiaries from the Kudumbashree NHGs at first. The next goal is to provide skill training to at least 40,000 Kudumbashree members or their family members. Thereafter, the next aim is to bring all the interested among them to the formation of enterprises. Kudumbashree encourages enterprises in production as well as service sectors, and wants to ensure that these entrepreneurs earn a monthly income of a minimum of Rs 10,000. Online Data Collection is ongoing in the NHGs through CDS to identify those who are interested in becoming part of the LEAP Project training, which would be implemented through Kudumbashree. After analysing these data, a two day General Orientation Training would be extended on the various livelihood projects and skill training programmes of Kudumbashree, Local Self Government Department and other Government Departments. The programmes of Kudumbashree viz., ARISE, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY), agricultural programmes etc, that would help in securing wage employment or self employment (through new enterprises) would be introduced during the training.

The interested members would be extended awareness on the livelihood opportunities that could be started locally and in the respective districts. They will also be sensitised about the challenges and opportunities of the same. Through empaneled agencies, training would be extended. Necessary skill training will also be provided to ensure enterprise formation by those who are interested. In addition, existing enterprises would be provided with relentless support. A system will be put in place to solve their problems, as part of this LEAP programme. Through the support system, the entrepreneurs would be extended financial assistance. Also they will be provided support in making avail innovative technologies. Needed training and handholding will be provided as well.

It is aimed to complete the selection of the beneficiaries by the mid of September. General Orientation Training will be provided within one month and Skill training will be provided before December. Later, activities for enterprise formation or support to get wage employment will be organised. As of now, there are more than 26,000 micro enterprises in Kerala registered as Kudumbashree units. Through these enterprises, around 1 lakh NHG members are finding their livelihood. It is expected that by implementing LEAP projects for enterprise formation, a minimum of 5000 new enterprises would be started. The aim of implementing the LEAP programme is to help 10,000+ people to identify livelihoods of their own.

കുടുംബശ്രീ വഴി നടപ്പാക്കുന്ന സ്റ്റാര്‍ട്ടപ്പ് വില്ലേജ് എന്റര്‍പ്രണര്‍ഷിപ്പ് പ്രോഗ്രാമിന്റെ ഭാഗമായി കഴിഞ്ഞവര്‍ഷം മികച്ച പ്രവര്‍ത്തനം നടത്തിയ ബ്ലോക്കുകളില്‍ ഇടുക്കി ജില്ലയിലെ ഇടുക്കി ബ്ലോക്കിന് ഒന്നാം സ്ഥാനം. കേരളത്തിലെ തെരഞ്ഞെടുത്ത 14 ബ്ലോക്കുകളില്‍, ആ പ്രദേശത്തെ വിഭവങ്ങള്‍ പരമാവധി ഉപയോഗിച്ച് കൊണ്ട് ആ പ്രദേശത്ത് ആവശ്യമുള്ള സംരംഭങ്ങള്‍ ആരംഭിക്കുന്നതിനായി കുടുംബശ്രീ അംഗങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് പ്രോത്സാഹനം നല്‍കുന്ന പദ്ധതിയാണ് എസ്‌വിഇപി. സംരംഭങ്ങളുടെ രൂപീകരണ ലക്ഷ്യത്തിന്റെ പൂര്‍ത്തീകരണം, സംരംഭങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് നിയമസാധുതയുണ്ടാക്കല്‍, അരക്ഷിത സമൂഹത്തിന്റെ ഉള്‍പ്പെടുത്തല്‍, സോഫട്‌വെയര്‍ അപ്‌ഡേഷന്‍ തുടങ്ങീ പത്തോളം ഘടകങ്ങളുടെ അടിസ്ഥാനത്തിലാണ് ജില്ലകളെ വിലയിരുത്തിയത്. മലപ്പുറം ജില്ലയിലെ നിലമ്പൂര്‍, കോട്ടയം ജില്ലയിലെ വൈക്കം, കാസര്‍ഗോഡ് ജില്ലയിലെ നീലേശ്വരം, എറണാകുളം ജില്ലയിലെ വടവുകോട് എന്നീ ബ്ലോക്കുകളാണ് യഥാക്രമം രണ്ട് മുതല്‍ അഞ്ച് വരെയുള്ള സ്ഥാനത്ത്.

   2017ല്‍ കേരളത്തില്‍ 14 ബ്ലോക്കുകളിലും ആരംഭിച്ച ഈ പദ്ധതിയിലൂടെ നാല് വര്‍ഷം കൊണ്ട് 26,034 സംരംഭങ്ങള്‍ ആരംഭിക്കാനാണ് ലക്ഷ്യമിട്ടത്. എസ്.വി.ഇ.പി പദ്ധതിയുടെ ഭാഗമായി തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്ത എല്ലാ ബ്ലോക്കുകളിലും ബ്ലോക്ക് നോഡല്‍ സൊസൈറ്റി ഫോര്‍ എന്റര്‍പ്രൈസ് പ്രൊമോഷന്‍ (ബി.എന്‍.എസ്.ഇ.പി.) തുടങ്ങുകയും കുടുംബശ്രീയില്‍ നിന്നുള്ള മൈക്രോ എന്റര്‍പ്രൈസ് കണ്‍സള്‍ട്ടന്റുമാരെ (എം.ഇ.സി.) തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു. ബ്ലോക്കിലെ സി.ഡി.എസ്സ്. ഭരണസമിതികളിലെ സി.ഡി.എസ്സ് ചെയപേഴ്സണമാര്‍, എം.ഇ ഉപസമിതി കണ്‍വീനര്‍മാര്‍ എന്നിവരാണ് ബി.എന്‍.എസ്.ഇ.പി യുടെ ഭരണസമിതി. ഇപ്രകാരമുള്ള ബി.എന്‍.എസ്.ഇ.പി ഭരണസമിതിയുടെ നേതൃത്വത്തില്‍ പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കുന്ന എം.ഇ.സി മാരുടെ പിന്തുണയോടെയാണ് സംരംഭങ്ങള്‍  തുടങ്ങാന്‍ താത്പര്യമുള്ളവരെ കണ്ടെത്തുന്നതും പരിശീലനം നല്‍കുന്നതും ആവശ്യമുള്ള കൈത്താങ്ങ് നല്‍കുന്നതും. പദ്ധതി ആരംഭിച്ച് 2 വര്‍ഷം പിന്നിടുമ്പോള്‍ 11,212 സംരംഭങ്ങളാണ് കേരളത്തിലെ 14 ബ്ലോക്കുകളിലായി ഇതുവരെ ആരംഭിച്ചിട്ടുള്ളത്.

Through the Chief Minister's Helping Hand Loan Scheme, which is being implemented through Kudumbashree was started from 23 April, Rs 1782.82 crores bank loan has already been provided to Kudumbashree members until now. Also loan applications of Rs 1958.12 crores have been submitted to banks. As per the statistics till 17 August, Rs 1782.82 crores is already received by NHGs as bank loan.1,92,172 NHGs have received loans and a total of 22,37,588 NHG members have received the loan amount.

Chief Minister's Helping Hand Loan Scheme (CMHLS) is the interest free loan scheme launched to extend temporary assistance to those who lost their income during the crisis of covid-19. After the floods of 2018, the Resurgent Kerala Loan Scheme (RKLS) was successfully implemented through Kudumbashree. It is the success of that which led the Government of Kerala to decide to implement the Chief Minister's Helping Hand Loan Scheme (CMHLS) programme through Kudumbashree. The plan was to provide Rs 2000 crores as Interest Free bank Loan.

In the first phase of implementation, discussion was held with the banks and the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) expressed their willingness to give loans at 9 % interest. Government agreed to provide interest subsidies to the NHGs. As it is an interest free loan, it was decided to limit the loan to Rs 2000 crores as per the Government decision and the loan limit for CDSs and NHGs were fixed.