Yuriy Perekotiy is a native of Luhansk, Ukraine, married to Madison, and “Papa” to his five children. Yuriy and his wife have served in ministry to vulnerable populations for more than 17 years, also serving as foster carers and trauma-informed trainers. Yuriy is currently pastoring Ukrainian Church gathering in Romania, hosted at Bucharest International Church, and he is co-leading a youth group for Ukrainian teenagers in Bucharest, in partnership with UBC22.

Greg leads Northlands Church in Atlanta Georgia and also is the chairman of the WWO Global Leadership Council. He is passionate about creating space for others to walk into their calling and helping them remain in a vital walk with Jesus. He is well-respected for his devotion to God’s Word and his grace-based teaching. Greg is the author of Beyond Leadership (a book about church governance) and Prepared for Significance, which encourages believers to stay the course of God's training process. He has been involved with WWO since 2016. 

Whitney serves as a Refugee Education Specialist with the International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and as Managing Director for Refugee Highway Partnership (RHP) Europe—a global network united by a God-inspired love for refugees and a biblical mandate to care for those who have been forcibly displaced. RHP Europe connects over 600 individuals and organizations across the continent, equipping churches to minister holistically among refugees and asylum seekers. 

Based in Vienna, Austria, Whitney supports IAFR ministry locations as well as like-minded organizations, churches, and individuals engaged in refugee ministry. With a background as a classroom teacher, principal, and guidance counselor, she brings extensive experience in education to her current role. A lifelong educator, Whitney has seen how education can provide stability, foster healing relationships, and open opportunities for displaced children and youth. Today, she helps identify gaps in refugee education, recommends solutions, and assists in implementing initiatives designed to improve both accessibility and quality of learning opportunities for those who need them most. 

As he served in different roles including teacher, high school principal, national director for student ministry, and pastor, Alex always believed that Christians should live out the Gospel so radically that others would have only two possible explanations for their behavior: “Either you are crazy, or Jesus is alive.”

From 2015, for ten years, Alex has served as Executive Director of the Romania Without Orphans Alliance (ARFO). When the war in Ukraine began, Alex and six other church leaders started UBC ’22, a network of churches that mobilized more than 900 volunteers and hosted more than 3,500 refugees, offering more than 25,000 nights of accommodation. Alex is passionate about collaboration between leaders who share the same vision and values, as he knows that the power of Christ is revealed best when the body of Christ acts in unity.

Starting in January 2023, Alex joined a WWO team referred to as “Accelerate.” He travels to different parts of the world and helps national leaders to develop their own visions for a country without orphans.

In 2025, together with a group of leaders, Alex started “Imitatio Christi for vulnerable children” - with the purpose to inspire and equip the body of Christ to manifest the Gospel to vulnerable children.

Together with his wife, Nati, Alex has 7 adopted children.

Amy, a Canadian missionary living in Romania, is the Operations & Communications Manager for WWO Europe, who additionally works with severely disabled children in state care. Her diverse background has provided a wealth of ministry and life experience.

Formally educated as a Red Seal Chef, Amy was in restaurant management and private catering before transitioning to a finance role at Canada’s largest privately-owned security company. She nannied periodically for nearly two decades, and gained familiarity of the medical world as she provided palliative care to her mother for many years. 

In addition to her professional roles, Amy was part of a family band that recorded and produced eight albums, performing in a mélange of venues. In the local church, she has served as a Sunday school teacher, mentored youth and young adults, led women’s Bible studies, sang on worship teams, and served in disabilities and hospitality ministries.

She is passionate for every orphan to know the love of their Heavenly Father, especially disabled children who are so often hidden away and forgotten.

Involved with World without Orphans from the beginning, Barbara has worked with children since 1990. She has worked with street children in India, in a group home for teenagers in conflict with the law in Switzerland and has been one of the leaders of the children's ministry in a large Swiss church for several years. During 2002-2022 Barbara was part of the international leadership team of King's Kids/YWAM and has a rich experience in working cross culturally. For many years Barbara was part of her sister and brother-in-laws foster family as an aunty, helping to care for their children. She is a trainer and coach in Trauma and Attachment and has written her own training manual on that topic. She has an MA and a PhD in Holistic Child Development and travels widely to train people who work with children, especially with orphans and children in foster care. Barbara experienced orphanhood herself as a child and has a big heart for all vulnerable children, both in her own country of Switzerland and internationally.

C Muwanguzi - Mugalu (Prefer to be called Muwa) is a catalytic African leader and social transformation strategist committed to advancing equity by shifting power to communities. With 25+ years of experience across social impact and international development, he has led and advised community-rooted work that strengthens families and enables children to thrive in safe, loving care.

He previously served as CEO of Child’s i Foundation, helping to pioneer scalable alternatives to child institutionalisation in Uganda and across Africa, and now works with Nyaka to drive innovation, embed sustainability, and champion lived-experience leadership within grassroots organisations ready to scale. Christopher serves on multiple boards, including VSO International (Safeguarding Lead), Learn to Play (Botswana),  Kyaninga Child Development Centre. He holds an MA in Child and Family Development from Tavistock and Portman and an MBA from Bayes Business School.

Jo Haaijer has been involved in leadership roles in the business world, NGO’s, ministry organisations and churches. She has been married to her husband Martijn for 30 years and have adult children who are serving the Lord. Martijn and Jo are serving churches in The Netherlands with leadership development and team building. Since 2014 Jo Haaijer serves Onehope first as National Coordinator and later in the role of European director. Onehope is a global ministry reaching children and youth with Gods Word. We are sharing God’s word with children during a time of uncertainty and strategically equipping churches to share Scripture in new ways. This can be print, digital, film and even church planting. Jo also serves in the Lausanne Europe Process Team and is a board member for the Wycliffe Global Alliance.

Julie Cooper, PhD, is an applied psychologist (non-clinical), trainer and speaker who walks alongside leaders and caregivers serving vulnerable children and families. With a background in psychology and ministry, she helps communities understand challenging emotions and behaviors through a lens of faith, compassion, and hope. 

In addition to her professional work, Julie is a foster and adoptive parent, an experience that deeply shapes her understanding of trauma, attachment, and healing within families. She currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and six children, and serves as President of LAMb International USA, supporting healing-centered care initiatives and leadership development that prioritize safety, dignity, and belonging. 

Kezia M'Clelland has over 15 years of experience in international development, including time living in Africa and the Middle East where she worked alongside faith-based organisations serving children and families. Kezia has been collaborating on development of Viva’s child protection resources, and delivering child protection consultancy.

Kezia has a specialism in equipping those who support children affected by conflict and disaster, and holds an MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development from SOAS. A qualified coach and spiritual director, Kezia brings these skills together with her overseas experience to help drive Viva’s global impact and shape the effectiveness of its team.

Liviu Mihăileanu is an adoptive father and a leading advocate for adoption and foster care reform in Romania. His work has influenced national policy, strengthened civil society, and mobilized faith-based and professional communities around child protection. He is the founder of Tzuby’s Kids Association and President of the Romania Without Orphans Alliance. In recognition of his legislative and public advocacy, he received the Golden PR Award for Excellence in 2020. Liviu holds a PhD in theology, researching the role of Christian communities in adoption, and is the author of ”Born of the Heart” and ”The Lost Treasure”. Professionally, he serves as Director of Research & Knowledge for PwC EMEA, bringing extensive experience in strategy, governance, and organizational leadership.

Having been involved with the leadership of WWO since 2015, Lubo loves to share the Father heart of God through mentoring and coaching. Being passionate about growing the capacity of national and regional teams, Lubo is involved in forming and growing the WWO learning communities in different parts of the world and seeing nations collaborate to solve the orphan crisis in their own local context. He brings over 30 years of ministry experience, with a background of working in the context of churches, Christian organizations and consulting.

Miguel joined Lifeline in 2024 as the Senior Director of Global Orphan Care, bringing over 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, ministry, and cross-cultural missions. For nearly 18 years, he served internationally as a church planter, pastor, coach, and missions leader, working across denominations to share the gospel with government leaders. While serving overseas in his role as Executive Director, he led an annual national prayer breakfast, established a parliamentary prayer group, and oversaw a nationwide prayer movement directed toward local and national elected leaders. Miguel has spoken to over 10,000 students in classroom settings and large evangelistic gatherings, fostering community and inspiring the next generation.
 
He studied theology and pastoral studies at Rhema Bible College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where he met his wife, Mai. Married for 30 years, they are blessed with four grown children. Miguel’s dedication to sustainable ministry and gospel-centered care fuels his commitment to Lifeline’s mission of serving vulnerable children and families worldwide.

Nicole Baldonado is a trauma-certified social worker specializing in psychosocial support for caregivers in humanitarian crises. She is the Chief of Programme Development and Implementation for the Global Hope Groups Collaborative.

Hope Groups have randomized control evidence showing 57% improvements in parental mental health, 65% improvements in hopefulness and resilience, 54% decreases in violence against children, and 56% decreases in child behavioral issues amidst war and displacement. Mrs. Baldonado collaborated with international trauma-experts and Ukrainian refugees to develop, implement and evaluate the Hope Groups for Ukrainians impacted by war, including people in war zones, internally displaced or living as refugees. Nearly 4,000 Ukrainians have participated in Hope Groups in thirteen countries.

Mrs. Baldonado has also been a co-investigator on a pre-post study and a randomized control trial of the Hope Groups for Ukraine, in collaboration with University of Oxford, World Without Orphans, Parenting for Lifelong Health, the Global Parenting Initiative, and the Global Reference Group for Children Affected by Crisis. She has since led cultural adaptations and implementation support for Hope Groups evaluations in Colombia, Jordan, the West Bank, Sudan, and Chad, and pilots in Kenya, Malaysia, India, and Uganda. She has over 25 years of experience living in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, Hungary and Poland, where she now resides as a refugee from the war in Ukraine. She has a background in multi-sector collaboration across government, non-profit and grassroots community organizations, and human trafficking prevention on the U.S. statewide level.

Phil Green has been CEO of Viva since 2022 and has more than 20 years of experience supporting churches and organisations to work together to have more impact on the lives of children and young people. He was previously part of the World Without Orphans Global Team and the CEO of Home for Good – a UK-based organisation promoting foster and adoption. 
 
He is the co-catalyst for the Lausanne Movement's Children at Risk issue network, a member of the Global Reference Group for Children Impacted by Crisis, and a member of the leadership council for the Homecoming Project – a UK-based campaign promoting family-based care. He is on the board of World Without Orphans – Europe. 
 
As CEO, Phil leads our committed and talented staff team, supports our fundraising efforts, and represents Viva and our partner networks. He is passionate about ensuring that all we do is enabling our existing – and future - partner networks to make a bigger, better, and longer-lasting impact in the lives of children.

Richard is a facilitator and coach for leaders and teams. He established and grew his own businesses for 20 years. In this context, he worked with business leaders and their teams to help them succeed, and he led development programmes to transfer knowledge and effective practices across organisations. He has experience in cross-cultural communication and leadership, having worked in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, France, and Poland. He now uses this experience to lead the European Facilitation Team and to facilitate, coach and support without orphan movement leaders across Europe. He and his wife have two adopted daughters. He has been involved in shaping the Home for Good national initiative in the UK since its inception and has served the World Without Orphans movement for 8 years, driven by his passion for fatherhood and vulnerable children.

Ruby Johnston, LSW is a trainer and consultant working globally. She has worked extensively in the US and Canada as well as in 38 countries across the globe. Ruby is a former director of the Institute for Human Services in Canada. She lectures, writes, consults and does training in the fields of child protection, leadership, and management, with a specialization in organizational development, organizational behavior, management of large child welfare systems, and trauma-informed care. Ruby and her husband, Lynn, are co-founders of the Global Capacity Building Network, an international training and consulting organization. They have also co-founded several international organizations that serve vulnerable, exploited and orphaned children.  

Ruby is certified as an executive coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as well as in life coaching, emotional intelligence coaching and Neuro linguistics coaching. She is on the executive team for World Without Orphans Global.  

Ruby is an adoptive parent and a former foster parent. She and Lynn have six children, eleven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. 

Ruslan Maliuta serves at OneHope, a global ministry helping children engage with God’s story, where he leads the Collaborative Engagement team focused on building strategic partnerships and Kingdom collaboration. With over 25 years of full-time ministry experience, he has worked with churches, NGOs, governments, and networks. 

Since 2013, Ruslan has served globally through traveling, speaking, and equipping leaders in more than 40 countries. He is a co-founder of the World Without Orphans movement and is committed to pursuing unity among Christian movements around a shared vision.

Ruslan and his wife, Anya, are the joyful parents of five sons and a daughter-in-law.

Beyond his business school education in Lyon and his master’s degree in Project Management for Socio‑Medical Institutions, Sylvain’s heart was captured by children in need in Albania. In 1999, he encountered the harsh reality of refugee camps during the Kosovo war, an experience that profoundly marked him. Over time, he became increasingly involved with orphans and children living on the streets of Tirana.

For more than 20 years, Sylvain’s daily engagement with a Roma community has challenged and enriched both his worldview and his personal journey. He is passionate about exploring the Gospel more deeply and learning how to walk with people as they move from brokenness to wholeness.