Because Opportunity Begins
When Barrier Ends
We work alongside women and underserved communities to build pathways to livelihoods, better health,
greater agency, and lasting economic independence.
Lives Reached
Of Empowerment
Community Hubs
Actively Engaged In
We don't just train women. We build the conditions in which they can succeed.
Learning a skill is only the first step. Good health, confidence, financial awareness and community support are just as important for a woman to build an independent life.
For over 32 years, Calcutta Foundation has worked with underserved communities to remove these barriers. Through Apni Kutir, we bring skilling, healthcare and social empowerment closer to where women live, creating the support they need to learn, earn and thrive.
Discover Our StoryEvery Apni Kutir begins with a community.
It grows into a space where a woman can learn a skill, speak about her health, understand her financial choices, find support among other women and begin imagining a future on her own terms.
Through one integrated community platform, Apni Kutir brings together Skilling & Training, Healthcare, and Social Empowerment, Life & Leadership (SELL), addressing not only how women earn, but the barriers that can prevent them from earning in the first place.
Apni Kutir is where opportunity meets community. Each Kutir brings together three interconnected pathways designed around a simple reality: a livelihood cannot become sustainable if the barriers surrounding it remain unchanged.
Skills that lead somewhere.
From vocational skills and placement-linked training to accelerated earning opportunities, Apni Shakti equips women with the skills and support
they need to earn with confidence.
Because health should not stand between a woman and her future.
Through health awareness, mental health support, reproductive & nutritional health education, and community health camps, Apni Suraksha brings essential conversations and services closer to women.
Healthier women. Stronger families. More resilient communities.
A livelihood begins with a skill. Independence requires much more.
Apni Disha supports women to build the confidence and capabilities that help them navigate work and life, from financial and digital literacy to workplace readiness, entrepreneurship, rights awareness, leadership and decision-making.
From knowing how to earn, to knowing how to move forward.
Every number represents a woman who entered a classroom, attended a health session, earned for the first time, made a decision, supported her family or saw a different possibility for her future.
The numbers help us measure the scale. The stories remind us why it matters.
View Full ImpactDirect Beneficiaries
Indirect Beneficiaries
Across the evolution of the Apni Kutir network
West Bengal · Bihar · Rajasthan · Maharashtra · Chhattisgarh
Based on a 5 km service radius across 30 centres established since 2021.
Annual Income Generated Across the Community*
Income Generation Rate
Women and community members reached through vocational, professional and accelerated earning pathways.
People reached through health, wellness and community care.
People reached through empowerment, financial literacy and livelihood programmes.
A visual look at our training, community work, women-led programs and livelihood initiatives.
Rina's dream, delayed by circumstances, became a journey of confidence, income, and hope. Her first monthly earnings of ₹6,000 marked the beginning of her financial independence.
Not just learning to drive—learning to move forward on her own terms.
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A single opportunity changed her future—from an Apni Kutir student to a Program Assistant at the Calcutta Foundation Head Office. Her journey shows that skills can open the door to lasting careers.
A new Apni Kutir centre opened its doors in Bansberia, creating a space where women can learn, grow, and take a step towards financial independence.
Rajbala transformed her passion into a profession, opening her own beauty parlour and earning confidently through the skills she learned at Apni Kutir.
Where a door opens, possibilities walk in. The inauguration marked the beginning of a new journey where women can learn and shape their futures.
Together with Juhi Chawla, Apni Kutir students planted hope for a greener tomorrow while sharing their inspiring journeys of skill and empowerment.
Every colour told a story of creativity, confidence, and the possibility of turning talent into income. Creativity met opportunity as Apni Kutir students transformed fabric into art while learning skills that can lead to future livelihoods.
By combining awareness with action, the workshop empowered women to protect themselves and become advocates for safety in their communities.
Trust is not only built through the work we do. It is built through how we govern, measure and account for it.
Our work contributes to interconnected development goals because women's economic independence does not exist in isolation. Livelihoods are shaped by poverty, health, education, gender equality, decent work and the communities in which women live.
There is more than one way to create lasting change.
Whether you are a company looking for a trusted implementation partner, a foundation seeking measurable community impact, or an individual who believes in women's economic independence, we can build a pathway to impact together.
Bring us your CSR priorities. We bring community insight, programme design, implementation experience and impact measurement. Together, we build interventions around real needs—not one-size-fits-all solutions.
Strengthen what already works.
Support an existing Apni Kutir and help sustain an integrated ecosystem of livelihoods, healthcare and empowerment within a community.
Adopt a KutirBring opportunity to a new community.
Partner with us to establish an Apni Kutir in a geography aligned with your CSR priorities and the needs identified within the community.
Build a KutirInvest in a specific pathway to change.
Support one or more of our core intervention areas: Skilling & Training · Healthcare · SELL
Explore Our ProgrammesHelp a woman take the first step from skill to income.
Support women with seed grants, starter kits, tools and livelihood-enabling resources that help turn training into an opportunity to earn.
Support EmpowerHerGive us the flexibility to go where the need is greatest.
Unrestricted funding helps Calcutta Foundation strengthen systems, invest in innovation, respond to emerging needs and build the organisational capacity required to scale impact responsibly.
Fuel Our WorkImpact looks different depending on where you stand. To a woman, it may be her first income. To a partner, it may be a programme that reached the community it was designed for. To a trainer, it may be watching hesitation turn into confidence. Here are some of the people who have walked this journey with us.
Skills into livelihood
“I've loved drawing since childhood, but I never imagined it could become a career. At Apni Kutir, I found the opportunity to learn Mehendi professionally, from traditional to modern designs. Every class strengthened my skills and confidence, and my family's support motivated me even more. Today, I dream of becoming a Mehendi trainer myself and helping other women become financially independent. Apni Kutir has shown me that our talents can truly become our livelihood.”
Learning into opportunity
“I joined Apni Kutir's Basic Computer course because I wanted to build a better future. The free training gave me practical skills, confidence, and a supportive learning environment. Today, I have secured a job in Kharagpur and earn ₹7,500 a month. This opportunity has changed my life, and I will always be grateful to Apni Kutir.”
CSR partnership
“We have been associated with Calcutta Foundation since 2022 through our company's Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, by adopting an Apni Kutir near our factory in Kishanganj, Bihar. Working with the Calcutta Foundation team has been an absolute privilege. From conducting the baseline survey and engaging local stakeholders to identifying the right location, designing the programme and empowering women towards financial independence, every aspect has been handled with remarkable professionalism and dedication through regular reporting and updates. The Apni Kutir initiative has been one of the most impactful components of our CSR journey, creating tangible change in the community we operate in.”
Foundation partnership
“It has been truly wonderful partnering with Calcutta Foundation and witnessing the passion and dedication the team brings to its work every day. Their deep engagement with the women they support, combined with a holistic approach to empowerment and long-term development, makes their programmes so impactful. It has been a pleasure working with such a committed and professional team and we look forward to continuing this meaningful partnership.”
Funding, knowledge, health, mobilisation and placement partners who have strengthened our work since 2021.
Our work grows through the trust of partners who believe that lasting impact begins with listening to communities and investing for the long term.
