Her answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.
SELF: Can you tell me a little bit about the work Apna Ghar does?
:Our mission is to make a run at endgender-based violence.
Fill Ryabchikov/Minty/Adobe Stock
That may seem like a lot to ask from one organization, but we really believe in it.
We provide rental assistance for many others.
How does working in an immigrant community inform your work?
A lot of times,violenceis attributed to culture.
I want to be clear that it has nothing to do with culture.
It cuts across all cultures.
You might experience abuse from multiple people.
Its not just your partner; it could be your partner and their parents.
Another thing is the issue of actual immigration status.
Theres also the fact that accurate, comprehensive information doesnt always reach immigrant communities.
Have you seen the need for your services change over the course of the pandemic?
They were calling to say they needed, with some urgency, to make those arrangements.
Then once things were set in place with the stay-at-home orders, calls declined.
But in others, the whole state, city, and area have come together to respond more efficiently.
How has your team at Apna Ghar adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Weve cleared out the shelter, which was at capacity, and moved some survivors to transitional housing apartments.
So were making sure that they have groceries and household items.
Staffers are still working 24/7 to answer calls on our crisis line.
If someone needs a video teletherapy session, we can provide that as well.
Has your work gone completely remote?
The shelter is closed right now.
The shelter has private bedrooms, but some spaces like our kitchen and some of the bathrooms are shared.
Our 30 staffers are working remotely, but none of the services are on pause.
Even in the best of times, gender-based violence is a huge issue of pandemic proportions.
What is the biggest challenge of taking your work virtual?
It’s so important for us and for the people that we serve to be literally close to them.
We’re not really able to provide that right now.
Even though we’re still available 24/7, people can’t just walk in.
We’re very concerned about domestic violencerelated homicides.
The statistics ofwomen being killed as a result of firearmswhen it comes to domestic violence are staggering.
Personally, whats been hard for you with this new reality?
I always relied on my family and my friends to decompress from work.
Not being able to be together with them is tough.
It’s a surreal experience because virtually, its like you are connected, but you’re not really.
It takes an additional kind of courage to then reach out and ask for help.
For more information on Apna Ghars services,visit their website here.
