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Recall the clay piggy banks that once taught children the value of saving? In Kerala's Thodupuzha in Idukki district, a retired schoolteacher has reimagined this age-old concept with an ingenious twist. Instead of coins, students are filling their modern-day piggy banks – called "kudukka" in Malayalam – with something far more meaningful: the bounty from their family farms. Welcome to Pacha Kudukka – the "green piggy bank" – where curry leaves become currency and farming meets the future. Here, what might have been dismissed as mere backyard produce is transforming into valuable lessons about savings, self-reliance, and the dignity of agriculture.

Agriculture, Grassroots champi...

How 20 Schools in Kerala’s Idukki district Turn Farm Produce into Student Savings: The Pacha Kudukka Story

Staff Writer

October 23, 2025

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