ഫീച്ചറുകള്‍

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.

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.

Envisioning to provide special care for the lonely old age people, Kudumbashree Mission has ventured into 'Harsham' Geriatric Care services. The programme was officially launched by Dr. K.T Jaleel, Minister, Local Self Government Department, Government of Kerala by distributing ID cards to the selected care givers during the 20th anniversary celebrations being held at Swapnanagari, Kozhikode on 17 May 2018.

The Harsham programme will be implemented with financial assistance from the Kerala Academy for Skill Excellence, plans to provide jobs for around 1,000 women under Kudumbashree Mission this year. The project 'Harsham-Happiness Redefined', would ensure needed care for the old aged people. The aim of the programme is to form groups of around 100 volunteers in each district to help aged people who live alone or under adverse circumstances with least support, including those who are bedridden. To begin with, the 90 selected women from Kannur and Kozhikode will get trained in geriatric care. It is planned to get them job as bystanders in hospitals and care givers at houses.

The training programme will be extended to other districts in the near future. The working of the programme would be in the model of Micro enterprises. Those aged below 55 years, with good physical capabilities and an aptitude for serving the society are considered for the programme. The respective District Mission Co-ordinators would select the Geriatric Care executives in the districts.Training for them will be provided to the selected Geriatric care executives in two 30-member batches.The beneficiaries may avail the services of the Harsham Programme through call centres or online round the clock. The volunteers will collect the details of the people who have requested for services or care will later impart the services. The help of CDS-ADS members would be made used to gather information about the callers. The skill training for the geriatric care executives was inaugurated at Kozhikode on 30 April 2018.

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.

The State Rural Livelihood Mission team from Haryana visited Ernakulam to study about Kudumbashree Mission. The team visited the Pallipuram Panchayth of Ernakulam to study about the same. The main aim of the visit was to study about the activities being implemented by Kudumbashree. The team also aimed to study the activities of the Local Self Government Department Institutions. It is also planned to replicate the Kudumbashree Model in Haryana. The Haryana delegation included Ms. Nishitha Banerjee, Chief Minister's Good Governance Associates, Haryana, Ms. Palak Rawal, Chief Minister's Good Governance Associates, Haryana and other officials from National Rural Livelihood Mission.

The State Rural Livelihood Mission team from Haryana visited the flour mill being operated under Pallipuram CDS. They also visited Aquaponics, Joint Liability Groups, DTP centre and health club as well. The SRLM team was welcomed by the Pallipuram Panchayath President, CDS Chairperson and Vice Chairperson. It is planned by the State Rural Livelihood Mission of Haryana to replicate the model of Poverty Alleviation and Women empowerment that Kudumbashree Mission had been implementing in Kerala.

Kudumbashree Pathanamthitta District Mission opened Adolescent friendly Refreshment Centre at Kendriya Vidyalaya at Adoor, Pathanamthitta. The Adolescent friendly Refreshment Centre would give away steam cooked snacks to the children of Kendriya Vidyalaya. The Adolescent friendly Refreshment Centre would completely avoid the junk foods. Smt. R.Girija, District Collector, Pathanamthitta inaugurated the Adolescent friendly Refreshment Centre. District Collector said that the other schools in the district should follow this model.

The kiosk aims at developing a healthy food culture among the students thereby inspiring them to live in touch with the nature. The health issues usually caused to the students are because of their unhealthy food habits like having junk foods. Only by following a healthy food culture a healthy generation could be built.  The Adolescent friendly Refreshment Centre would therefore create a better and healthy food culture among the students of Kendriya Vidyalaya located at Adoor, Pathanamthitta.

Goan Delegation led by Shri. Jayesh Salgaonkar, Minister of Rural Development , Government of Goa visited Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts. The 34 team visited the districts to study about the activities that are being implemented by Kudumbashree Mission in Kerala. The team had a detailed discussion with Dr. T.M Thomas Issac, Minister of Finance, Government of Kerala. During the nine day visit, the team visited the Micro enterprises units, Neighbourhood groups, MGNREGA centres, Kanjikuzhy Mararikulam Grama Panchayath and the Plastic Waste Management system being implemented at Grama Panchayath etc in Alappuzha district. The team also visited the bag unit, the SVEP office and café units in Pathanamthitta.

Shri. Jayesh Salgaonkar said that the activities being implemented in Kerala by Kudumbashree Mission is really note worthy and is being a model to other states in the country. The livelihood project in Goa is implemented as Goa State Rural Livelihood Programme. Shri. Jayesh Salgaonkar said that it is planned to replicate the model of Poverty Alleviation and Women empowerment that Kudumbashree Mission had been implementing in Kerala. Shri. Shivaji Desai, North Goa Project Officer and Smt. Anuja Fal Desai, South Goa Project Officer also accompanied the team.