In a world increasingly marked by crises and tragedy—especially for vulnerable children—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But the encouraging response to the recent WWO Roadmap Forum shows that God is uniting more people in pursuing a world without orphans.  

Over 900 dedicated caregivers and leaders from churches, government, and non-governmental organizations in 94 countries spent their Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout May learning either virtually or in local groups and gatherings.  

“One of the most effective things we can do to advance better care for children and to make sure every child grows up in a safe and loving family, is to facilitate learning from each other,” said Karmen Friesen, Principal Coordinator, WWO Global Team. “Thanks to the 40 presenters from 23 countries, plus break-out facilitators (and our tech team), we were able to provide 16 hours of training in the WWO Roadmap areas of Prevention, Collaboration, Intervention, and Living Refreshed.  

We intentionally designed our training to include numerous strategy sessions that encourage leaders to discuss best practices, learn from one another, and devise the next steps for their nation. Many learning communities have been birthed from our Forums, and new country initiatives are already arising from this Forum as well.”  

Participants attended the training in groups in various locations, including Uganda, India, Zimbabwe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North America, Sri Lanka, and Europe. Participants in India attended the Forum in groups such as the one featured here with Anu Silas, WWO Regional Ambassador, South Asia Region.

Anu shows us what the first day of the Roadmap Forum was like in India: