Rachna Khare

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Rachna Khare takes a thoughtful and intersectional approach to address and prevent violence in our community. She is a Founding Member of South Asian Youth of Houston Unite (SAYHU) and serves on committees for the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative (HILSC) and the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (HCDVCC). On the state level, Rachna serves on the Board for the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) and is a member of the Thought Leaders Cohort for the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV). Nationally, she is a Founding Member of the South Asian Survivors & Organizations in Alliance & Rising (SOAR). Prior to starting her work at Daya in 2016, Rachna held leadership positions at Rice University, Mount Sinai Medical School, and MD Anderson Cancer Center.  A native Houstonian and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Rachna believes in the power of compassion, collaboration, and innovation to build equity and cultivate pathways to healing and justice.

​

rachna@dayahouston.org

Nusrat Ameen, PhD

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF LEGAL SERVICES

At Daya for over a decade, Dr. Ameen recruits and manages its Legal Clinic, oversees legal advocacy efforts and closely monitors immigration cases. Dr. Ameen holds a PhD in Domestic Violence and Law. She has been in the field of gender justice since 1999, primarily in the academia working in the systems change through policy advocacy. Nusrat is a Visiting Scholar at Rice University’s CWGS Center & an Adjunct on Gender Rights and serves on the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative’s Crime Victims Committee and the national Forced Marriage Working Group, among others. Previously, Nusrat was a law professor in Bangladesh and a Judicial Assistant to the Chief Justice of the Bangladesh Supreme Court. She has also served as a consultant on gender rights for various NGOs and international organizations. 

​

nusrat@dayahouston.org

Irfana Hussain

DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH & EDUCATION

Irfana Hussain has managed community outreach, educational programming, youth prevention, and awareness campaigns at Daya since 2016. She is a member of the Houston Coalition Against Hate, Multi-County Interagency Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and Fort Bend County Crime Victims Response Team where she holds a leadership position. Irfana has also participated in the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) Prevention Coaching Group for the past three years. She has a decade of experience working with various nonprofits in the areas of program management, event planning, and community engagement. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a background in South Asian studies.

irfana@dayahouston.org

Barbara Le

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & COMPLIANCE

Since August 2018, Barbara Le has overseen Daya’s finances, including budget development and management, financial compliance, human resources, and fund development. Barbara works closely to ensure Daya builds a diverse and sustainable funding profile which includes public and private sources. At Daya, Barbara ensures accountability to our community and funders through the management of federal, state, and local foundation grants. Barbara holds a BBA from the University of Houston and has over a decade of financial experience in the for-profit and nonprofit sector. 

​

barbara@dayahouston.org

Hareema Mela

DIRECTOR OF CLIENT SERVICES

Hareema Mela leads the client services team in providing mental health services and comprehensive case management. She is a bilingual Licensed Professional Counselor with training and experience in trauma-informed therapy approaches including EMDR and somatic interventions. Since 2017, Hareema has been providing linguistically and culturally specific counseling and case management to survivors at Daya. She holds a Master's in Applied Clinical Psychology from Pennsylvania State University and specializes in areas of trauma recovery, mood disorders, cultural identity, and career development. 

​

hareema@dayahouston.org 

Pam Otal

OUTREACH & VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Pam Otal joined the team in 2021 to manage Daya’s social media presence, recruit and lead volunteers, and coordinate community outreach efforts.  She is a native Houstonian and first-generation Punjabi American with a passion for gender justice. Pam has 3 years of nonprofit work experience including developing creative virtual volunteer opportunities. Pam is driven by her desire to help underserved communities and her commitment to ensure Daya is inclusive and accessible for Houston’s diverse South Asian community. 

​

pam@dayahouston.org

Client Services Team

Daya's Client Services Team (not pictured)  includes three licensed therapists and two case managers. 

​

contact@dayahouston.org