YFLO Kolkata, in association with Calcutta Foundation, initiated this specialized capacity-building intervention in August 2026 at Calcutta Foundation’s Apni Kutir centre in Topsia, Kolkata. Supporting 60 women in the intricate art of Zari Zardozi embroidery, the programme provides a structured framework integrating technical skill instruction, practical application, financial knowledge, physical wellness, and commercial enterprise development.
The Zari Zardozi curriculum, driving the Textile Initiative, focuses on traditional embroidery techniques, frame setup, material selection, embellishment detailing, and product crcpaftsmanship.
These skills create direct commercial linkages with the apparel, fashion, boutique, and handicraft sectors, enabling participants to explore both direct-to-customer sales and business-to-business production opportunities. To ensure long-term independence, the programme incorporates the Financial Literacy Initiative into its weekly routine. Participants learn practical money management skills, including pricing their artisanal labor, tracking raw material costs, maintaining micro-savings, and adopting digital banking tools. This ensures that their technical proficiency translates directly into retained profit and financial autonomy.
The Health, Wellness & Lifeskills Initiative prioritizes the physical and mental well-being of artisans. Tailored ergonomics address the physical strain associated with long hours of detailed needlework, while lifeskills sessions foster self-confidence, effective negotiation, decision-making, and personal work-life balance. Supporting the MSME Initiative and Start-Up Initiative, the programme has seen encouraging early developments: during the first three months of implementation, participants have already begun undertaking independent commercial business activities while continuing their vocational training.
This early transition from classroom instruction to revenue generation demonstrates how combining specialized craft skills with financial literacy and personal wellness accelerates entrepreneurial confidence, allowing women to establish independent micro-enterprises and enter local value chains effectively. Through this comprehensive framework, YFLO Kolkata and Calcutta Foundation are advancing a sustainable community-level model of economic empowerment, fostering self-employment, financial self-reliance, and holistic well-being among emerging women entrepreneurs.