Alappuzha: P.K. Kalan Project of Kudumbasree Mission for the sustainable development of Scheduled Tribes in Alappuzha Assembly constituency launched in 2017 has become a success sensitising at least 157 socially vulnerable and scattered tribal families.
The project implemented based on a well des-igned micro plan through participatory rural app-raisals and extensive consultations has now been extended to other districts as well.
The idea was born out of a visit of finance minister T.M. Thomas Isaac to Avalookunnu Colony in his constituency.
He instructed district Kudumbasree Mission to carry out a micro survey to find tribal families.
“It was a great challenge to find out these families since they are scattered and unregistered,” said Molji Khalid, its coordinator.
“They have been undergoing several socio-economic challenges. They did not have proper residence, ration cards and organised family set up. Since this community are practising living together traditionally, neither marriage nor births get certified. Hence none of them was to get the benefit of social welfare schemes.”
The first objective was bringing them to the mainstream and get women and children empowered. Most of the men are drunkards, irresponsible and unaware of the government schemes and projects.
As a result of the implementation of project spending `5.25 crore, the ST department of the Mission has managed to carry out routine skill development programmes including masonry and coir spinning among these women.
“The campaigns were conducted to make them aware of their rights. Their children who had never completed primary education and irregular to schools started going schools. The dropouts have been found, convinced and sent to the school,” she said.
“We have traced out six dropout students from the community for the upcoming academic year. As a positive of the project, children have now started dreaming of their future. Recently we had carried out a camp for these children. One of the kids attended the camp told us he wanted to become chief minister. That was how the change takes place in the community.”
In 2018, women were given training in coir making, offering `225 and food. After the completion, they have been paid `300 per day through their bank account for their work.
“The women once they were living in oblivion began showing guts of getting out of the house in seeking a livelihood. They now are aware of their rights as well,” she said.
“They started complaining authorities about their issues including domestic violence. They used to take up these issues with Mission officials. And we refer the cases to competent authorities.”
They are now planning to extend the project to Malappuram and Palakkad.
“A meeting of legislators has been called to discuss the matter of implementing the project all constituencies across the Kerala’, she said.
