For immediate release.
SEWA-AIFW has appointed Anjuli Mishra Cameron as its new Chief Executive Officer. Anjuli joined SEWA-AIFW following her departure from Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans after seven years of service as Research Director for the State of Minnesota.
Anjuli is no stranger to SEWA-AIFW, beginning in 2007 her hard work helped to establish the first-ever culturally specific South Asian community health clinics. She supported many of SEWA-AIFW’s gender-based violence initiatives and community work through various programs over the years. Her commitment and dedication to serve communities of color throughout her career, especially South Asian immigrants and refugees is phenomenal. She has worked on important legislative and policy issues successfully in Minnesota. Most recently, she led the Afghan Evacuee Community Roundtable, a statewide initiative coordinating government and community supports for new Afghan arrivals. Anjuli’s expertise in research, policy, and the intersection between the public sector and communities has been an invaluable asset for communities across Minnesota. She brings compassionate leadership and a deep connection to the communities that SEWA-AIFW serves.
“After nearly two decades of building SEWA-AIFW into a strong, impactful, and healthy organization, we have decided that it is time to empower new leadership to take SEWA-AIFW into its next chapter,” said outgoing CEO Raj Chaudhary. “I am confident that SEWA-AIFW is poised now more than ever before to make impactful work in addressing the most desperate needs of the South Asian community.”
Founded in 2004 by Raj Chaudhary, SEWA-AIFW is a community-based nonprofit organization committed to bringing total family wellness to the South Asian community. Throughout its nearly two-decade history, SEWA-AIFW has provided support services and social connectedness to the communities it serves. Through programming in health promotion, new immigrant and refugee supports, pioneering LGBTQ+ work, sustaining seniors, and supports for gender-based violence survivors, SEWA-AIFW has provided a safety net for members of the community. The South Asian community includes populations from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan, as well as South Asian diaspora communities from Africa and the West Indies.
“SEWA-AIFW has long served as a trusted resource supporting vulnerable members of the South Asian community. Its culturally specific supports offer a vital response to some of the most pressing issues experienced by our South Asian diaspora community. As this vibrant community continues to grow in Minnesota, the need for a thoughtful, cultural approach to address challenges around mental health, gender-based violence, and social connectedness, remain critical to the overall well-being of South Asian families and the broader communities they reside in. SEWA-AIFW will continue to adapt to the growing needs of the immigrant and refugee communities it serves,” said Anjuli.
As the daughter and granddaughter of Indian immigrants who chose to make Minnesota their home, Anjuli understands the challenges faced by South Asian community members in our state. She has dedicated years of service on behalf of the community. She brings an extensive background in community-based research in state government and at academic institutions. Anjuli’s research experience, combined with almost two decades of community engagement work will help to address the complex issues faced by South Asians and underserved communities across Minnesota.
The South Asian population has grown exponentially since 1990 from 10,000 South Asians to current community estimates of over 75,000 strong, making it Minnesota’s second largest Asian community. With this rapid growth in community, comes rapidly expanding needs to provide support services at moments of crisis in people's lives. SEWA-AIFW continues to provide these critical needs to community members as they work, play, and contribute to Minnesota’s broader cultural landscape.
Most recently, SEWA-AIFW has expanded programs to provide culturally specific supports for members of the LGBTQ+ community and respond to the needs of new Afghan arrivals. SEWA-AIFW will continue to adapt to the shifting demographics and growing areas of need within the community. It remains committed to its mission that all people and families are welcomed and supported to have a safe and healthy life in our state.
For media inquiries, please contact: Arcadian Barrett at arcadian@sewa-aifw.org.