Back to School Campaign

In October last year, Kudumbashree Mission, one of the largest women’s self-help network groups, launched an ambitious two-month campaign to send its 38,70,794 members back to school. In the first week, the Thirike Schoolil’ (Back to School) program attracted over 20 lakh women to weekend classes conducted in 2000 schools in all 14 districts of Kerala. Approximately 50 lakh people, including 20,000 area development societies, 1070 community development societies, 15,000 resource persons, Kudumbashree Snehita, various training groups, and state-district mission staff members were part of the campaign. The initiative got recognition from the Asia Book of Records.

Kudumbashree comprised several Ayalkootams (Neighborhood Groups) that sported their uniforms -- sarees of different colors, pink, orange, and green. Nishad CC, State Program Coordinator, Kudumbashree Mission, said, “The Kudumbashree Mission has completed 25 years in 2023. It was started as a poverty alleviation and women empowerment program in 1997. With this campaign, we decided that the best way to reorient women about the mission and its objectives was to get them together in a spirit of fun and togetherness. What better way than sending them back to school?”

The campaign was inaugurated by M B Rajesh, Minister of the Local Self Government Department, Government of record for the largest training campaign organized by women in a single state was set by the State Poverty Eradication Mission (Kudumbashree) of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

The campaign was named Thirike Schoolil.

Kerala, at K B Menon Memorial Higher Secondary School in Thrithala, Palakkad, on October 1, 2023. The campaign was launched to strengthen the three-tier structure of Kudumbashree and equip NHG women to take up novel ventures in tune with the changing times. On the inaugural day alone, approximately four lakh NHG members actively participated across Kerala. There were 10-member teams of resource persons in each district, including two Kudumbashree training team members, two auxiliary group members, two microenterprise consultants, a district mission coordinator, and two gender team members. There were resource persons at the block level and CDS level. District-level inauguration programs were held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur districts.

With over three lahk Ayalkootams handling micro-finance activities running into crores in the state, it was thought to work around a concept that would educate and empower them. The organizers conceptualized a five-topic module that included educating women on financial planning and micro-finance, the goals of the organization, social togetherness, introducing women to newer livelihood opportunities, and digital literacy. With over two lakh Ayalkootam WhatsApp groups, a concerted social media plan was put into action with messages, posters, and videos to attract women to the campaign. Local governance also played an important role in ensuring the success of the Kudumbashree campaign.

The schools were arranged near to the Kudumbashree members and they were supposed to attend one-day training session. The classes were held from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. Five topics were taught in the schools to help the members to get a new direction of functioning. The General Education Department approved the school facilities for this training program and mostly all Sundays were used for this campaign. The name Kudumbashree in Malayalam means ‘prosperity of the family’. Kudumbashree has a three-tier structure for its women’s community network, with Neighborhood Groups (NHGs) at the bottom level, Area Development Societies (ADS) at the middle level, and Community Development Societies (CDS) at the local government level.