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Kudumbashree launched 'Onam Utsav' Online Trade Fair  to extend maximum support to Kudumbashree micro entrepreneurs and farming group members (JLG) to make maximum out of the onam market. The campaign was launched by Shri. M.V Govindan Master, Minister, Local Self Government Department, Government of Kerala at Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram on 18 August 2021. Smt. P.I Sreevidya IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree, presided over the function. Amidst the crisis of covid-19', Onam Utsav', the online trade fair is being conducted  through www.kudumbashreebazaar.com, the e-commerce portal of Kudumbashree during 18-31 August 2021. 

Kudumbashree members would arrange the sweets for the Onam Kit of Supplyco this year. As of now, Kudumbashree has received orders worth Rs 5.41 crores. The sweets are to be distributed among the 88 lakh ration card holders in the state. 17 lakh packets of sarkara varatti (jaggery coated banana chips) and 16,060 packets of banana chips had already been handed over to Supplyco. The remaining packets would be delivered at the earliest. Kudumbashree would arrange the sweets in 100gm packets.

 

For motivating the aspiring photographers and to propagate the activities of Kudumbashree Mission through photographs, Kudumbashree Mission launched the Season 4 of ‘Kudumbashree or Nerchithram’ Photography Competition on 22 July 2021. The contestants may submit photographs that would reflect the priority projects of Kudumbashree Mission. The photographs should reflect the activities of Kudumbashree such as, Kudumbashree Neighbourhood Group meetings, various enterprises run by Kudumbashree women including Kudumbashree canteens and cafes, the farming activities of Kudumbasree women, the parking management of Kudumbashree women at railway stations and various other spots, the waiting halls managed by Kudumbashree entrepreneurs, housekeeping services and the activities of the BUDS institutions etc.

The entries should reach Kudumbashree Mission office on or before 5 PM, 31 August 2021. The jury, composed of renowned photographers and officials of Kudumbashree Mission will select the winner. The Award for the Best Photographer will be Rs 25,000. The second prize and third prize will be Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively. Rs 2000 each will be issued for 10 entries as consolation prizes.

Entries may be sent to the mail id, kudumbashreeprcontest@gmail.com or may be sent in CD Format to the address, The Executive Director, Kudumbashree State Mission Office, Trida Building, Medical college P.O, Thiruvananthapuram-695011. The name, address, mail id and contact number should be mentioned along with. A short note on the photograph should be attached along with. The photographs should not contain any watermarks. More details of the notification is available in the link : www.kudumbashree.org/photography2021.

The first season of ‘Kudumbashree or Nerchithram’ was conducted during November- December 2017, the second season during February -March 2019 and the third season was held during January- February 2020. The three seasons of 'Kudumbashree Oru Nerchithram' Photography Competition resulted in a huge success. Good quality photographs portraying the strength of Kudumbashree, functioning focusing on women empowerment is considered for the ‘Kudumbashree Oru Nerchithram’ Photography Competition, which is being conducted from 2017 onwards. Kudumbashree Mission which envisions eradicating poverty through women in Kerala had successfully completed 23 revolutionary years.

Ms. P.I Sreevidya IAS took over the charge as the new Executive Director of Kudumbashree. Ms. Asha Varghese welcomed the newly assigned Executive Director, who reached the Kudumbashree State Mission Office at Thiruvananthapuram. Mr. S. Harikishore IAS, handed over the charge of the Executive Director to Ms. P.I Sreevidya. Ms. P.I Sreevidya is a Karnataka cadre  IAS Officer and was working as the Director of Scheduled Caste Development Department.

Kudumbashree has received an opportunity to function as the Implementing Support Agency of Jal Jeevan Mission being implemented by the Water Resource Department of Kerala. This opportunity is received in some panchayats of Kerala. There are Project Implementing Agencies in all LSGIs of Kerala to implement the projects of Jal Jeevan Mission. Kudumbashree has been selected as the Implementing Support Agency in 262 panchayats. Some livelihood opportunities were provided to Kudumbashree members as part of implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission. 

The aim of the Implementing Support Agency is to support the Project Implementing Agencies who implement the projects as part of the Jal Jeevan Mission The opportunity to function as the Implementing Support Agency of Jal Jeevan Mission was available for NGOs and Government Missions. On knowing about this, Kudumbashree decided to take up these activities through Kudumbashree and took part in the tender process. Based on the request, Kudumbashree got the opportunity to function as Implementing Support Agency in 262 panchayats. In the other panchayats, selected NGOs function as the implementation support agency. Kudumbashree Mission is making greater efforts to showcase the best of their performances, where they received the opportunities.

The Jal Jeevan Mission has demanded to do the activities of Implementing Support Agencies in two ways. The activities should be implemented by deploying 5 persons where the project should be completed within 7 months. Whereas, at the Panchayats, where the project should be completed within 18 months, 3 persons will get the livelihood opportunity as part of the agency work. It is the responsibility of the Implementing Support Agency to complete the aims/ goals of the Jal Jeevan Mission, to oversee the project implementation and solve if there are any issues. Implementing Support Agency will smoothen the project implementation and support the Panchayath and the Project Implementation Agencies.

In a Panchayath, the Implementing Support Agency would get Rs 8.30 lakhs for the activities for 7 months. The Implementing Support Agency will get Rs 17.26 lakhs for the activities for 18 months. Kudumbashree CDSs would be entrusted with the task of overseeing the Kudumbashree ISA team at the Panchayats, where Kudumbashree got the opportunity to function as Implementing Support Agency. Through this association, Kudumbashree would be able to give a livelihood opportunity to more than 750 people across the state through this opportunity to function as the Implementing Support Agency.

The details of the Panchayats, where Kudumbashree got the opportunity to function as the Implementing Support Agency of Jal Jeevan Mission is available in this link : https://www.kudumbashree.org/pages/895. It was unable to start the activities during the crisis of covid. Directions had already been given to start the activities by selecting those who are interested to become part of the team. Once lockdown relaxations are announced, activities will be started.

The Home Shop Project of Kudumbashree is progressing well with good growth. Home Shop network takes the products of Kudumbashree micro entrepreneurs directly to the households. The activities of ‘Home Shop’ ie being extended to all the districts and now Home Shop’ network is functioning in 13 out of the 14 districts in Kerala. Though delivering products to the households was interrupted during the lockdown due to covid-19 pandemic, the Home Shop system is securing significant growth. Sales of Rs 91.58 lakhs were secured through Home Shop during January 2021. Rs 1.09 crores was recorded during February and Rs 90.27 lakhs was secured during March. Sales of Rs 75.19 lakhs were recorded during the month of April. The lock down notified due to the second wave of covid-19 pandemic came into being during the month of May and sales of Rs 21.45 lakhs was recorded through the ‘Home Shop’ system, during May. 

The operations and logistic management of the ‘Home Shop’ system is managed by a management team. Products are collected from the entrepreneurs under the leadership of this team. Products are stored and are taken to the households through ‘Home Shop owners’. This is the model followed by Kudumbashree for the management of the ‘Home Shop’ system all across the state. There would be one or more Home Shop Management teams in a district. There would be many ‘Home Shop Owners’ under every ‘Home Shop Management team’. This project is framed in such a way that marketing is ensured for the products of Kudumbashree entrepreneurs through the network of Home Shop owners. Along with ensuring sales, a good income is also ensured for ‘Home Shop owners’ who are the service providers in the marketing sector.

As of now, there are 19 ‘Home Shop Management teams’ altogether functioning across the state. System is established in all districts except at Malappuram. There are 2 ‘Home Shop Management units’ each in Kasaragod, Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Alappuzha and Kottayam districts.  Whereas, one unit each is there in Kozhikode, Kannur, Kollam, Wayanad, Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Thrissur. 1861 ‘Home Shop owners’ are functioning under these managements. Out of which, Kozhikode district which has 602 ‘Home Shop owners’ is showcasing the best performance. 749 products of 320 Kudumbashree enterprises are now part of the ‘Home Shop Marketing System’ across the state. We have conceived this project in such a way that the income of the ‘Home Shop Owners’ would be increased by making maximum Kudumbashree entrepreneurs of all districts be part of this Home Shop system by this year itself.  

It is expected that the Home Shop system would turn into a strong system in the marketing sector of Kudumbashree by the end of this year. Kudumbashree's efforts to market Kudumbashree products are mainly through four channels. Kudumbashree organises trade fairs, setting up permanent marketing outlets and arranges marketing opportunities through an e-commerce platform to take the products of Kudumbashree micro entrepreneurs to maximum reach.

Kudumbashree has received the approval to start E-Seva Kiosks. The Motor Vehicle Department has given in-principle approval to start E-Seva kiosks where there are no Regional, Sub Regional Transport Offices and in accessible public spaces (Bus stand, Corporation/Municipality offices etc) to extend various services including that of Motor Vehicle Department, if Kudumbashree is interested. In principle approval is received for setting up 100 E-Seva kiosks. The joint meeting held during January decided to implement this project. Once the spaces for setting up such kiosks are identified by Kudumbashree, the Motor Vehicle Department will be intimated. After approval, a proposal will be submitted to the Government for approval.

In principle approval is now received for extending various online services of Governmental Departments including that of the Motor Vehicle Department through these kiosks. These enterprises would be known as 'Motor Vehicle Department- E-Seva Kiosk. Thus, the District teams are directed to identify spaces where service kiosks can be started profitably. They are also directed to select the interested entrepreneurs as well. Once the proposals from all districts are received, it would be compiled and be given to the Motor Vehicle Department. It is aimed to get the Government Order and final approval, once this process is completed.

E-Seva Kendra is a convergence project of Kudumbashree and the Motor Vehicle Department. The process of setting up E-Seva Kendras at every Regional Transport Offices and Sub Regional Transport Offices and extending various services of the Motor Vehicle Department to the public is ongoing now. At present, 53 E-Seva Kendras are functioning inside/ nearby the Regional, Sub Regional Transport Offices in the state. Kudumbashree got the approval to start E-Seva Kendras at all Regional, Sub Regional Transport Offices in Kerala during 2016.  E-Seva Kendras were started in 53 locations as per this. The District Mission Coordinators are directed to identify spaces, where such E-Seva Kendras can be started adjuncting with the remaining Regional, Sub Regional Transport Offices. 

Kudumbashree is now able to provide the best of the services of the Motor Vehicle Department to the public and help the NHG members earn better income through E-Seva Kendras of the Motor Vehicle Department.  It is also expected that Kudumbashree would be able to extend the service to more sectors by setting up the newly approved E-Seva Kiosks Kudumbashree also aims at submitting the report including the list of the areas where E-Seva Kendras and E-Seva kiosks are needed, after doing a feasibility study.