Adhikaar Thanks Co-Executive Directors for Their Service

New York City, August 21, 2025 

Adhikaar bids farewell and sends gratitude to our co-Executive Directors, Narbada Chhetri and Cynthia Saxena, who led the organization for the past year and transitioned out of the organization in August of 2025.

We especially recognize Narbada Chhetri for her service and dedication to Adhikaar. As a workers’ center that serves as a second home for many members of our community, Adhikaar attributes many of its organizing and advocacy wins to Narbada’s efforts to build the base of Nepali-speaking communities over the past eighteen years. 

Narbada was instrumental in pivotal campaigns for workers’ rights, immigration, health justice, and language justice among the Nepali-speaking community in New York and nationally.  

Narbada’s intimate skills and knowledge of the field helped hundreds of members secure better jobs and live with dignity and respect in the U.S. She led Adhikaar in successfully campaigning for the New York State Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in 2010 and in 2015, and was at the helm of the New York State Nail Salon Workers’ Bill of Rights. With her close guidance, nine trafficking survivors secured victories and the recovery of hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost or stolen wages. In addition, Narbada represented Adhikaar on the National Domestic Workers Alliance Board of Directors from 2014 to 2019. 

The Co-Executive Directors helped build out programs and systems that will continue to be anchors for our communities, especially now, as Adhikaar leans into our 21st year of work.