Here is another example of how Kudumbashree is a powerful group that is a source of hope and support for those who are going through any situation in our society. Pullur Periya CDS of Kasaragod District has purchased and contributed palliative care equipments worth Rs.75,000 for the care of bed ridden patients. This exemplary activity of Pullur Periya CDS was in connection with the 'Njanumundu Paricharanathinu' State Level Campaign, in which Kudumbashree is also a part, in with respect to this year's World Palliative Care Day.

CDS has procured equipments like wheelchair, air bed, walking stick and walker. Shri. C.K. Aravindan, President, Pullur Periya Panchayath inaugurated the function organized at CDS office. Dr. K.Sunitha, Periya Public Health Centre and Shri. K. Sudevan, Assistant Secretary received the equipments.

Ms. Karthyayani, Vice President presided over the function. Ms. Suma Kunjikrishnan, Chairperson, Health Education Standing Committee, Shri. T.V.Kariyan, Ms. P. Rajini, Shri. A.V. Kunjambu, Shri. M.V. Narayanan, Ms Latha Raghavan, Ms K. Preethi, Panchayat members and Shri. C. Pradeep Kumar, Secretary, Pullur Periya Panchayath also participated in the function. Ms. V.V. Sunitha, CDS Chairperson welcomed the gathering and Ms P.C.Girija, Social Development Sub-Committee Convener delivered the vote of thanks.

'Varakoottam' Painting Programme was organized in the premises of Government Brennan College, Thalassery, Kannur for the promotion of 'Thillana', the State Level BUDS Festival. About 400 BUDS Children will participate in the Arts Festival proposed to be held at four venues in Brennan College during 20-21 January 2024.

Shri. Mohanan M.P, Chairman, Standing Committee, Dharmadam Gram Panchayath inaugurated the programme. Dr. M. Surjith, District Mission Co-ordinator, Kudumbashree Kannur District Mission presided over the function. Shri Selvan Meloor, Renowned Painter gave leadership to the programme. Ms. Pushpa. C. V, Chairperson, Health Education Standing Committee, Ms. Bindu. K, Chairperson, Welfare Standing Committee, Ms. Lathika, Ward Member, Ms. Emily James, CDS Chairperson and others participated in the programme.

Shri. A. Sathyanath, Shri. A. Ravindran, Shri. Suresh Babu Panoor, Ms. Priyanka Pinarayi, Painters along with the students of Sacred Heart School also became part of the programme.

One can apply till 17 January 2024 to be a part of the Urban Learning Internship Programme as part of the National Urban Livelihood Mission implemented by Kudumbashree in the state. Kudumbashree Auxiliary Group members get preference.    Internship is available to 69 people, one in each of the 69 municipalities in Kerala. Internship duration is two months. Selected candidates will get a stipend of Rs 8000 per month and a certificate issued by the  Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. For more details, visit the Kudumbashree website link: www.kudumbashree.org/internship

Kudumbashree is also becoming part of 'Njanumundu Paricharanathinu', the State Level Campaign organized from 15 to 21 January 2024 as part of strengthening palliative activities in the state. The message of this year's Palliative Day is 'I am here to care'. The aim of the campaign is to ensure everyone's participation to bring comfort to the inpatients and their families. As part of this, there is a special meeting on 21 January 2024 to discuss the issue of palliative care among more than three lakh NHGs under Kudumbashree in the state.

Kudumbashree is tasked with working with various departments to ensure the necessary care and other support for inpatients across all local self government institutions. For this purpose, more than three lakh social development sub-committee conveners will be active in the field of palliative care. Through them registration of all patients requiring palliative care in each NHGs will be ensured. Also ASHA workers will provide care to all inpatients who require care in connection with the palliative care unit. For this, inpatients will be linked with volunteers in their respective areas.

Kudumbashree works with various departments like Health, Education, Social Justice, Local Self-Government, National Ayush Mission, Department of Indian Medicine, Homoeopathy, Indian Medical Association and voluntary organizations working in the field of palliative care.

Kudumbashree Kozhikode District Mission in collaboration with District Panchayat has launched a chips unit named 'A Plus' as part of the marketing of value addition of agricultural products. Ms. Sheeja Shashi, President, District Panchayath inaugurated the agri value addition unit under the presence of Shri. Jafar Malik IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree at a function organized at Nalanda Auditorium, Kozhikode on 13 January 2024.

Various products such as banana chips, tapioca chips, jackfruit chips and sarkaravaratti produced by 14 NHG members of 7 CDSs in the district will be marketed under the 'A Plus' brand. The Production is in Thiruvambady, Chakkittappara, Moodadi, Tiruvallur, Keezhariyur, Kadalundi and Koorachund CDSs.

Adv. P. Gawas, Vice President, District Panchayat presided over the opening ceremony. Ms. R Sindhu, District Mission Co-ordinator, Kudumbashree Kozhikode District Mission welcomed the gathering. Ms. Nisha Puthanpurayil, Chairperson, Health Education Standing Committee. District Panchayath, Shri. Nishad C.C, State Programme Manager, Kudumbashree, Ms. Sathi Kizhakkayil, Panchayath President, Chemencherry, Ms. Bindu Jason, Chairperson, Azhiyoor CDS spoke at the function. Ms. Arathi P.V, District Programme Manager, Kudumbashree delivered the vote of thanks.

The State Level Inauguration of Kudumbashree Product Branding was held. Shri. M.B. Rajesh, Minister, Local Self Government Department and Excise Department, Government of Kerala inaugurated the programme at Rose Launch Convention Centre, Malappuram on 12 January 2024. The Minister said that Kudumbashree products is capable of competing with big brands. 

He performed the State-Level Inauguration of the project to market 15 products such as curry powder, masala powders, grain powders etc produced by Kudumbashree entrepreneurs in a unified manner in the market. The project started in Kannur on a pilot basis is now extended to Malappuram, Kottayam and Thrissur districts. The project will start soon in two districts.

Shri. Ubaidullah, MLA presided over the function. Shri. Jafar Malik IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree  explained the project. Shri. V.R. Vinod IAS, District Collector, Malappuram was the chief guest of the function. Shri. Jafar. K. Kakkooth, District Mission Co-ordinator, Kudumbashree  Malappuram District Mission presented the innovative unique projects of Kudumbashree Malappuram District Mission to the Minister. The Minister also released the third issue of Malappuram District's 'Mathrukam' Digital Magazine.

Ms. Rabia Cholakkal, President, Kodoor Panchayath, Shri. K.N. Shanavas, Ward Member, Ms. P.K. Zainaba, Member, Kudumbashree Governing Body, Ms. Shabna Rafi, CDS Chairperson, Ms V. Bindu, President, District Curry Powder Consortium, Dr. S. Kavitha, District Mission Co-ordinator, Kudumbashree Thrissur District Mission and Shri. Prasanth Babu, District Mission Co-ordinator, Kudumbashree Kottayam District Mission participated in the programme. Shri. A.S. Sreekanth, Programme Officer, Kudumbashree delivered the vote of thanks.

The logo of 'Thillana', the State Level BUDS Festival which is proposed to be held at Kannur on 20 & 21 January 2024 was launched by Ms. P.P. Divya, President, District Panchayath at District Panchayath on 11 January 2024. More than 300 BUDS children who are district level winners will participate in the Arts Festival organized at Brennan College, Thalassery. There will be 18 categories of competitions.

There are 359 BUDS institutions (BUDS Schools & BUDS Rehabilitation Centres -BRCs) in the state run by Kudumbashree and Local Self Government Institutions for intellectually challenged children. Kudumbashree organizes district and state level BUDS Festivals every year to provide a platform for the children of these institutions to mentally refresh themselves and to showcase their artistic talents.

Dr. M. Surjith, District Mission Co-ordinator, Kudumbashree Kannur District Mission, Shri. E.V. Vijayan Master, Shri. Mukundan, F.O, District Panchayath, Shri. Santhosh Kumar, Senior Superintendent, Ms. Arya, Ms. Vinesh. P, District Programme Managers, Ms. Anjana, Ms. Aahlad T, Block Co-ordinators participated in the logo release function. Currently 11,642 students are being supported through BUDS institutions for their daily living, rehabilitation and vocational training.

The first batch of the Urban Learning Internship Program (TULIP) as part of the National Urban Livelihood Mission implemented in the state by Kudumbashree started field work from 10 January 2024 onwards. Orientation for them was organized at Kerala State Institute of Health and Family Welfare, Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram on 8 January 2024. Shri. Jafar Malik IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree inaugurated the one-day training programme.

The objective of the internship programme is to evaluate the progress and achievements made in the urban sector of the state through the NULM project and to find innovative ways to further improve the project activities. The interns were selected after screening and interviewing the qualified candidates from the applications received. There are 29 people in the first batch. 26 people will do internship in various municipalities and three people will do internship in Kudumbashree State Mission Office. The internship duration in Urban Local Bodies is two months and  in State Mission is three months. By 25 January 2024,  the rest of the trainees will be selected and the internship programme will be completed in all 93 municipalities. 

They will prepare a report based on the three main topics given by Kudumbashree. It will be submitted to the Central Government. The three topics include how the NULM Scheme implemented by Kudumbashree benefits the urban poor, business opportunities in manufacturing and service sectors and the evaluation of the urban poverty alleviation plan implemented with the urban local bodies for the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24 and preparation of the urban poverty alleviation plan for 2024-25.

Those who come for internship in urban local bodies will conduct necessary studies in these three subjects and collect statistics. Data collection will be done through discussions with municipal officials, public representatives, project implementation officers and project beneficiaries. The responsibility of the interns at the State Mission is to evaluate and collate the information provided by the interns at the municipal level and prepare a final report. A final report will be submitted with recommendations on areas for improvement, including project implementation and quality.

Rs. 8000 per month stipend and a certificate issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will be given to the interns. Shri. Jahamgeer. S, Programme Officer (Urban), Kudumbashree gave leadership to the training programme. Shri. Sudheer K.B, Ms. Meghna S, Shri. Nishanth G.S, Shri. Prithviraj, State Mission Managers and Shri. Shamkrishna, City Mission Manager participated in the programme. 

The second phase of trainings in connection with the activities of Kudumbashree Block Level Micro Enterprise Resource Centres (MERCs) has been completed. MERCs, which are mechanisms for increasing employment and income opportunities for NHG women and ensuring support including financial assistance and technical training, have been started in 13 blocks till now.

The training was provided to 253 persons including Kudumbashree Micro Enterprise Consultants, CDS Chairpersons, Assistant District Mission Coordinators, Livelihood Committee Conveners, District Programme Managers and Block Co-ordinators in these blocks. The training was organized in six batches starting from 7 December 2023 to 5 January 2024.

MERCs are a single window system for coordinating and expediting livelihood activities at block level. Call Centre and Help Desk are also attached to MERCs. Kudumbashree started the first MERC in March 2023 at Nedumangad of Thiruvananthapuram district. MERC operations were also started in Idukki (Azhutha), Kottayam (Pallam) and Kasaragod (Kasaragod) districts on the same day itself.

 At present, MERCs are functioning in Chadayamangalam (Kollam), Konni (Pathanamthitta), Muthukulam (Alappuzha), Kothamangalam (Ernakulam), Ollukkara (Thrissur), Alathoor (Palakkad), Vandoor (Malappuram), Vadakara (Kasaragod) and Thalassery (Kannur).  Kudumbashree aims to set up MERCs in 30 more blocks during this financial year.

Shri. Jafar Malik IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree interacted with the participants of the training programme. Shri. Ranjith Keshav, Corporate Trainer, provided expert training on the topics of enterprise formation, enterprise development and marketing. Shri. A.S. Sreekanth, Programme Officer, Kudumbashree and Ms Suchithra S, State Programme Manager, Kudumbashree gave classes on MERCs. Kudumbashree Micro Enterprise Team led the training programme.

The trainees made the Talento 24 Job Placement Ceremony and Alumni Reunion organized at Karyavattom, Thiruvananthapuram on 7 January 2024 as part of DDU-GKY, a free job skill training programme implemented in the state by Kudumbashree, a big hit. Around 3000 people from different districts of the state were part of Talento 24. Shri. M.B. Rajesh, Minister of Local Self-Government and Excise Department, Government of Kerala inaugurated the Talento 24 Programme. He performed the distribution of offer letters to one thousand trainees through the DDU-GKY scheme and launched the Talento Connect web portal. In his inaugural speech, he said that Kerala is the state with the best human resources and that is why Malayalees can get the best job opportunities in the world.

The Minister also distributed awards to the Best Performing Training Agencies (PIAs), the training agencies providing the maximum number of employment, the Kudumbashree District Missions implementing the DDU-GKY Project activities in the best manner and the best employer.

Dr. Sharmila Mary Joseph, Principal Secretary, Department of Local Self-Government, Government of Kerala delivered the keynote speech at the function presided over by Shri. Kadakampally Surendran, MLA. Shri. Karma Zimpa Bhutia, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Rural Development spoke on the topic, 'DDU-GKY; 'Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow'. A book titled 'Trailblazers' featuring the success stories of 200 people who received skill training and employment through the scheme was also released during the function.

Ms. Arya Rajendran, Mayor, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation was the Chief Guest of the function. Ms. Sandhya Gopakumaran,

Executive Director, Ministry of Rural Development, Shri. Arun C. Adat, Assistant Commissioner and Ms Smitha Surendran, Member, Kudumbashree Governing Body extended their greetings. Shri. Jafar Malik IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree welcomed the gathering and Shri. Pradeep Kumar, Programme Officer, delivered the vote of thanks. A motivational session was conducted by Dr. Mani Paul and students, employers, skill development agency representatives and alumni shared their experiences. Following that, the cultural programmes performed by the students were also staged.