Kakkengad Farmers' Club: December 2010

Inauguration of RUDSET training programme

>> Friday, December 10, 2010

RUDSET Institute (Rural Development & Self Employment Training Institute) has conducted a training for programme at Kakkengad on behalf of the Kakkengad Farmers' Club and North Malabar Gramin Bank at Kakkengad. Two photos from the programme.

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The Chairman of North Malabar Gramin bank Mr. V Sri Rama Prakash inaugurating the opening of RUDSET training at Kakkengad. Also at the scene are Mr. A M Mathew, President, Kakkengad Farmers' Club and Mr. Kunhikrishnan, Director RUDSET, Kannapuram, Mr. Saseendran, President Peravoor Block Panchayath, Mr. K Janardhanan, Kannur Area Manager, North Malabar Gramin bank and Mr. Ramchandra Nair, Manager, North Malabar Gramin Bank, Kakkengad Branch.

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Mr. Kunhikrishnan, Director, RUDSET, Kannapuram speaking on the occassion of RUDSET institute's training programme at Kakkengad.

Free Sewing Classes

>> Thursday, December 9, 2010

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A Photo from the free Sewing classes conducted by the Kakkengad Farmers' Club. In the stage are Mr. T Mukundan Senior Manager, Credit Department, North Malabar Gramin Bank, Mr. P A Premkumar, AGM, Nabard and Mr. A M Mathew, President, Kakkengad Farmers' Club.

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Another photo from a news item from a daily showing Mr. P A Premkumar AGM, Nabard inaugurating the Free Sewing Classes for women. Also seen are the Area Manager Mr. K Janardhanan, Area Manager, NMGB, Kannur and Smt. Mariam P M, Secretary of Farmers' Club, Kakkengad and Mr. Ramchandra Nair, Manager, NMGB, Kakkengad.

Innovative Tactics to tame money lenders.

Here is a news item which explains how the Kakkengad Farmers' club with the help of North Malabar Gramin Bank Kakkengad branch helped those who fell to the hands of the money lenders by innovative methods to save people of an entire village from them who oozed blood from the life of the low-middle income group of Muzhakkunnu village near Kakkengad.

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Nabard award for Kakkengad Farmers` Club

>> Saturday, December 4, 2010

A variety of farmer-friendly initiatives, such as supply of inputs, collective marketing of agricultural produce, soil testing, awareness programmes, facilitation for technology transfer, and organising study tours to model farms, has helped Kakkayangad win NABARD’s best farmers’ club award in Kerala.

The club has received the award from Nabard for three consecutive years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.

The Kakkengad Farmers Club’s efforts in relieving the debt-ridden farmer families from the clutches of usurious moneylenders, won them the award this time. The club, with the help of the SHGs, carried out a house-to-house survey in the entire panchayat to assess the indebtedness of the farmer families and found that over 500 families had outstanding liabilities.

North Malabar Gramin Bank came up with a debt-swapping programme called 'money lender free panchayat’ to relieve these families from the clutches of the private moneylenders. This initiative spurred the interest of other RRBs in the area and they have also started replicating this model.

According to Bhawar Puri, chief general manager of Nabard - Kerala, the club had assumed the role of a self-help promoting body and had formed around 200 SHGs in the panchayat. Through thrift and small loans, the members of these SHGs had gained economic empowerment and social recognition. In its efforts to sustain the movement, the club also encouraged the SHGs to start micro-enterprises to enhance their income levels.

News source here