Kerala - Thrissur

A source of strength for women

Thrissur: Minimol and Jaya of Nadathara belong to the potter community, one of the most backward communities in the State in terms of education and socio-economic progress.

Potters, who speak their own ethnic dialect at home, usually shy away from interacting with mainstream society. Only a few of them have finished high school.

But things changed for the better for Minimol and Jaya and their friends after they formed a Kudumbasree unit a few years ago. Using Kudumbasree funds, they replaced their traditional potter’s wheels with mechanised ones. Now, handicrafts, flowerpots and other objects d’art emerge from these wheels. They have customers across the State.

New production methods and creation of a wide range of products have improved the economic status of the artisans, boosted their confidence and brought about a dramatic change in the way they interact with different strata of society. Improved business sees them deal with customers directly, haggle with traders, coordinate with government offices and handle bank transactions. Shedding inhibition, they actively participate in social functions.

Like Minimol and their friends, members of about 15 activity groups of potter community in Ward No 1, 15 and 16 of Nadathara panchayat have tasted success. Men in the community now emulate them.

Minimol and Jaya represent a large group of women in Thrissur district who have been able to stand on their own feet and realise their potential by becoming a part of the Kudumbasree movement.

There are 15,631 neighbourhood groups (NHG) and 1,354 Area Development Societies (ADS) in 99 local bodies in the district.

Kudumbasree officials claim that a large number of these units have guided their members in economic, social and women’s empowerment, represented by the three flowers in the Kudumbasree logo. The movement has ignited in women a sense of self-esteem and an urge for economic independence.

“Kudumbasree is a major source of strength for women. It has instilled self-confidence in women from lower classes and castes, and even encouraged them to contest elections,” says K.P. Jacob, district mission coordinator.

The movement has created leaders like Athirappilly grama panchayat president Kanjana Vijayan. But for Kudumbasree, she, a member of the Kadar tribe, would have never stepped out of her tribal hamlet to lead the panchayat. She was a member of the neighbourhood group, ‘Moolika,’ in Vazhachal, which procured honey and other forest products.

“Most of us, housewives, never used to venture out of home if our husbands did not give us company,” says Mercy Gopi, chairperson of the Community Development Society (CDS) of Nadathara panchayat. “The mission gave us a vision, a platform to meet people and the courage to face challenges,” she says.

The Kudumbasree mission’s Bhavanasree project provides micro-finance to NHG members for construction of new houses and repair of existing ones, while the Asraya project, a community-based effort to identify and rehabilitate destitute families, gives a fillip to poverty eradication measures in villages. A sum of Rs.15.75 crore has been sanctioned to construct 3,479 houses under the Bhavanasree project in the district. As many as 51 grama panchayats have been covered under the Asraya project, officials says.

Santhwanam Healthcare Enterprises, a joint project of Kudumbasree, Health Action by People and State Bank of India, gives employment to many trained persons from BPL (below poverty line) families.

Kudumbasree implements projects in many sectors — from food processing to hollow bricks production and lease land farming to Information Technology. Maithri activity group of Arangottukara, a collective of eco-conscious women farmers, work with a futuristic vision. They stick to organic farming and have proved that agriculture can be made profitable without damaging the ecosystem.

‘Nivedyam,’ another project, will meet the entire ‘kadali’ plantain requirements of the Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple. A memorandum of understanding has been signed in this connection and supply will begin in February.

Under the scheme, kadali is being grown in 30 ha of land in Kodakara block to produce 600 tonnes of plantains. About 150 groups have been trained in plantain cultivation. The Guruvayur temple requires 120 bunches of kadali plantain a day. The entire lot is now being bought from Tamil Nadu.

A community marketing network to sell the products of activity groups through neighbourhood groups is another successful initiative. In all, 36 grama panchayats have been covered under the scheme. The project aims to solve marketing problems faced by the units, says T. R. Maya, assistant district mission coordinator.

“The Kudumbasree movement has eliminated middlemen who eat into the earnings of poor tribes in my panchayat,” says Preethy Unnikrishnan, CDS chairperson of Athirappilly panchayat. Athirappilly panchayat has 21 NHGs of Scheduled Tribes covering 324 families. It also has six NHGs of Scheduled Castes. The tribes, mostly illiterate and living in abject poverty, have now started earning money, Preethy says.

Successful Kudumbasree units in the district include Sagarasree, a seafood processing unit at Methala panchayat, Pentas Cocoa, a chocolate producing unit at Nadathara panchayat, Egger Nursery at Kodassery panchayat, fully- mechanised units of Amritham food supplement in 16 panchayats.

Diversion of funds for unproductive purposes and instances of units dropping out after initial enthusiasm have affected the Kudumbasree movement. Such flaws notwithstanding, the movement has contributed significantly to women’s empowerment.

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