Vengad
Grama Panchayat

 Kudumbashree – State Poverty Eradication Mission

Kudumbashree – State Poverty Eradication Mission is an innovative initiative established in 1998 by the Department of Local Self-Government, Government of Kerala, with the objective of poverty eradication. The Mission, which has taken poverty alleviation as its primary responsibility, implements its programmes through a community-based organisational system formed under the leadership of Local Self-Government Institutions.

Over the years, Kudumbashree has strengthened and expanded its activities and has evolved into a powerful organisational platform for women, working towards economic empowerment, social development, and women’s empowerment.

Organisational Structure

The basic unit of the Kudumbashree organisational system is the Neighbourhood Group (NHG). Each NHG consists of 10 to 20 women, generally including one woman aged 18 years or above from each participating family in the locality.

These Neighbourhood Groups are federated at the ward level as Area Development Societies (ADSs) and at the Grama Panchayat level as Community Development Societies (CDSs).

The office-bearers of these organisations at all three levels are women democratically elected by the members. Elected representatives of Local Self-Government Institutions provide leadership to this community-based organisational system, including as patrons of ADSs and as Chairpersons of the Local Self-Government Institution / Kudumbashree CDS Evaluation Committee.

More than 43 lakh economically disadvantaged families are members of Kudumbashree. Along with regular Neighbourhood Groups, special Neighbourhood Groups have also been formed for families including persons facing physical, mental, and intellectual challenges, transgender persons, and senior citizens.

Major Programmes

Kudumbashree Microfinance:
Members of Kudumbashree Neighbourhood Groups mobilise savings and make these funds available to members as internal loans, thereby providing accessible financial support within the community.

Linkage Banking:
Through the bank linkage programme, Neighbourhood Groups are provided with the necessary financial support to transform their small savings into capital investment and to encourage them to undertake micro-enterprises.

Micro Enterprises:
The micro-enterprise programme aims to create self-employment opportunities for Kudumbashree women. RME and Yuvashree are among the existing initiatives. Interest subsidies and various other forms of financial assistance are also provided to eligible micro-enterprises.

Amrutham Food Supplement:
Amrutham Food Supplement is part of the Take Home Ration System (THRS) implemented by the Department of Social Justice to address nutritional deficiencies and provide supplementary nutrition to children aged 6 months to 3 years. Under this programme, numerous Kudumbashree units comprising 6 to 10 entrepreneurs produce fortified Amrutham Nutrimix and distribute it through Anganwadis.

Santhwanam:
Santhwanam is an innovative Kudumbashree initiative in the healthcare sector. Under the programme, trained Santhwanam volunteers visit households and conduct timely screening for lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

Harsham – Geriatric Care:
Harsham is an innovative geriatric care programme that provides the services of trained personnel for elderly care. The programme aims to establish enterprise groups capable of providing various services required by senior citizens.

Harithakarmasena:
Harithakarmasena is a waste management initiative implemented at the Local Self-Government Institution level through employment-oriented enterprise groups. The programme is implemented through Local Self-Government Institutions in coordination with the Kudumbashree Mission, Haritha Kerala Mission, and Suchitwa Mission.

Prathyasha:
Prathyasha is a programme designed to support marginalised sections of society, including unmarried mothers, transgender persons, children facing mental disabilities and their mothers, bedridden patients and women caregivers, and elderly widows, by providing opportunities to start micro-enterprises.

ERAISE:
The ERAISE Programme was launched under the leadership of Kudumbashree to provide free self-employment training to families who lost their livelihoods due to floods and to help them establish alternative sources of income.

Training is provided in 10 sectors, including:

• Plumbing
• Electronics Repair
• Electrical Work
• Agriculture-related activities such as coconut tree climbing and clearing of overgrowth
• Laundry and Ironing
• Sales
• Housekeeping
• Day Care
• Domestic Assistance
• Data Entry

Vengad CDS Members

C D S Office Employees