Somy Ali: I chose to be a mother to thousands of children

MUMBAI: Her work, and the people who she rescues make her who she is, says actress Somy Ali, who runs a US-based NGO called No More Tears. She adds that rescuing victims of domestic abuse and rape has given her a family that where she gets a lot of love and appreciation. 

Talking about her journey with her NGO, she says, “Initially, it was all local help and rescues with my savings and then within a span of five years or so we began getting calls for help from all over the U.S. To my surprise, one day we got a call from India where a young man was going to be murdered because his family found out that he was gay. That's when we received an email from his cousin to help him and save his life and that's when I came to acknowledge the fact that NMT is now international. I attended his wedding a few years back and it's these moments that matter in my life and mean everything to me. I really wanted to be a mother or definitely adopt a baby girl from India, but I knew that I would then have to shut down my NGO as I would be putting my child's life at risk. So, I chose to be a mother to thousands of children as opposed to one and when these kids come running to me calling me, ‘Somy mommy,’ as they hug me. It's beyond enough to satiate my maternal instincts.”

Talking about why she decided to start her NGO, she says, “I do not have a business-minded brain and I do not see myself sitting behind a desk as the president and founder of NMT doing paperwork. My high is getting down and dirty doing the actual work with the law enforcement's help and seeing every face that we rescue be it domestic, national or internationally. I never thought that NMT would be helping people living in India and many other countries such as South America and the Middle East and to realise that we have rescued over 40,000 women, children and men is shocking to me at times. The gratification which comes with seeing an abused child smile with therapy and time and then thrive towards a better future is simply indescribable.”

She adds, “There are so many aspects to NMT that are very broad in its mission. Something as big as attending a wedding of a gay couple who weren't allowed to love each other is the most beautiful moment that I have experienced in my life. Our first victim who simply wanted to pursue an education and was beaten when she told her husband and for me to attend her graduation with a Ph.D is unimaginable. In retrospect I know that if it weren't for the donors literally none of this would be possible and my prayers are the same every single day that people don't stop caring about No More Tears. It is them who are making the difference by giving while I am simply doing what I love to do.”