The differently-abled inmates of Buds Rehabilitation Centre (BRC) in Kumbalam have embarked on a new journey of hope, thanks to a livelihood project being implemented by the Kudumbashree District Mission for their financial self-sufficiency.
Three major portfolios of the mission — social development, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY), and micro enterprises — joined hands for the empowerment of the inmates of BRC by training them in the production of notebooks and pens. DDUGKY is a Central government scheme of which Kudumbashree is the nodal agency.
Training for teachers
“We trained the teachers at BRC who in turn taught the inmates in making notebook and pens. They stitched together the papers while the animation trainees at one of the Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs) under DDUGKY at Nettoor designed and printed covers. They have turned up really well exceeding all our expectations,” said K.M. Anoop, district programme manager, social development, Kudumbashree District Mission.
In a month since its rollout, BRC has already supplied hundreds of books and pens to multiple clients including the Panangad-based Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies and Kudumbashree itself. “BRC has supplied to one of the 23 PIAs (private agencies for imparting skill development training under DDUGKY) in the district while an understanding has been reached with the rest of the PIAs for the supply of books and pens for their students,” said Mr. Anoop.
Setting target
Kudumbashree has set a target of manufacturing 20,000 books and pens each year eyeing a sales turnover of ₹5 lakh. A book is sold for ₹25 and a pen for ₹8. The idea is to distribute the proceeds from the sales as wages among the active participants out of the 32 inmates in BRC while others will be either given a scholarship or financial aid.
Plans are also afoot to scale up the volume by extending the project to four Buds schools in the district at Mazhuvannoor, Kunnathunadu, Pallarimangalam and Kizhakkambalam shortly. Machines will be installed at each of these schools by spending ₹10 lakh each.
