A Lifetime of Healing
CRIS Victims of Crime Assistance Caseworker Anoj Sharma Embodies Service to Community
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Since the time that he was just a young boy living in a refugee camp in Bhutan, Anoj Sharma seems to have heard this most persistent and urgent question and responded with passion and commitment.
Anoj was born and raised in one of the seven refugee camps in eastern Nepal designated as temporary dwellings for the 108,000+ refugees from Bhutan who were targeted during an ethnic cleaning in the 1980’s and expelled from Bhutan in 1990. As he reflects on his formative years there, he shares, “Living in a refugee camp with stall after stall of families separated only by thin dividers–it’s an intense reality. It was possible to hear a funeral happening in the stall next door, a wedding ceremony across the way, children playing along the paths, and a domestic disagreement taking place in another neighboring stall.”
It was as a young teen that Anoj’s innate drive to serve his people first began to take shape. At 14, he noticed that some of his peers lacked sufficient activities to engage in outside of their school time. Recognizing a need, he decided to do something about it. He launched a drama club for his peers that grew into an after-school program engaging over 100 children. Elders in his community acknowledged his charisma and leadership, including him in planning meetings and forums as a contributing member.
When he was 19, Anoj and his mother were resettled in Columbus, Ohio. He jumped straight into being a full-time student, working full-time, and caring for his mother. In 2014, Anoj found out about an opportunity to serve the growing Bhutanese community in Columbus through CRIS, and he was instantly drawn. As he learned more about the open position as a caseworker with CRIS’ Victims of Crime Assistance program (VOCA) and interviewed for the job, it struck him, “I’ve basically been doing work like this as a volunteer since I was 14!” He was hired for that position and has been serving in that role for the better part of the near-decade since.
Anoj and his five fellow VOCA caseworkers can serve anyone (regardless of immigration status) who has been the victim of a crime in Central Ohio. They provide confidential and trauma-informed services to help individuals and families understand their rights, build safety, heal, seek justice, and obtain compensation after a crime. Practically seeking, the VOCA team provides safety planning, legal advocacy, court accompaniment, referrals, and other services necessary to help survivors meet their unique goals.
In March of 2023, Anoj and the VOCA team received exciting news: their program was selected by the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender Based Violence (API-GBV) as a subaward recipient through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) under the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) cooperative agreement. This grant will allow VOCA to expand their team to include two fellowships. It will also allow Anoj to continue serving his community in new ways. He is currently developing a program for Bhutanese men in Central Ohio that will create space for conversations, help to identify problems, and generate solutions related to relational, mental, and emotional well-being–with the ultimate goal being domestic violence and sexual assault prevention.
The VOCA team and their work are a powerful expression of the mission of CRIS to help refugees and immigrants reach safety and stability, sustain self-sufficiency, and achieve successful integration into the Central Ohio community. Each person’s journey toward safety and stability, self-sufficiency, and integration is unique to them and may change over time. The VOCA team strives to meet people wherever they are on their journey and help them. Anoj shares, “People in my community have suffered decades of trauma. I see the work that I do now as a path forward towards healing for those who need it.”
[The CRIS VOCA team is currently seeking a qualified candidate for a Sexual Assault Prevention Fellowship beginning this January 2024 for up to three semesters. This paid internship will provide opportunities to learn about all aspects of the field of victim advocacy, gain experience working with survivors across all victimization types from a variety of refugee and immigrant communities in Central Ohio, and support the VOCA team in the development of a new program engaging men in sexual assault prevention. If you or someone you know may be interested in this experience but are not an MSW or BSSW student, related programs with field placement requirements may be considered. Learn more and apply by visiting the CRIS VOCA webpage and/or reaching out directly to VOCA Program Manager Lara Downing.]