Page 61 - HUDCO BEST PRACTICE AWARDS

Transferability and Lessons learned of house number after completion. This project would also result in women friendly
sustainable work environment and would help women to excel in all fields like men,
his project can be replicated anywhere in India, since there is a huge demand for including construction sector.
Tskilled labour in construction sector and the poor women are still there without
any job. Further, women are ready to take up any entrepreneurship like men, if they are Kudumbashree Mission (KM)
sensitized and motivated in a proper way.
Kudumbashree is the poverty eradication and women empowerment programme
Workers at present do not get employment throughout but also get exploited in terms implemented by the State Poverty Eradication Mission (SPEM) of the Government of
of daily wages. This scattered talent requires to be organized as one group thus could Kerala. Kudumbashree was set up in 1997, in the context of the devolution of powers to
position themselves significantly in the construction industry. There are many trained the Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) in Kerala, and the Peoples’ Plan Campaign, which
workers who are keen on taking up contract work independently. However, due to lack attempted to draw up the Ninth Plan of the local governments from below through the
of modern tools and equipment, they may not be able to execute high quality job. A PRIs.
centralized tools and equipment library providing equipment to its members on rental
basis at a reasonable cost would help these workers earn self employment to a great In 2011, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India recognised
extent. Kudumbashree as the State Rural Livelihoods Mission (SRLM) under the National Rural
Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). Kudumbashree is essentially a community network that
covers the entire State of Kerala. While the community network is formed around the
central themes of poverty eradication and women empowerment, its main features
include democratic leadership, and support structures formed from the ‘Kudumbashree
family’.

Women labourers at site

Some responses from the trained women labourers

“There were a few days of classroom teaching, where we were taught everything about
the construction process and skills. Then we were straight away taken to the site, where
we were asked to build a house. It was not an easy task, but we were determined and
soon it became a pleasure to see the work progress”
“As days went by and the house took shape, those who laughed at us came to support
us and that was a big game-changer.”

Inspired by these enterprising women, and anticipating a huge shortage of labour force in
near future because of determined government campaigns of mass housing (LIFE project
of government of Kerala), it was decided to impart training to women in construction
sector so as to form labour contract groups of women entrepreneurs who can take up
construction of houses of poor and needy, in addition to taking up bigger projects.
To ensure quality, Kudumbashree is closely reviewing every phase of the construction.
Helmets, identity cards and uniforms, along with a stipend, are being provided to each
member. Members who construct a house would be considered ‘mini contractors’. The
agency concerned would provide the assistance and expert advice at the construction
stage. The members would be equipped in all the phases of construction, including
preparation of plan in the initial phase, its approval from local bodies and the allotment

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