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Spinning a success story
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The Kudumbashree project of the State Poverty Eradication Mission aims to eradicate poverty by providing employment to those below the poverty line, ensuring improved income and standard of living.
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FROM WORKING for the betterment of women to youth and children, Kudumbashree has come a long way. The Kudumbashree projects, started as a 10-year programme as part of the State Poverty Eradication Mission, have left an indelible mark in many arenas.
"Poverty is the only asset a poor father can pass on to his children, and it needs no collateral security," says Dr. Krishnakumar, programme officer, Kudumbashree. And poverty is exactly what it aims to eradicate.
After successfully venturing into a number of small-scale units, Kudumbashree stumbled upon the idea of a multi-purpose unit. It found that daily labourers were expensive and finding skilled labour was no easy task. "Plumbers, electricians and carpenters are a rare lot and even if we could lay hands on one, they come expensive," he says. Though qualified workers are dime a dozen in Kerala, they do not get much opportunity here. "Our contractors prefer workers from other States such as Tamil Nadu, perhaps because of the bad reputation of Malayalis," Dr. Krishnakumar says. It was then that Kudumbashree collected the list of 350 ITI and ITC diploma holders from the employment exchange. The candidates were called in for an orientation programme in June, in which many entrepreneurs and bankers participated. Of the 350, only 176 participated in the programme. After a series of tests in communication skills in the subjects they had specialised in, 20 were selected. "We found that many of them had little or no practical knowledge. Some didn't even know how to hold a spanner. But with rigorous training, they have come to our desired level," he adds.
To top it all, they were given training at a leading private engineering college in the city. They were divided into two groups of 10 each and christened Star (Pattom) and City Pals (Vanross Junction). Now they were ready to face the world. Or so it seemed until many of them showed signs of scepticism.
Kudumbashree had a solution to that too. A questionnaire was prepared, copies of which were sent through the candidates to 1,000-odd houses in the city. "The response was overwhelming and we found that 80 per cent of the houses needed our service, one way or the other. We came out fully confident of success,'' says Mohan, president of City Pals.
"We are now the owners, managers and workers, and the profit is largely ours," says Dilip, another worker, proudly.
They do all major work in a household, including gardening, interior decorations, bills and other statutory remittances, electrical and electronic maintenance, etc.
The group also has women workers adept at doing all the major work, but they are generally put in office administration and handling of computers.
Kudumbashree is about to bring in a revolution in the field of solid waste management in Kerala. It has always been the grievance of the residents that the city (read Corporation) lacks proper amenities to remove waste. When waste was dumped on roadsides and vacant plots causing health hazards and the Government did precious little to contain the situation, Kudumbashree saw an opportunity and grabbed it. Three groups of five uneducated women each from among the poor were identified and trained to collect waste from the source itself, namely houses. Work has started in five wards of the district. The three pick-up autos that they bought with money raised through a loan makes the job easier. These women take turns in driving the autos. The waste thus collected is segregated and dumped at a spot allotted to them by the Corporation. With their success, groups from Guruvayoor and Alappuzha have also taken training here. In North Paravur, they have gone one step ahead. Here the solid waste is converted into compost and sold at Rs. 5 per kg.
Direct Marketing is another venture that has come out successfully. It was difficult selling the various consumer products manufactured as per the Government's rural development programmes. Setting up shops and manpower to market them worked out to be expensive. It was then that the idea of a tie-up with the Kudumbashree direct marketing group came up. The first to have such a tie-up was the Civil Supplies Corporation. When Sabari Tea became a hit in many households, more and more such products were introduced. Now school products and even clothes are marketed thus. Even big brands like Melam, Aban, Nagarjuna, Elite, etc., are making a beeline for tie-ups with these direct marketing groups.
Canteens in many Government offices in the city, like the Planning Board, Arogya Bhavan, Institute of Management in Government and ICM are run by Kudumbashree units.
Kerashree coconut oil is another one of its microenterprises. Women of these units buy coconuts from areas like Malappuram where they are aplenty. They dry and extract the oil themselves. Though their profit is marginal, the purity of the product has made it a burgeoning business, increasing their income considerably. Now 70-80 such units function in Ernakulam alone.
The Palazhi Palada unit was started by a group of women from Nanthancode. With no educational background to boast of, these women were looking for a good break when they heard about Kudumbashree. A preliminary survey found there was scope for an instant palada unit. In no time, it became a roaring success. Now the unit works from a small building at Nanthancode. Kudumbashree is also planning to make a foray into packed food items under the brand name `Ruchishree'.
Kudumbashree has brought to life many innovative ideas. These microenterprises are aimed at providing employment to those below the poverty line, ensuring improved income and standard of living. It is viewed as a powerful tool for poverty reduction. "Poverty in Kerala is different from that in other States. Even a paisa that a Malayali earns is spent on his immediate needs. And so saving takes a back seat," says Ramanunni, Programme Officer of Kudumbashree. "Being a highly individualistic society, we tend to become selfish, trying to make undue use of the opportunities," he adds. So it becomes a necessity that such opportunities are offered to people as a group. That is where the importance of `ayalkootams' (neighbourhood groups) come to the fore.
Microenterprise development aims at empowering women, mentally and economically. Says Ramanunni: "Women are good managers. When they can manage a home so efficiently, why not use those skills for the betterment of the society also?''
Balasabhas is a novel idea Kudumbasree has brought in. They are the aftermath of the `ayalkootams'. At least eight out of10 students who fail in the SSLC exams are from the economically backward families. "They fail not because they are unintelligent, but because they have more burdens at this age that they can carry. Failure in an exam does not mean that the child is unintelligent. It is necessary to identify their latent talents like music, painting, carpentry, etc., and channel their aptitude towards that. This is where the Balasabhas come into picture," says Ramanunni. "They can also help in marketing the products their mothers make in `ayalkootams'. The small income they get out of it will be a bonus," says Krishnakumar. "If we don't take them under our shelter, they are likely to fall into wrong hands," he adds.
"Unemployment is not a problem in Kerala. So many people from other States come here and work? `Not employable' is the real problem. This is what we aim at addressing," says Tara, another Programme Officer. But how? Through Kudumbashree's new project, the Virtual Employment Exchange. Here candidates can register with a minimal fee. They are categorised according to the jobs they are adept in. According to the demand from employers, these jobseekers are given suitable placements, giving necessary training if need be.
Kudumbashree cannot rest on its laurels. It has to keep looking for more innovative ideas to keep the mission going. If a local entrepreneur is given more attention and thrust than an NRI, Kerala will never be the same.
AMBIKA VARMA
Photos: S. Mahinsha
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