MUMBAI: Former Bollywood actress Somy Ali started her NGO, No More Tears, two decades ago to not only assist and save victims of abuse, violence, and trafficking but also to give a voice to them. Though she believes that there has been more awareness about such crimes in recent times, she still feels that abusers, especially those who sit in a powerful place, can escape easily.
She said, "When I started No More Tears nearly two decades ago, survivors were often dismissed, doubted, or outright silenced. People were more comfortable looking away. Today, there’s a greater willingness to listen, but not nearly enough courage to act."
"Survivors still live in a world where abusers are given platforms, TV shows, or political seats. That hypocrisy sends a clear message: society would rather reward the powerful than protect the vulnerable. Until that changes, survivors will never feel fully believed or safe," she added.
Her NGO too has evolved with time. She said, "In the early days, we were simply trying to save lives, one crisis at a time. Today, we still do that, but we’ve also built an ecosystem of healing. Therapy, education, housing, and employment. We’ve learned that survival isn’t enough. Survivors deserve to thrive."
What prompted this change? Somy said, "The survivors themselves. They taught us that escaping abuse is only the first step; reclaiming dignity and building independence is the real victory."
Confessing that running an NGO is no easy feat, as it is not just about helping survivors but also sustaining the people who provide that help, she said, "This work breaks you open every day. You can’t unsee the bruises, the terror in a child’s eyes, or the way survivors flinch at kindness because it feels foreign."
"Burnout is inevitable unless you balance it with community and care. At No More Tears, we make space for our team to grieve, to process, and to heal alongside survivors. Compassion fatigue is real, but so is compassion resilience. Our strength comes from remembering why we started and who we’re fighting for," she added.
But did you ever question whether the NGO could survive, and what helped you move past that phase? "More than once. There were nights when we had no funds left, when I thought I’d have to close our doors while victims still begged us for help. What kept me going was the undeniable truth: walking away meant condemning people to death, abuse, or slavery. That was not an option. Survivors gave me strength in moments when I felt weakest. If they could survive the unimaginable, then I had no excuse to give up on them," Somy ended.
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