Sapna NYC (formerly known as Westchester Square Partnership) was founded in 2008 to address the social and health-related needs of South Asian immigrants with special emphasis to Bangladeshi women living in the Westchester Square and Parkchester neighborhoods of the Bronx. Initial programs included English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and health education classes. Through a participatory needs assessment, Sapna NYC identified several social and health priorities of Bangladeshi women, including immigration issues, family stress, emotional distress, and weight problems. Over the past year, Sapna NYC has sought to develop programs to address these priorities. The organization works closely with community members to create, implement, and evaluate its programs.
Sapna NYC Programs:
- English Language: The ESOL (English as a second language) program helps members learn to speak, read, and write simple English. The program aims to help women communicate their needs and find decent-paying jobs.
- Depression Treatment: To address an epidemic of depression among Bangladeshi and South Asian, the organization runs a Depression Treatment program.
- Lending Circles: Lending Circles help low-income individuals with little credit access build a credit history and improve their credit scores.
- Health Program: Bangladeshi women have the highest levels of diabetes of any group in the city. To address this issue, Sapna NYC runs a Diabetes Prevention Program to help members avoid, prevent, and manage diabetes-related health issues. Breast Health programs are conducted for cancer screening.
- Financial Education: The program helps Bangladeshi women open bank accounts, apply for and use credit cards, build credit, keep track of expenses, and learn about consumer rights.
- Child and Family Care: The program prepares women to become ideal nannies and baby nurses, perform first aid, maintain hygiene, and more.
- Mothers’ Club: The Mothers’ Club is a self-governing group that meets monthly to develop its own programming.
- Advocacy: Sapna NYC works with advocacy organizations such as CACF, SAALT, NYIC Urban Justice Center, and the Asian American Foundation to help members develop a collective voice for change.
- Research: Participatory research is conducted to understand the holistic nature of social problems faced by immigrant women. The data and research help Sapna NYC design programs that can work at multiple levels—individual, family, community, and policy.