Awaaz San Antonio

Awaaz (the "voice" in Hindi and Urdu) was founded in 2011 by Hema Bhakta, Sakina Sharp, and Tapasi Misra. The volunteer-run 501(c)3 non-profit was born from a need to address the stigma and silence surrounding family violence within the South Asian communities of San Antonio.

Now, Awaaz works to help South Asian survivors of family violence by educating, empowering, and advocating in San Antonio and surrounding areas. We provide our clients with free, confidential, and multilingual support via referrals to resources and our 24/7 helpline. We also work to educate families and advocates in San Antonio on how to best support survivors on family violence through interactive events, webinars, and workshops. Find out more about what an Awaaz client's journey might look like in the video above.

Community engagement is key to helping Awaaz thrive. We hope that you will join Awaaz in our mission to help South Asian survivors break free from the cycle of family violence. Your generous donations can transform lives.

What do clients have to say about Awaaz?

"I would like to thank Awaaz and all their advocates for the support and guidance they have
provided me during my times of despair. I am truly grateful that I came to know about such a
committed and helpful organization that strives for the betterment of people’s wellbeing. The
services and support they have provided me have been my pillar of hope and strength for more
than 7 years now. The resources that they provide (both monetary and non-monetary) [has been] a
ray of light during my dark times... In times when everyone, even your own family is quick to judge, blame or abandon one other, the level of care, understanding, support and hope Awaaz and its advocates provide to people
that reach out them is just astounding and honorable."

Who We Are

Founded in 2011,AWAAZ an entirely volunteer-run 501c3 nonprofit organization
Awaaz is supported by grants and individual donors.
AWAAZ's mission is to Promote awareness of family violence in South Asian populations and Provide culturally appropriate assistance to break the cycle of family violence. We are a 24 hour confidential referral organization, providing free referral services with organizations that provide necessary shelter, legal, financial and counseling services to survivors of family violence. We provide education through workshops, panel discussions and educational material to promote healthy relationships, and highlight the effects of South Asian cultures that could lead to domestic violence in South Asian communities