National Saras Mela to showcase and market diverse products of India's rural entrepreneurs will start at Chengannur of Alappuzha district from 17 to 28 January 2025. The meeting of the organizing committee of the fair was organized at IHRD Engineering College Auditorium, Chengannur on 30 September 2024. Shri. Saji Cherian, Minister for Fisheries and Cultural affairs, Government of Kerala inaugurated the meeting. Adv Shobha Varghese, Chairperson, Chengannur Municipality presided over the function. 

A 1001-member General Committee and 251-member Executive Committee was formed with Shri. Saji Cherian, Minister as Chairman, Shri. Alex M Varghese IAS as General Convener and Shri. S. Ranjith, District Mission Co-ordinator, Kudumbashree Alappuzha District Mission as Convener.

In addition to the products, the India Food Court, which provides food products from different states, and various programmes including cultural programmes, seminars and processions will be part of the fair. Apart from this, programmes  in connection with 'Chengannur Peruma' and boat race will also be organized.

Shri. K.M.Salim, Shri. P.K. Venugopal, Presidents, Block Panchayats, Shri. O.S. Unnikrishnan, Chairman, Folklore Academy, Shri. M. Sasikumar, Ms. Hemalatha Mohan, Shri. K.K. Sadanandan, Ms. T.V. Ratnakumari, Shri. M.G. Sreekumar, Shri. G. Vivek, Shri. Oommen Aalummoottil, Shri. T.T M Varghese, Shri. Sasikumar Cherukol and Shri. P.R. Ramesh Kumar also spoke at the function.  Shri. S.Ranjith, District Mission Co-ordinator, Kudumbashree Alappuzha District Mission welcomed the gathering.

Shri. M.B. Rajesh, Minister, Local Self Government Department, Excise Department and Parliamentary Affairs Department, Government of Kerala performed the inauguration of the Micro Enterprise Resource Centre (MERC) at Uzhavoor Block of Kottayam District and 'Ithal' Notebook Manufacturing Unit at Veliyannur BUDS School on 24 September 2024.

MERC is a block level mechanism for strengthening the Kudumbashree Micro Enterprise Sector. MERC is also functioning in Pallam block in the district. Currently MERCs have been started in 17 blocks to increase employment and income opportunities and provide financial assistance and technical training to women in the NHG. MERCs aim to take Kudumbashree initiatives to higher levels through continuous and effective monitoring and support.

In March 2023, Kudumbashree started the first MERC at Nedumangad of Thiruvananthapuram district. Currently MERCs are functioning in all 13 districts except Wayanad. Apart from Kottayam, Kannur, Ernakulam and Malappuram have two MERCs each. MERCs are a single window system for co-ordinating and expediting livelihood activities at the block level. Another highlight is that Call Centres and Help Desks are functioning along with.  MERCs are also functioning in Chadayamangalam (Kollam), Konni (Pathanamthitta), Muthukulam (Alappuzha), Azhutha (Idukki), Kothamangalam, Mulanthuruthy (Ernakulam), Ollukkara (Thrissur), Alathoor (Palakkad), Vadakara (Kozhikode), Thalassery, Iritty (Kannur), Kasaragod (Kasaragod), Mankada and Vandoor (Malappuram) blocks also have MERCs functioning.

'Ithal' along with 'Kanivu'

 A modern mechanized notebook manufacturing unit has started functioning in connection with the 'Kanivu' initiative at Veliyannur BUDS School. The project is being implemented in collaboration with the panchayat with the aim of ensuring an income source for the parents of BUDS School children.

Shri. Mons Joseph, MLA presided over the  inaugural ceremony. Ms. K.V. Bindu, President, District Panchayath, Shri. P.C. Kurian, President, Block Panchayath, Shri. P.M. Mathew, Chairman, District Panchayat Standing Committee, Panchayat representatives, Kudumbashree office bearers and officials were also present at the function.

Balasabha 'Kutty Chantha' is a project initiated by Kudumbashree Kasaragod  District Mission with the aim of making children understand the importance of work during their education period and imparting small business ideas. Children who are members of Balasabha conduct 'Kutty Chanthas' (Little Markets) once a month in all 42 CDSs of the district on school holidays.

The products produced by the children studying in BUDS Institutions run by Kudumbasree in association with local self-government bodies and their parents, and products from Kudumbasree agriculture and small enterprises are sold through 'Kutty Chantha'. 'Kutty Chantha' also aims at inculcating saving habits in children, imparting livelihood skills and providing opportunities for social interaction.

Kudumbashree Micro Enterprise Consultants, Agriculture and Social Development Community Resource Persons under the leadership of their respective CDSs deliver the produces to 'Kutty Chantha'. The proceeds from the markets will be deposited in the CDS Account and are used for the academic and extra-curricular activities of the children. The District Level Inauguration of the project was held at Chemmanad CDS on 13 September 2024 .

Yuva Reshmi Vellamari became the champions in the third season of the Attappady Tribal Football League organized by Youth Resource Centre of Kudumbashree Attappady Tribal Comprehensive Development Project. 44 youth clubs / Yuvashree teams working in connection with the Kudumbashree Special Project of Attappady participated in the tournament organized at Agali Panchayat ground for three days.

Yuva Reshmi defeated Strikers Karuvara by a one-sided goal in the final match held on 20 September 2024. Young Mustards Kadukumanna won the third place after defeating Anashwara Abbannoor Club by three uncontested goals. Anuram Kadukumanna was selected as the Player of the Tournament. Vijayakumar of the Vellamari team was selected as the Best Goal Keeper. Vignesh Vellamari was also selected as the Best Player of the Final Match. Arun Karuvara also bagged the Emerging Player award.

The tournament was inaugurated  by the office-bearers of all the four Panchayat Committees of Kudumbashree on 18 September 2024. Prizes to the winners was jointly distributed by Shri. Sadiq Ali, Assistant Project Manager, Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP), Shri. Pazhani Swami, Secretary, Agali Panchayat, Shri. G Santhosh Kumar, Inspector, Janamaithri Excise, Shri. Ravi Kumar, Preventive Officer, Shri. Abhilash, Civil Excise Officer, Shri. Krishna Kumar, Civil Excise Officer and Office Bearers of Panchayat Samiti.

For this Onam, Varavoor's own Varavoor Gold became the star of the Onam Marketing Fair organized by Kudumbashree CDS in Varavoor, Thrissur. Varavoor Gold is the best quality Chinese Potato cultivated by Kudumbashree Farming Groups in 63 acres of Varavoor Paddy Fields. It is the distinct aroma at the time of harvest that sets Varavoor Gold apart from other Chinese Potato varieties.

The Chinese Potato was harvested by Nila JLG and brought it for sale at Varavoor CDS Onam Marketing Fair. The Chinese Potato was sold for Rs. 100 per kilogram. 400 Kilogram of Chinese Potato was sold in the Onam Market. Ms. V.K. Pushpa, Chairperson, Varavoor CDS , Shri. M.K. Alfred, Member Secretary, Varavoor Panchayath is giving leadership to the Chinese Potato Cultivation activities.

'Question Boxes' are set up in schools ahead of the 'Balasadas' proposed to be organized on 2 October 2024 with the participation of Balasabha members. The children will write down the social problems they find in their areas or in the areas they are involved in as questions or suggestions and put them in the Question Boxes set up in their schools. The Question Boxes will be left in the schools till 27 September 2024. Balasadas Panchayat Organization Committee or Kudumbashree ADSs will collect these Question Boxes. The best questions or suggestions received from each school will be selected and read out to the children's audience and the student will be complimented before the audience. 

Balasabhas are children's NHGs formed with the objective of protecting children's rights and instilling a sense of democracy in them. The Balasadas is organized ahead of the Bala Parliament proposed to be held in December 2024. Balasadas aims to provide practical knowledge to effectively organize Children's Grama Sabha and develop the skills of children to identify social problems and find solutions to them.

Kudumbashree has achieved a turnover of Rs. 10.8 crores through the 'Onakani' and 'Nirapolima' Agricultural Projects launched in the state under the auspices of Kudumbashree with the aim of targeting the Onam market. This was achieved through the 2014 Marketing Fairs organized across the state on the occasion of Onam. Through 'Onakani' vegetable cultivation Rs. 7.82 crores was recorded and through 'Nirapolima' flower cultivation Rs. 2.98 crores was recorded. About 25,000 farmers working under both schemes will benefit from this.    

As a part of 'Onakani' Vegetable Cultivation, 1442.754 tonnes of vegetables were cultivated in the entire state in 6982.44 acres. Thrissur district topped in the turnover of vegetable cultivation with Rs. 2.27 crores. Kottayam district came in second place with Rs. 1.06 crores and Malappuram district came in the third place with Rs. 67.4 lakhs.

As part of the 'Nirapolima' project, Thrissur district came in the first place in the turnover of flower cultivation. The total gain of farmers in the district is Rs. 1.17 crores. Kasaragod came in the second place with a turnover of Rs. 46.3 lakhs and Thiruvananthapuram district came in the third place with a turnover of Rs. 29.8 lakhs.   

In the floriculture sector, there has been a significant increase in the number of farmers, farm area and production this year. Last year, 1870 Farmers' Groups cultivated flowers in 870 acres, but this year 376.49 tonnes of flowers were produced by cultivating marigold, jasmine and lotus in 1301.53 acres. More than five thousand farmers participated in this.

The vegetables and fruits that Kudumbashree brought to the market at reasonable prices to prepare Onam Sadya (Feast) were a great relief to the common people. More and more farmers are getting into schemes that ensure better income with less investment. The success of Kudumbashree Onam Marketing Fair was made possible by the availability of quality products at fair prices along with good organization, coordination and participation of entrepreneurs and farmers.

'Kolayikkoottam', the preparatory assemblies in connection with Kudumbashree Balasadas has started on 21 September 2024. Kudumbashree Balasabha members are organizing 'Balasadas' on 2 October 2024 in all 19,470 wards of the state. More than four lakh children who are members of 31,612 Balasabhas under Kudumbashree will participate in this. Balasabhas are children's NHGs formed with the objective of protecting children's rights and developing a sense of democracy among them. The Balasadas is organized ahead of the Bala Parliament proposed to be held in December 2024.

Kolayikkoottams are small gatherings of the Kudumbashree/Balasabha families of the ward/division preceding the Balasadas in their respective areas. The activities of Bala Sadas will be announced in advance through these meetings. These activities will be held till 29 September 2024.

The aim of 'Balasadas' is to provide practical knowledge to effectively organize children's Grama Sabha and to develop skills in children to identify social problems and find solutions for them. Strengthening of Balasabhas, and developing organizational skills, leadership qualities and logical thinking in children are also the objectives.

Balasabha members will gather in the nature-friendly places of each ward from 2 PM to 5 PM on 2 October 2024. The questions raised by the children in the Balasadas, social problems and the needs of the children will be divided into various topics under the leadership of the Balasabha Resource Persons and a report will be prepared. These reports will be submitted to the respective CDS office before 10 October 2024. Thus the reports received at the CDS level will be collated and presented to the Bala Panchayat or Bala Urban Local Body and then submitted to the Chairman and Secretary of the Local Self Government Institution. The solutions to the problems raised by the children through the report will be found at the local level.

Through the report, solutions to the problems raised by the children will be found at the local body level. The aim is to present the other issues in the Kudumbashree State Bala Parliament and bring them to the attention of the Government and find solutions.

Under the leadership of Kudumbashree, the local (indigenous) children have prepared nine books as part of the Kanas Jaga (Dream Place) Special Project which was started during the last holiday. Kanas Jaga is a project to make indigenous children excel in different fields and make them self-aware of the place they live in, its climate, climate changes, social issues, children's rights and empower themselves to overcome the issues.

These books are designed by including stories and scripts prepared by children. As part of the Aralam (Kannur), Vandazhi, Parambikulam (Palakkad), Thirunelly, Noolpuzha (Wayanad), Nilambur (Malappuram), Edamalakkudy, Marayoor - Kanthalloor (Idukki), Malaipandara (Pathanamthitta), Koraga (Kasaragod), Kadar (Thrissur) and Attappady Projects, about 3000 children participated in the activities of preparing Kanas Jaga Books.

These books are a collection of writings prepared by children based on the goal of identifying their own area, understanding its features, identifying problems and finding solutions to develop creativity. Now the children are busy preparing short films based on the scripts. These Children's Short Films will be screened at the Children's Film Festival proposed to be held in November 2024.

Kudumbashree's 3.16 lakh Gender Point Persons (GPPs) are gearing up to intervene in gender-based issues. The main task of GPPs is to support the management of gender status issues and to help each NHG member to access related services and rights. A two-day workshop to outline the framework for imparting training to GPPs at Kudumbashree NHG, ADS and CDS level was concluded  in Thiruvananthapuram on 20 September 2024. One person from each Kudumbashree NHG is selected as GPP. The election of GPPs in all 3,16,386 NHGs of the state has been completed. 19,470 GPPs have been assigned to coordinate ward level activities from NHG GPPs and 1070 CDS level GPPs have been assigned to coordinate panchayat level activities from these ADS GPPs. General Awareness Training was also imparted to CDS and ADS Level GPPs.

The responsibilities of Gender Resource Persons include organizing continuous awareness programmes, classes, discussions and debates on gender status issues of NHG members, empower women and children to respond to gender discrimination, act as the NHG link of Vigilant Group, coordinate women empowerment activities at NHG level, take interventions to make NHG areas women and child friendly, register cases in ADS level and support women for solving the problem if gender issues are reported, and providing counseling with the help of Kudumbashree Snehitha Gender Help Desk.

The training activities for the effective delivery of GPP activities to NHG level will be started as a Special Campaign on a pilot basis in each selected block of 14 districts and Attappady from November. The training modules provided by the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) implemented through Kudumbashree in Kerala are developed and divided into three according to the situation of Kerala. 15 modules of training through interactive methods such as Theatre (Creative Training), Activity and Digital Technology are imparted to GPPs and through them to NHG members.

The activity category will comprise of five modules namely Gender Difference and Gender Status, Gender Status - Social Construction and Socialization, Gender Based Division of Labour, Adolescence - Welfare and Health and Child Marriage. Five modules are included under the theater category such as accessibility and control, gender difference and mobility, gender-rights and entitlements, food and nutrition, women's literacy and education. Under the Digital Technology Category there are five modules on gender-based violence, institutional systems, gender status and livelihoods, gender status and decentralization, women-specific legislation and existing laws. Along with these modules, subjects for digital literacy and personal development are also included in the training.

Dr. B.Sreejith, Programme Officer, Kudumbashree, Ms. Feby D.A. and Shri. Arjun Prathap R.P, Office Secretarial Staff gave leadership to the Two Day Workshop held at Hotel Grand Chaithram, Thiruvananthapuram. Education experts, experts in Information and Communication Technology, Experts from the theater departments, teacher trainers, Kudumbashree District Programme Managers, Snehitha Gender Help Desk staff etc participated in the programme.