President Droupadi Murmu with Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and others during the inauguration of the silver jubilee celebrations of Kudumbashree in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Kudumbashree volunteers who ensured food for people through community kitchens during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic have come in for praise from Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.
At a civic reception for President Droupadi Murmu here on Friday, Mr. Khan who presided over the function said Kerala was possibly the only State where after lockdown, no one, including guest workers, faced any problem, and the credit for it went to Kudumbashree workers.
The Kudumbashree that began as a poverty alleviation mission had become a women empowerment model known around the world. A large number of women representatives in local bodies had entered public life through their involvement in Kudumbashree. This transformation pointed to a future where ‘Naari Shakti’ would have a greater role in driving the world forward, he said.
Ms. Murmu who had overcome adversities in life through hard work and determination to become the President was a shining example of Naari Shakti. Her presence at the function, which was not only a civic reception but also a celebration of women empowerment achieved through the Kudumbashree, was an inspiration, the Governor said.
Welcoming the President, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the State was striving to ensure equality of all sections of society and unity. A cursory glance at the programmes inaugurated by the President would show how seriously the State took the principle of ‘leave no one behind.’ This enabled it to press forward with developmental and welfare measures, even amid severe challenges.
As a Statewide programme for poverty eradication and women’s empowerment, Kudumbashree had made its own contribution to the Kerala development model, Mr. Vijayan said.
“It was in 1998 that Kudumbashree was launched as a network of women’s neighbourhood groups. It has come a long way since then, emerging as an efficient service provider for the State, handling the last mile for State government programmes and Centrally supported schemes. As a grassroots-level organisation, Kudumbashree engages closely with our local self-governments,” he said.
Its Rachna initiative would chronicle how Kudumbashree had improved the lives of not only its members but also that of the localities they serve, he said.
He expressed hope that the Unnathi initiative of the government would go a long way in further improving the lives and livelihoods of the Scheduled Tribe communities.
The President presented the certificate of the Unnathi scheme to Kuttimathan Kani of Thiruvananthapuram district at the reception.
