We exist to better human lives and enable communities to push new boundaries through equal growth opportunities that are inclusive, sustainable, and transformational. We believe in giving back to society. We also believe that awareness through education empowers people, especially the youth. Educate, Empower and Encourage are the three pillars of our ethos. And so we design and implement impactful programs that focus on the youth and women as agents of change for healthier, equitable communities. Our programs are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals - SDG3 (Good Health and Well- being), SDG4 (Quality Education), and SDG5 (Gender Equality). We connect and collaborate with the government, civil society, networks, associations, and partners to accelerate the growth of our nation.
Metropolis Foundation was born after the Women’s Empowerment Foundation and the Metropolis Healthcare CSR wing merged to achieve common goals. And the legacy of the work done by the We Foundation and Metropolis Healthcare’s CSR wing form the strong foundation of our organization today.
Dr. Duru Shah, a veteran Gynaecologist and the Founder President of The PCOS Society India, has always advocated for adolescent and women's health. She has introduced many reforms and policy changes to bring sustainable improvements in healthcare in the country. Along with a team of experts in the field of adolescent and public health and sustainable social development, Dr. Shah started the Women's Empowerment (WE) Foundation in 2015. The aim was to empower young girls from underprivileged communities with the right knowledge on their reproductive and sexual health, and make them self-sufficient through self-defence training and upskilling activities like learning computer basics and English speaking and reading. This was all implemented at the 'Youth Friendly Centre' that was setup in Dharavi, Mumbai, which soon became a safe physical and psychological space for the girls to learn, grow and express themselves.
In 2017, the WE Foundation launched India's first free to use Reproductive and Sexual Health App - 'Too Shy To Ask' in five languages, with the support of Metropolis Healthcare. The app helps young people understand reproduction, unsafe sex and high-risk behaviour, and raises awareness about legal rights and gender equality. The unique “Ask the Expert'' feature allows users to anonymously ask questions to experts, and was highly useful during the pandemic. Too Shy To Ask continues to be one of Metropolis Foundation's flagship programs.
We Foundation's programs were built on the concept of Educate, Empower and Encourage, that continue to be the 3 pillars of Metropolis Foundation today. The approach to empower women to be self-sufficient and be achievers proved to be very effective. Over time a transformation in the girls' lives and a behavioural change in their parents was seen. It empowered local communities to become change-makers and nurtured youth leadership.
The We Foundation also worked closely with Metropolis Healthcare on programs like Conquer PCOS, Food Box Project, and two successful editions of Healthcare Heroes.