Last Month at Adhikaar- January 2009

1. CPR Training
2. Youth Group Open Mic
3. Job Search Assistance


CPR Training

We organized the first CPR training for our members on January 21, 2009. The training was arranged in response to popular demand from our community members. The Child CPR training was conducted by a bilingual trainer from the Red Cross. One of our member leaders, Bharati Rai, completed the training earlier and assisted interpretation during the training. Nine members who work as nannies received Red Cross CPR certification at the end of the training.

Youth Group Open Mic

Adhikaar Youth Group organized its first event on Jan10, 2009. The Open Mic was held at a restaurant in Jackson Heights. Adhikaar Youth Group members and friends showcased their talents through various performances including dance, skit, songs and poems. This event was completely organized by the Adhikaar Youth Group members. More than 50 community members, mostly youth, attended the event. According to an Adhikaar Youth Group member, “This event was our first step towards creating a lasting dialogue between younger and older Nepali immigrants.”

Job Search Assistance

In addition to our on-going programs, we have started to provide job search assistance, and job search skill training to our community members in response to the community demand. The dire effect of the economic meltdown has started to show in our community and many of our low-wage members have been out of jobs for months. We have also received reports of employers and employment agencies taking advantage of the fear of the economy by decreasing wages, increasing workloads, and charging higher fees.

We assist community members by posting their information at various job websites. We also teach them better communication and negotiations skills, and tell them about their rights. We have also created an informal job referral network to share information about available job and training opportunities.

Individual Assistance

We continue to provide individual assistance to our community members in a variety of areas, including translations, lawyer referrals, medical bill negotiations, and immigration assistance.