MALAPPURAM: If the sight of green paddy seedlings in Kerala’s Thennala panchayat is pleasant, then the efforts of a young girl at Kodakkal and her team behind it are inspiring. Led by Yasmin A, a group of 500 women converted around 1,300 acre fallow land into lush fields. It is one of the numerous missions being taken up by Yasmin for women and children.Yasmin was selected chairperson of Kudumbashree Thennala Community Development Society (CDS) in 2011. Its neighbourhood groups (NHGs) grew from 90 to 232. It secured leading position in the district after a slew of projects were implemented under her leadership.
“When I attended the first meeting as chairperson, the CDS was in the last position in the district. We were criticised at a review meeting in Malappuram,” Yasmin said.She oversaw the emergence of NHGs and Joint Liability Groups (JLGs). Now, the panchayat has 126 JLGs, under which more than 500 women earn livelihood.
In 2015, the JLGs started Thennala Agro Producer Company, which records annual revenue of `20 lakh by marketing Thennala rice. Women produce around 7,200 ton of rice annually. She has one disappointment. After running a school for differently-abled children for two years, she had to close it down due to financial crunch. Well-wishers have promised `5 lakh and she’s now looking for more support.