KUDUMBASHREE PROGRAMME

Rashmirekha Pandit
22nd February 2023
IMG, Thiruvananthapuram
What is Kudumbashree?

THE STATE POVERTY STATE RURAL LIVELIHOODS A STATE-WIDE COMMUNITY

ERADICATION MISSION OF MISSION UNDER NRLM NETWORK OF WOMEN, IN
THE GOVERNMENT OF CLOSE TO 3 LAKH
KERALA. NEIGHBOURHOOD GROUPS

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Kudumbashree
Kerala State Poverty Eradication Mission

• 3.1 lakh Neighbourhood Groups

• 19,473 primary federations

• 1070 apex federations

• 45.9 Lakh women as members

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SHG MOVEMENT IN INDIA
SHG Movement in India (1/3)
MYRADA, the pioneers
• Credit Management Groups (Against Primary Agricultural Credit Societies)
• Key Criteria: Self Selection “Affinity”
• Self-help Affinity Groups (SAGs): Mutual Knowledge, Trust & Support
• Regular meetings & Savings
• Institutional Trainings
• Increasing autonomy and agency, demanding transparency and
accountability

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SHG Movement in India (2/3)
NABARD, first to realise SHG’s potential in lending to the poor:
• 1987- First grant to MYRADA
• Bulk lending to groups- Lower transactional costs of lending
• RBI 1991 circular: allowing banks to lend to unregistered groups
• SHG-Bank Linkage 1992

International Fund for Agricultural Development 1992

• SHGs adopted as an institutional mechanism-
• Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu- first bulk loan to SHGs
• Maharashtra, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, NE

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SHG Movement in India (3/3)
PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action) 1983
• System builders, Development approach
• Internal Learning Systems- Capacity Building Framework

• SERP (Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty)

• South Asia Poverty Alleviation Project (SAPAP) of UNDP- 2000
• 1.2 crore HH through SHGs, largest SHG network of any state till bifurcation,
unmatched credit absorbtion capacity
• Cardinal principles for SHG management- Panchasutra
(1) regular meetings, (2) regular savings, (3) internal lending, (4) timely
repayment, and (5) proper book keeping

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Kudumbashree – a Little Different Story
• Alappuzha Urban: Urban Basic Services to the Poor (UBSP
1991)
• Malappuram Rural Community Based Nutrition Programme
(CBNP)- 1998 state wide launch
• UNICEF support – Social indicators for identification of poor
• CBO as platform for development interventions- the
federations co-terminus with local bodies

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Neighbourhood Groups?

▪ Neighbourhood Groups
▪ Self Help Groups
▪ Federations
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Poor Identifying Poor?

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Kudumbashree and Decentralisation

• Kudumbashree state-wide roll out happened in the context of

devolution of powers to the local governments
• Kerala’s decentralisation
• LSGs attaining powers and resources
• Three member Task Force

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 “The beauty of the community organisation system is its autonomy while
working closely with local government… If they were under the local
governments, their autonomy would have been compromised; if they worked
independently of local governments, they would not have got the gains of
democratisation”.

-S.M. Vijayanand, ex-LSG Secretary

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Convergence with Local Governments
▪ Kudumbashree stands out from similar community institutions for its close
relationship with the local governments
▪ The link with local governments is one of mutual engagement, without one
being subservient to the other
▪ Member Secretary of CDS

▪ Evaluation Committee

▪ Women Component Plan

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Kudumbashree Organisation

Community Development Society

• Registered apex Federation at the Local Government level
CDS • 1070 CDSs across Kerala
Area Development Society
ADS • Federation of NHGs at the ward level
• 19,473 ADSs across Kerala

Neighbourhood Groups
• 10 to 20 women per group; one per family
NHG • 3.1 Lakh NHGs across Kerala
• 45.9 lakh members

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 Neighbourhood Groups (NHG)
The NHG performs all the activities of a
typical SHG.
• Conducting regular meetings
• Running a thrift and credit programme
• Maintaining books of records and accounts
• Closely work with local governments
• Participate in Gram Sabha meetings
• Need gathering
5 Member Executive
Committee
 Area Development Society (ADS)

• Ward level federation - Link b/w NHGs

and CDS
• Monitoring of NHGs
• Provide support on activities including
setting up and running micro-
enterprises.
• It acts as a middle tier of the community
and disseminate information.
• Closely work with the local government
at the ward level.
7 Member Executive
• Play a significant role in conducting Gram
Sabha. Committee
 Community Development Society
(CDS)
● Monitor the work of the NHG and ADS.
● CDS have Capacity Building and awareness
building roles.
● They work closely with Gram Panchayat in plan
formulation and implementation at the local
level.
● Sub Committees
○ Micro finance
○ Micro enterprises
○ Social Development
○ Infrastructure Development
○ Centrally sponsored schemes
CDS Office
Kudumbashree
The institution network covers more
Today than 60% of the families in the State

Total thrift collected by NHGs is Rs.

5398 crore and Internal loans
1070 19,473 generated are of Rs. 21,441 crores
CDS ADS

45,85,677 3.1 lakhs NHGs have availed Rs

3,06,551 Members 13,774 crores worth of loans
NHGs through bank linkage

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 Kudumbashree in Economic Development
• Collective farming on leased land has been promoted from early
days of Kudumbashree
• This year there are 75,72 Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) with 3,78,810
members cultivating 20348 ha of land
• Inputs for cultivation is supplied through jaivika plant nursery and
bio pharmacy units
• Various value added products are manufactured by setting up of
small, medium enterprises and agri business ventures
• Nattuchantha - Weekly markets named ‘Nattuchantha’ were
identified as one of the best methods of marketing the agricultural
produce of women farmers

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Kudumbashree in Economic Development
▪ Promoting micro enterprises among the poor has been a priority
▪ There are 1 Lakh micro enterprises run by 2.5 lakh women from the
Kudumbashree network across the state
▪ In addition, there are special enterprises promoted in specific sectors as
per opportunities or for addressing problems.

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Kudumbashree in Economic Development
Special Enterprises
▪ Amrutham Food Supplement (Nutrimix): Nutritional supplement to children through
ICDS
▪ 241 units, 1680 women
▪ 120 crore annual turn over
▪ Café Kudumbashree: A branded network of canteens and small restaurants run by
women, specialising in local cuisine
▪ More than 1060 branded units; 8000 women

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Kudumbashree in Economic Development

• Community support cadre as enterprises

▪ Training groups: Enterprise groups of members of Kudumbashree families
offering training programmes to Kudumbashree and other agencies
▪ KAASS: Kudumbashree Accounts and Audit Service Society engaged in
account keeping in the community network.
▪ MECs: Members of Kudumbashree families trained to support micro
enterprises

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 “During the early years of Kudumbashree, we realised that there were
sections that were being left out. The most vulnerable, the poorest of the
poor, and the most marginalised of the society were even incapable of
accessing the benefits of poverty eradication programmes. Our field visits
and surveys showed that there were families that did not have any official
record to claim entitlements; no ration card, no voter’s identity card. We had
even found families who were so helpless that they did not even know the
name of the State they lived in or the name of their district. So, we had to
develop special schemes to include these people”.

- T.K. Jose IAS., former Executive Director, Kudumbashree

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Social Inclusion (Poorest of the Poor)

• Asraya: A comprehensive destitute identification and rehabilitation

programme
• Implemented in 1042 local governments.
• 1.57 lakh destitute families rehabilitated
• Channelled more than Rs 2000 crore of funds

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Social Inclusion (Poorest of the Poor)
• BUDS: Programme aimed at supporting children with disabilities and their
mothers
• 177 BUDS Schools, 5126 children (M – 2940; F – 2186)
• BRC: Institution to take care of the mentally challenged above the age of 18
years
• 165 centres; 4419 persons (M-2436; F – 1983)

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 “The issue of transforming the women NHGs into genuine instruments of
women empowerment must be addressed. Neither micro credit nor micro
enterprise by themselves will necessarily lead to the empowerment of
women. Empowerment requires a conscious intervention for which the
economic activities play a facilitating role. The challenge is to design and
implement a gender awareness programme for women and men that is linked
to their daily life experiences.”

Isaac et al. 2002:15

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Women Empowerment Programmes

• Gender Self Learning Programme: Seeing as Women

• Thematic areas: Women and work, Women and health, Women and
mobility & Women and entertainment
• Snehita:
• Gender Help Desks for distressed women and children;
• Counsellors
• Gender Resource Centres

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Centrally Sponsored Schemes

• Kudumbashree implements a number of centrally sponsored schemes in the

State
▪ PMAY
▪ DAY-NRLM
▪ NRLP – Elderly Inclusion Programme
▪ DAY-NULM
▪ DDU-GKY

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Implementation of CSS - PMAY
• PMAY – Urban – Beneficiary-led housing
Other States
• Central share: Rs 1.5 lakh
• State share: Rs 0.5 lakh
• Beneficiary: Rs 0.5 lakh
• Total per house: Rs 2.5
lakh
Kerala
• Central share: Rs 1.5 lakh
• State share: Rs 0.5 lakh
• Urban LG: Rs 2.0 lakh
• Total per house: Rs 4.0
lakh
• Plus, AUEGS, 90 days of
work
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PMAY

• PMAY – Urban - BLH

▪ 70,000 houses out of 1,10,000 have been completed
• PMAY – Affordable Housing in Partnership
▪ For landless, homeless families
▪ Apartments of 550 sq ft plinth area
▪ Rs 14 lakh per unit (State share Rs 12.5 lakh)
▪ 400 units out of 970 have been completed

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 Kudumbashree beyond Kerala

National Resource Organisation

to support other States under the
National Rural Livelihoods Mission
of Government of India
• Functional from May 2013
onwards

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Kudumbashree beyond Kerala

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Kudumbashree beyond Kerala

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Kudumbashree beyond Kerala

KS-NRO mandated to provide technical support to

SRLMs
• Model of women's institutions working together
with local governments – PRI-CBO Convergence
Project
• Micro Enterprise Development approach through
community based support system – MEC Project
and SVEP

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 Emergence of Practice

Based on Kerala’s experience of Kudumbashree community network

( NHG-ADS-CDS ) working closely with the Gram Panchayats

❑ Micro finance core activity of the SHGs, but not the only activity
❑ MF as a tool for addressing immediate financial needs.
❑ Focus on leveraging due entitlements form the Governement
❑ Right based Capacity building programmes
❑ Lobbying for increased role of SHGs in the development process
 Kudumbashree NRO's Approach

Creation of the proof of Building community based support

concept across states and systems in areas of livelihoods and rural
projects, based on experience in governance for LED
Kerala and Partner states

Standardised content and

training modules developed by
Kudumbashree NRO

Community Driven Development:

Human Resources from the
community like Mentors, Master
Developing a locally identified
Trainers handholding CRP-
resource pool who act as catalyst for
EPs/Cadres in project areas
building local experiences.
 Mentors

• Experienced Mentors from Kudumbashree community

network
• Key people transferring experience and knowledge

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Mentors
• More than 200 Mentors providing support in partner-
States:
– Drawn from former
– CDS Chairpersons
– CDS-ADS office-bearers
– GP members
– Kudumbashree training/MEC/KAASS groups

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Kudumbashree beyond Kerala

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Aajeevika India
Food Court
• Showcasing Authentic Rural
Cuisines at National Level
Platform
• 12+ Food Courts including 3 at
National Level SARAS Melas
• 300+ First Generation Food
Service Entrepreneurs Trained
• 5.82+ crores of Revenue
Generated
Thank you

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Link to the videos
1. Asraya:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w30kQaAKiE&t=1s
2. BUDS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDbsF-
OMCdE&t=20s
3. PRI-CBO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe51gTc1T90
4. Enterprises:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksunSoSa1WY&list=PLL2
_rJefpFkLMAXVwyMrbp5w_3pgRbHvD&index=3
5. India Food Court:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIJzEnGYwZ4

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