Earlier this year, Workforce Matters made a second round of investments through our Fund for Workforce Equity. In this round, we supported seven organizations working to engage workers and learners most impacted by racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in designing and implementing workforce development programs and policies.
In recognition of AAPI Heritage Month, we recently had an opportunity to connect with Narbada Chhetri, co-executive director of Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice, one of the Fund’s grantees, to learn a little more about her community, her experiences, and her organization’s work.
The interview below has been lightly edited.
1) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got engaged in doing the work you are currently doing
My name is Narbada Chhetri. I came to the United States in 2006 from Nepal.
Back home, I was already working in community-based organizing. I believe deeply in collective power, and my experience and commitment to this work helped me get a job at Adhikaar. I started working at Adhikaar in 2007 as a part-time staff member. Over the years, I’ve grown into different leadership roles, and as of April 2024, I am honored to serve as the Co-Executive Director.
I am passionate about working with grassroots communities because they are often the most vulnerable—isolated, invisible, under-resourced, and facing barriers including language and immigration status. As a member of a minority and immigrant community myself, I understand how difficult it can be to access resources and be heard.
Through organizing, advocacy, and direct services, I work to uplift and empower the Nepali-speaking immigrant community. One of the most important parts of my work is to make our community visible—to ensure that Nepali-speaking immigrants are recognized, respected, and represented.
2) Tell us a little bit about your organization, the community(ies) it serves, and how your community shapes your approach to workforce development.
Adhikaar’s mission is to ensure that low-wage workers, immigrants, and members of marginalized communities have access to information, leadership opportunities, and collective power to advocate for their rights.
We’ve achieved significant victories, including the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights and the Nail Salon Workers’ Bill of Rights—both of which have become law. However, these rights exist only on paper unless they are actively implemented.
To bring these laws to life, we provide workforce development programs for domestic workers and nail salon workers. We empower our members by offering a variety of trainings, such as:
- Nanny training
- CPR certification
- Newborn care training
- Neurodivergent care training
- On-the-job training
- 35-hour state licensing classes
- New immigration navigation classes
These workforce development programs are more than just skill-building—they make a real difference in our members’ lives, helping them grow professionally, assert their rights, and support their families with dignity.
3) What challenges do you or your community face in terms of accessing workforce services and programs?
Our community faces several significant challenges in accessing workforce services and programs. One of the biggest barriers is capacity—we often don’t have enough staff or resources to meet the growing needs of our members. Funding is another major challenge. Many of our programs are underfunded, which limits how many people we can serve and the types of services we can offer.
Space is also a concern. As our programs expand, we often struggle to find adequate and affordable space to hold training and meetings that are accessible to our members.
Additionally, managing time and scheduling is a constant balancing act. Most of our members are workers with demanding schedules, and many of our facilitators are also workers. Coordinating programs that fit everyone’s availability without disrupting their livelihoods is an ongoing challenge.
Despite these obstacles, we continue to adapt, because our community deserves access to opportunity, support, and dignity in the workplace.
4) What do you most want funders to know or do differently when it comes to ensuring workforce resources are available to your community and/or AAPI communities?
We want funders to truly understand immigrants, especially those who are low-wage workers, limited English speakers, or undocumented. Workforce programs must be culturally and linguistically tailored, and that takes time, trust, and deep community relationships.
We urge funders to invest in grassroots, community-based, and culturally-competent organizations like ours that are already doing the work and are trusted by the people we serve. We know how to reach our communities, but we often lack the long-term, flexible funding needed to sustain and grow our programs.
Funders should also recognize that workforce development isn’t just about jobs and skills—it’s also about dignity, rights, and inclusion. Programs that center community voices, provide wraparound support, and treat workers as whole people, not just labor, are far more effective.
