South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!) was founded in 1996 with the mission to create social change and opportunities for South Asian youth to realize their fullest potential. It is the only organization in the country dedicated to providing non-sectarian comprehensive youth development services to the South Asian community -- one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in New York City. SAYA! youth trace their ancestries to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Guyana, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Trinidad.

SAYA!’s target population is low-income South Asian youth, ages 5 to 19, in New York City who predominately live in Queens and Brooklyn. There are 78,199 South Asians ages 5 to 19 in NYC, with the largest numbers in Queens (51,234) and Brooklyn (14,534).

Despite the tremendous growth in the population size, a significant sector of the South Asian community continues to live in poverty. For example, in Queens, 22.4% of South Asian youth live in poverty compared to 16.4% of all youth

SAYA! offers programs in the following areas: academic support, leadership development, social and emotional support, artistic expression and athletics. SAYA! has touched the lives of more than 5,000 youth since its inception. This academic year (2009-2010) SAYA! will serve nearly 600 youth through its center and five school based programs.