Celebrating Social Work Month: Meet Victor Essah, Community Coordinator

In honor of Social Work Month, we recognize the dedication of the social workers at NYCHA, dedicated professionals who provide critical services to residents in need. Victor Essah, a Community Coordinator in NYCHA’s Family Partnerships Department, is one such professional.

Originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa, Mr. Essah’s early years were shaped by the civil war that ravaged his home country from 1991 to 2001. During that time, he and his family were forced to seek refuge in neighboring Guinea, where he completed his high school education.

Mr. Essah’s experience as a refugee deeply influenced his desire to work in social services. Even as a refugee, he began working with the American Refugee Committee (now known as Alight), specifically in the Community Safety Initiative program, which focused on supporting women who had been victims of gender-based violence. His work included identifying victims and helping them access the medical care and other support services they needed.

After returning to Sierra Leone in 2004, he continued his work with survivors of war at the Center for Victims of Torture, providing counseling to victims and perpetrators of violence, including children who had been forcibly conscripted into armed groups.

In 2013, Mr. Essah moved to the United States to seek new opportunities. He earned an associates degree from the Borough of Manhattan Community College, followed by a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in social work from Lehman College.

In discussing his work at NYCHA, Mr. Essah said: “Just like at home in Sierra Leone, some people here don’t know how to go about getting the services they need. My role is to meet them, talk with them, learn about their needs, and connect them to the appropriate services.”

For Mr. Essah, providing support to those in need has been a deeply fulfilling experience: “It makes me feel great. When I assist somebody, and they realize they have received something they didn’t even know was available to them…it just makes me feel very happy. Every day I feel it is an honor. Whatever little step I take, or whatever positive change I can make in somebody’s life, it always inspires me to want to do more.”