Namaste and Tashi Delek friends of Adhikaar,

Six years ago, my wife and I took a leap of faith.

It was 2016 and Trump was running for office. You could feel the country spiraling downwards with a rise in xenophobia, racism, and income inequality. I felt called as a lifelong organizer to make a direct impact through grassroots organizing — and to do this with my Nepali-speaking community. What followed was a journey anchored in community, care, and collective action.

I first joined the Adhikaar family in 2008, initially as a supporter and in 2014 as a Board Member. In 2017, I began the journey as the Executive Director. In the past six years, our team rose to meet unprecedented challenges—from a global pandemic to historic attacks against immigrants and communities of color—and every step of the way, we did it together. Our team worked tirelessly to live our mission—to meet the immediate needs of our Nepali-speaking community while building power to create systematic change in New York and across the country.

During that time, my wife and I also became the parents of a fierce and beautiful little soul. This is where my immediate focus now turns. I will transition from my role as Executive Director in October 2022 to create more space for my child and partner. As this chapter of my Adhikaar story comes to a close, I write to celebrate and share our incredible growth these past six years—a testament to the power and brilliance of our members, staff, volunteers, Board, and partners. Here are a few highlights:

Supported thousands of Nepali-speaking community members through a COVID-19 community response plan that provided mutual aid, case support, unemployment benefits clinics, emergency relief funds, and community education videos.
National leader in the movement for TPS and the fight for citizenship including strategic litigation to stop mass deportation and detention of nearly 400,000 TPS holders.
Transformed the nail salon and domestic work industries through member-led workforce development, organizing, and advocacy. This included the: Passage of historic Int 339 - NYC legislation that provides human rights protections to domestic workers at the workplace. Introduction of Nail Salon Minimum Standards Council Act in the NY state legislature–the first bill of its kind in the country to create state-level council of workers, employers, and government officials to improve the industry
Organizational budget grew from $850,000 in 2017 to over $3 million dollars 2022.
Created a 10 year Strategic Alignment Plan to equip Adhikaar to scale in transformative ways. Click here to see more!

Adhikaar has grown and flourished in deeply powerful ways, and I am honored to have been a part of it. It has been a labor of love to walk this journey in purpose with you. We have created opportunities to build the leadership and skills of Adhikaar members, and advanced policies that improve the lives of low-income workers and their families. I am awed by the energy, creativity, and passion of my Adhikaar family now, and those who came before us. Together we have made a generational impact. And I know, Adhikaar’s work is just starting.

As we launch our search for the next Executive Director, we will need your help. The next Executive Director will join Adhikaar at a time of profound growth, supported by over 6,000 members who are deeply committed to community, care, and collective action. The Executive Director job description and leadership profile will be announced soon. Until then, Follow us on social media to receive updates (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and donate to sustain our work.

In gratitude and community,

Pabitra Khati Benjamin,

Executive Director, Adhikaar