Mission & History

As the South Asian population in Greater Houston began to boom in the early 1990s, a small group of women—all immigrants to the United States themselves—wanted to do something to give back to women and children in their community. They decided to volunteer at a local crisis center and, through countless hours of hotline calls, they learned about a growing public health crisis: domestic violence. They quickly realized that mainstream agencies faced a distinct and significant gap in understanding and responding to the cultural barriers faced by South Asian survivors of abuse. 

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Daya’s founders started with small, but mighty steps–taking turns answering calls from home and meeting clients around town to offer safety planning, resources, and, most importantly, validation and compassion. With resilience and dedication, they persevered through long hours, lack of funds, and community backlash while helping South Asian survivors in need.

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After a tragic murder-suicide in Fort Bend County shocked the South Asian community in 1996, these women realized their instinct was correct. The Greater Houston Area was in need of a compassionate and culturally sensitive organization for South Asian families affected by domestic violence. Armed with a seed grant, tenacity, and a shared mission, they formally  incorporated a volunteer organization to support the survivors in their community. And with that, Daya was born.