Kudumbashree, which started as the State’s poverty eradication and women empowerment programme, has conquered newer territories in recent years.
Synonymous with thrift and credit programmes, women who collect waste from doorsteps, those engaged in social work, supplier of nutrimix to anganwadis, and cottage industry products, it has been entering uncharted waters of late and rewriting the rules of the game.
Be it manpower supply at the Regional Cancer Centre, women construction units, station management for the Kochi Metro, sale of Navakerala lotteries, Kerala Chicken in association with the Animal Husbandry Department, or running e-Seva Kendras at RTO offices, Kudumbashree has been bridging gaps in service delivery and changing how things were done.
Changing roles
A microfinance-led financial security model that was adopted in the 1990s to alleviate poverty has been now been adapted into a more comprehensive model of development, especially by bringing women together to fight for their rights.
Kudumbashree is growing by leaps and bounds, even as it sets higher targets in its traditional areas of operation.
Organisation network
It continues to stress on strengthening its organisation network, inclusion, capacity building, besides finding modern ways of sustaining it. A step in this direction is model community development societies, says Kudumbashree Executive Director S. Harikishore. The plan is to grade all CDSs and then take the successes of the best of the lot to help others.
The mission has started the Kudumbashree School for training its members on social responsibilities, improving their standard of living through family finance management, and inform them about the best practices.
To achieve social inclusion, it is reaching out to the marginalised sections such as persons with disabilities and the elderly. An elderly SHG that was piloted in Kollam has been successful, and the experiment is being scaled up. In Ernakulam, it has provided skill training to 200 people with locomotor disability and 70 have received placements. Groups of the differently abled too will be set up in the coming financial year, says Mr. Harikishore.
Economic empowerment through microfinance is at the core of Kudumbashree activities. Last year, ₹3,000 crore was given by banks to Kudumbashree units without any collateral, says Mr. Harikishore, saying the target for next year is ₹3,500 crore. He also highlights the ₹1,000 crore given to Kudumbashree NHG members who were affected by the floods.
Women empowerment
Another thrust area of Kudumbashree is women empowerment. Snehitha gender help desks, community counsellors, and gender resource centres at the panchayat level form a supportive aspect to its empowerment objective, while the fledgling vigilant groups form a preventive aspect. Initiating the transformative role is gender self-learning programme at the NHG level wherein women discuss gender dimensions to issues such as health, work and wages, mobility, power structures and so on.
Livelihood activities that provide its members sustainable employment form a good part of Kudumbashree activities.
These include farming and animal husbandry, especially in the rural areas. However, there are many enterprising women in the Kudumbashree family. This is reflected in the number of new enterprises started in the past two years – 10,000.
While handicrafts, pickle, tailoring, and catering units form a good part of these enterprises, innovative ones such as Kudumbashree matrimony, started without any substantial capital, too are making news.
Kudumbashree products such as handmade soap, lotions, and food products enjoy a niche market but economies of scale make it difficult to compete with FMCG firms. Branding of products too is a problem owing to decentralised production. Kudumbashree now plans to select some products where a gap exists in the market, brand them and market them through fixed shops and online.
Services
It has also made a conscious decision to concentrate on services, rolling out geriatric care, construction, Santhwanam health units, urban service, event management, and even facility management units, as that for the Kochi Metro. “Services are the need of the hour, and we want to be Kerala’s service provider. It is an ambitious target, but not impossible,” says Mr. Harikishore.
Convergence
Capitalising on over decades of experience and capacity building, Kudumbashree is making its presence felt in other States and countries too. Its National Resource Organisation has signed a memorandum of understanding with 19 States to set up enterprises and convergence projects with panchayats. The latest is with Bihar to set up six Cafe Kudumbashree in hospitals. Kudumbashree is also supporting countries such as Uganda, Azerbaijan, and so on.
Convergence with government departments is being scaled up. There are over 50 such initiatives such as payment of tribal advance wage as part of the MGNREGs; surveys for Life Mission or pension; running a community kitchen in Attappady; and with Railways for running their parking and waiting rooms and so on.
It has also received ₹200 crore from panchayats for convergence activities.
Kudumbashree is also implementing some key programmes in the area of social development. These include the destitute-free Kerala project to bring out 1.6 lakh families from destitution, and a survey of mentally challenged children in the State.
The Prime Minister Awas Yojana (Urban) and the National Urban Livelihoods Mission are also being implemented through Kudumbashree. “In two years, we will have helped build houses for one lakh people in urban areas.”
It is also implementing the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, with skill training provided to nearly 1.25 lakh youth.
Ambitious plans
Kudumbashree also wants to reach out to coastal and tribal areas and mothers of differently abled children.
“We want to touch the sections of society who have been left behind despite all our programmes such as microfinance, inclusion, and livelihood activities,” says Mr. Harikishore. In the case of Kudumbashree women whose poverty has been addressed and who have bigger dreams, Mr. Harikishore believes the organisation is helping them stitch these dreams together.
“Problems exist, but our ambitions have increased. Providing opportunities, jobs, and economic empowerment to different sections of society is Kudumbashree’s objective.”
