Knowledge Hub

We had our first-ever flagship event Sukoon Ka Safar: The Journey from Surviving to Thriving in Mumbai on April 18^th and 19^th, 2026.

Our aim with Day 1 (April 18^th) was to raise awareness about AAF’s work towards securing financial empowerment for women from low-income communities in Mumbai, and to share the success of our pilot, Project Sukoon.

The idea was to share how we work towards this goal by improving their resilience to financial shocks through access to instruments like health insurance and mutual funds - helping them create a corpus for the long-term and building financial collateral.

The session featured a moderated panel-style discussion, where our team and some of the organisations and practitioners that we work with, shed light on how we can achieve our goal. We also had a fireside chat with some of the women from Nallasopara that we have worked with, where they shared about their experience being guided by AAF, and how gradual financial stability has positively impacted their lives, and we finally ended with a brief, interactive Q&A session with the audience.

The session was truly enriching and insightful, with meaningful participation from all stakeholders present. The conversation really set the context for, and brought visibility to the work we do towards financial empowerment of those seeking to break out of the poverty cycle.

We had our first-ever flagship event Sukoon Ka Safar: The Journey from Surviving to Thriving in Mumbai on April 18^th and 19^th, 2026.

Our aim with Day 2 (April 19^th) was to raise awareness about innovative solutions to maximizing the impact of ones Zakat, Sadaqa and interest funds donations to low-income families, in addition to the aforesaid aim for Day 1.

The idea was to share how we work towards this goal by improving their resilience to financial shocks through access to instruments like health insurance and mutual funds - helping them create a corpus for the long-term and building financial collateral.

The session featured a moderated panel-style discussion, where our team and some of the organisations and practitioners that we work with, shed light on how we can achieve our goal. We also had a fireside chat with some of the women from Nallasopara that we have worked with, where they shared about their experience being guided by AAF, and how gradual financial stability has positively impacted their lives, and we finally ended with a brief, interactive Q&A session with the audience.

The session was truly enriching and insightful, with meaningful participation from all stakeholders present. The conversation really set the context for, and brought visibility to the work we do towards financial empowerment of those seeking to break out of the poverty cycle.

At AAF, we believe that accessible preventive healthcare is the foundation of healthier communities. In partnership with Saathealth, IKS Cares Foundation, and Family First Guidance Center, we organised a community health camp at Ashraful Ulloom Madarsa in Ansari Nagar, Nallasopara, focused on anemia screening, early intervention, and health education for women and children.

The success of any healthcare initiative begins with community trust and engagement. Prior to the camp, dedicated field teams conducted extensive door-to-door outreach, speaking directly with women and families about the importance of anemia screening, nutrition, and preventive healthcare.

Through these efforts, the team reached more than 1,500 women - creating awareness about anemia and encouraging participation in the health camp. Their commitment to community mobilization played a critical role in ensuring strong attendance and meaningful health outcomes.

The camp provided health screening services to 206 women and 96 children, helping identify individuals who may be at risk of anemia and other nutrition-related health concerns. To support continued wellness beyond the camp, all participants received immunity-boosting medications and syrups covering a three-month period.

This follow-up support was an important step in helping families build healthier habits and address nutritional deficiencies that can contribute to poor health outcomes. Anemia remains one of the most common yet underdiagnosed health conditions, particularly among women and children. Early detection and timely intervention are essential for improving overall health, energy levels, cognitive development, and quality of life.

This initiative reflects the power of collaboration. By combining AAF's commitment to community development, Saathealth's expertise in health outreach and screening, IKS Cares Foundation's medical support, and the community engagement efforts of Family First Guidance Center, the program was able to deliver meaningful healthcare services directly to an underserved community.

The dedication of the outreach teams, healthcare professionals, and volunteers ensured that community members not only received essential health screenings but also gained valuable knowledge about nutrition, preventive care, and maintaining long-term well-being.

AAF remains committed to expanding access to healthcare, empowering communities with knowledge, and partnering with organizations that share our vision of building healthier, more resilient communities. Through initiatives like these, we continue to work toward a future where quality healthcare is accessible to every family, regardless of their circumstances.

Our Co-Founder, Saleha Antulay led a virtual financial literacy session called 'Money, Simply Explained' on May 2nd, 2026. This webinar was organised by our long-standing partners, Family First Guidance Centre, and was exclusive to women.

The session was designed to help women build confidence in managing money, and planning for their future. Through the course of the session, Saleha broke down basic money management concepts such as saving, budgeting, tracking, and investing, that will help them grow their corpus. She elaborated on simple yet smart ways to save and how to avoid common mistakes that could deplete savings. She helped the women understand how the banking system functions and how to use digital payments safely and securely.

The idea behind this session was to once again reiterate the importance of financial independence for women. This is often not even something that crosses their mind, which makes it all the more important to reinforce. She stressed on the fact that it is vital to take the first step in this journey - to set aside an amount at the beginning of the month itself, and not wait to see if they have any money left over at the end of the month. It is about gradually changing established patterns and money habits. Women have a tendency of being able to run a household in whatever budget is given to them, but if they manage money smarter by setting some aside, it could go a long way in safeguarding them in the future. She explained how health insurance coverage will help them avoid plunging into a cycle of debt to meet medical expenses, while investing in mutual funds - no matter the quantum - goes a long way in securing their futures by building a corpus.

Our Co-Founder, Saleha Antulay, sat on the panel for a wonderful Iftar event organised by Noorpreneur - a Muslim Professional Women's Network, led by Nidah Merchant and Nuzhat Mirajkar. The knowledge that there was no dedicated networking community focused on growing professionals in the Muslim community led Nidah and Nuzhat to start Noorpreneur - a space for all Muslim women professionals to come together and find a connection for growth, referrals and advice, and this was their second event that took place at Zima in Mumbai on February 22nd, 2026.

The topic for the panel discussion at the event was 'Breaking the Taboo - Why Women Must Talk About Money', and Saleha meaningfully contributed to the conversation by sharing her thoughts on why it's so important for women to understand how to manage their own money and cement their financial independence. Many of the women resonated with what Saleha had to say as despite not having a finance background, she was able to share practical advice on investments and financial security.

Saleha has always strongly believed in the need for financial empowerment of women through better money management, and as a consequence, at AAF, our focus is on financial empowerment through tools like health insurance and investing in mutual funds. As a representative of AAF at this event, Saleha shared more about these programs and the crucial need for women in our communities to start adopting them to secure their financial futures without depending on anyone else.

The evening ended with a beautiful sit-down Iftaar.

At AAF, our Co-founder, Saleha Antulay continually speaks on the importance of Financial Literacy for women. This particular podcast focused on working Muslim women and how they are left behind in this conversation. Women tend to outsource financial matters to their male family members as they are not well-informed on money management.

Saleha often emphasizes the need to start before becoming an expert. Take the first step - invest in the first SIP, ask someone who does this already, and then start learning more. The common myth/fear is that till we don't know everything about investing, we should not start. Financial independence is the key to agency and autonomy.

A podcast series created by one of our partners, M.S Shabbir, Founder - SenSage Financial Services Pvt. Ltd featured this episode recorded in Hyderabad, that brought together Muslim women to speak openly about money, goals, and everyday financial decisions through a Shariah lens. They discussed how to balance 'Deen' and 'Dunya' in areas like saving, investing, debt, and family responsibilities, while staying true to Islamic values. Whether you are just starting to take charge of your finances or looking to refine your approach, this honest, judgement‑free conversation is meant to support and inspire you on your journey to becoming a more confident, Shariah‑conscious steward of your wealth.

Post the podcast being recorded, a closed-door conversation was organised with a group of women, to gauge and discuss their understanding of some of these fundamental concepts, with expert perspectives being shared on the same by the guests on the podcast.

While this conversation took place in November, its core message continues to remain relevant.

Our Co-Founder, Saleha Antulay attended the Synergos Authentic Leadership Retreat on the 19th - 22nd of September, 2024 at The Tamara, Coorg - having started AAF with her brother, our co-founder, Daanish Antulay in memory of their late father, not long before this. As a new organization, AAF was still trying to understand and identify the role that it would play, and the impact that it could co-create with other stakeholders such as the communities, the non-profits and the funders, to help the most marginalized communities break out of the poverty cycle.

This Retreat came at the perfect time as they were answering these critical questions. The overall experience was energizing, insightful and a great opportunity to connect with and learn from some wonderful people doing meaningful work in the sector.

The various sessions she participated in, helped Saleha think about the kind of leader she would like to be and the culture and ethos she wanted to establish, as AAF brought more people into the organization. The reflective exercises helped understand how important it is to slow down, connect with oneself and nature - which is a luxury in an excessively fast-paced and busy life. The place selected was the perfect setting to conduct such workshops - against the soothing sounds of leaves rustling, birds chirping and cascading waterfalls.

Using art and creativity to help visualize these answers, the participants were able to identify their place in the world at large, their vision for the future, the world they believe they can build together, and finally, the role they play as leaders - a fun yet therapeutic experience.

The workshops helped them understand more elements of the Bridging Leadership Style they aspire to, that focuses on creating and sustaining effective working relationships among key partners and stakeholders in an organization. By “bridging” or adapting to different perspectives, needs and opinions of various stakeholders, a common agenda can begin to be developed and shared, that solves identified problems and has more far-reaching impact. This, coupled with a group exercise of what all the attendees thought was a good leader, aligned beautifully, demonstrating how important it is to practice such a leadership style. While each of them had their individual aspirations and goals, the common theme was betterment of society and thus, the elements of Bridging Leadership would help achieve collaborative success for the future.

This transformative convening on Systems Thinking put together by the Centre for Philanthropy for Inclusive Development (CPID) at the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM) in collaboration with Forbes Foundation, Dasra, and DESTA in April, 2024, was the first ever event that AAF was a part of!

Our co-founder, Saleha Antulay, along with Naishi Shah as a volunteer, were honored to represent AAF at this event.

Their time at the event was filled with profound reflections and candid discussions, alongside esteemed funders, CSR professionals, and Social Purpose Organization (SPO) leaders. Together, they delved into the power of systems thinking for creating equitable and sustainable impact in various pathways. It was truly inspiring for them to exchange insights and ideas with such a diverse group committed to driving positive change.

A highlight of the event was the enlightening discourse led by the esteemed Mr. Luis Miranda, enriching the attendees’ understanding of systems thinking and its potential to catalyze meaningful transformation.

Saleha was grateful that AAF, in its earliest stages, had the opportunity to be part of a convening that fostered an environment where collaboration and innovation could thrive. She left energized, knowing that AAF was part of a community that was paving the way for a brighter, more inclusive future!