ABOUT US
FOUNDER, PRESIDENT
RAMESH SAPKOTA
Over 30 years ago, Ramesh Sapkota was exposed to human trafficking; my heart was broken and I made a commitment to stop the flow of women being trafficked from Nepal to India. In 2009, after many years of seeking, I began an organization that established stations along the border between Nepal and India, searching for girls headed towards a life of torment. As we began to rescue girls, we realized the need to establish a safe home for them to recover from their trauma. It was at that time that we no longer saw the rescued girls as victims or survivors, but they became “Our Daughters.”
A job skills training school was then created, so our daughters could become self-sufficient by running a sustainable business when they return home. As they return to their villages and towns, they become leaders; starting women’s empowerment groups, being advocates for the anti trafficking message, and transforming their communities.
Our work has grown, and we now support over 150 staff in the field, but our mission is not done. I want to thank you in advance for the role you may have in helping Our Daughters International transform society and put an end to human trafficking.
KRISTI KIRSCHMANN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR + BOARD MEMBER
When Kristi heard a human trafficking survivor share her story of exploitation, God put it on her heart to help bring an end to this evil crime.
KRISTI KIRSCHMANN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR +
BOARD MEMBER
Leaving her career in marketing, she has been serving in the anti-human trafficking field for the past several years. Kristi has a passion to see every human trafficking overcomer live out their purpose and have a hope and a future. Kristi is a graduate of Michigan State University and is married with two sons.
J. LUCARELLI
FINANCE DIRECTOR + BOARD MEMBER
John has been involved in non-profit operations for over 25 years. With master’s degrees in Business Administration and Intercultural Studies,
J. LUCARELLI
FINANCE DIRECTOR + BOARD MEMBER
John is now the Director of Outreach and Operations for Kensington Church, a large multi-site church in metro Detroit. In his current role, John oversees partnerships in 10 countries and manages a large-scale clean water program in Kenya. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
KRISTIN PELLETIER
COMMUNICATIONS + MARKETING MANAGER
Kristin is a strategic and creative communicator who believes that beholding the imprint of God on
both self and fellow man, must compel us to action. She cares deeply for the wellbeing and empowerment of women and children globally and is grateful for the opportunity to use her time and gifts to forward the mission of Our Daughters International. Kristin believes we are made better when we allow our hearts to break and to rejoice on behalf of others; one daughter rescued and restored is our joy. Kristin has a background in communications and marketing and has worked for over a decade in nonprofit and ministry settings. She lives in the Detroit area with her husband and daughter, but calls the mountains of New Hampshire home.
KRISTIN PELLETIER
MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Kristin is a strategic and creative communicator who believes that beholding the imprint of God on both self and fellow man, must compel us to action. She cares deeply for the wellbeing and empowerment of women and children globally and is grateful for the opportunity to use her time and gifts to forward the mission of Our Daughters International. Kristin believes we are made better when we allow our hearts to break and to rejoice on behalf of others; one daughter rescued and restored is our joy. Kristin has a background in communications and marketing and has worked for over a decade in nonprofit and ministry settings. She lives in the Detroit area with her husband and daughter, but calls the mountains of New Hampshire home.
BOARD MEMBERS
DON ANDERSEN
Don has worked in both the marketplace and non-profit sector for over 36 years. For the past 19 years, he has been leading the global outreach ministry at two mega-churches in Michigan.
Don has leveraged his background in industrial and international business into strategic justice and economic development programs in over a dozen countries. He also oversees the development of the church’s domestic outreach strategy which mobilizes thousands of people each year to care for the needs of those living in under-resourced communities.
DOUG WESTON
Doug works for North Point Ministries, Global(x) as a Journey Director helping send short term mission teams around the world. Doug serves as a student mentor and is on the Board of Trustees for Atlanta Youth Academy – a Christian school serving financially struggling families. He also serves on the Board for Georgia that helps serve youth that have been displaces due to war and economic turmoil in the country of Georgia. He receives joy from overseas mission trips he leads and attends with teams and his family. Doug graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Business Administration. After college he served in the U.S. Army for three years as an officer spending a year in South Korea and two years in Augusta, GA. He later attended Georgia State University and received an MBA.
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