For over 20 years, Momentum Wheels for Humanity has increased access to mobility and improved the quality of life for children, teenagers and adults with physical disabilities in low- and middle-income countries. In total, Momentum Wheels for Humanity has provided more than 100,000 wheelchairs. Its mission is to promote greater inclusion for people with disabilities globally, through mobility, therapy, advocacy and empowerment. The not-for-profit organization aims to build sustainable, community-based systems that provide effective, long-term support for people with mobility impairments. Momentum Wheels for Humanity builds rehabilitation services within health systems by providing training, capacity building and technical assistance; developing policy and standards; and supplying and distributing wheelchairs and other life-changing assistive technology.
Perth Rosen is the Senior Director of Programs at Momentum Wheels for Humanity, where she has led a health-systems approach to assistive technology-inclusive rehabilitation in over twenty countries, including Ukraine, Indonesia, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. For over twenty years, she has worked at the intersection of health products and services in several sectors including rehabilitation and assistive technology, HIV/AIDS, water and sanitation, nutrition, and reproductive health. She has worked and collaborated with NGOs, government partners, and ministries of health to drive global health programming. Prior to Perth’s work with UCP Wheels, she worked with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, Freedom from Hunger, the University of California, San Diego, and the International Organization of Migration among others. She holds an Advanced Master’s in International Relations with a focus on health security.
Maria Toro is Momentum’s AT Systems Strengthening Global Advisor. In previous roles, she has served as technical advisor in assistive technology with the PanAmerican Health Organization and the International Society of Wheelchair Professionals and as an assistant professor in a physiotherapy school. Maria’s background is in Biomedical Engineering (Colombia) and she obtained a MS and PhD in Rehabilitation Science and Technology from the University of Pittsburgh, USA.
Sue Eitel has over 30 years of international experience specific to disability, rehabilitation and provision of assistive products. This includes U.S. Peace Corps, international non-governmental organizations, local community based organizations, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Ms. Eitel’s capabilities and extensive practical experience across the spectrum of disability, rehabilitation, and assistive technology provide clients with considerable expertise from multiple vantage points: volunteer, implementer, collaborating partner, donor, and technical expert.
Lindsay Simpson holds an MPH in Global Health Program Management from Boston University and is a Certified Heath Education Specialist. Most recently, she served as the program administrator for the Center for Evidence to Practice at the LSU Health Sciences Center School of Public Health. She has also worked with the Peace Corps and JSI.
Samuel Icoot Okiring has eight years of experience in professional accounting, financial analysis, administration, procurement management, and budget management for organizations including Management Sciences for Health, IntraHealth International, and John Snow Inc. He is familiar with the rules and regulations of several donors, including USAID.
Sofia Nabasa is an occupational therapist with more than eight years of professional experience in disability assessment, referral, care, advocacy, capacity building, documentation, and partnership building. She has worked with Humanity and Inclusion and collaborated with the National Union of Disabled Persons in Uganda, Motivation Africa, and CoRSU Rehabilitation Hospital among others. She is certified in Basic and Intermediate-Level Wheelchair Service Provision.
Sarah Magoba is a health and communications development professional with more than ten years of experience in program implementation and communications with organizations such as World Vision Uganda, John Snow Inc, and Abt Associates. She has extensive experience managing communications campaigns, developing communications strategies, and writing impactful success stories.
Sergii Khomchenko has more than twenty years of experience in humanitarian and technical assistance program development and implementation with organizations such as International Medical Corps (IMC) Ukraine and Counterpart International. He brings extensive experience and skills in project start-up, stakeholder engagement, and operational and strategic leadership.
Natalia Sivak has more than six years of experience in financial management and accounting and has managed funds from donors including USAID, the Untied Nations, and WHO.
Lesya Kalandyak is a physical therapist in Ukraine that has worked with UCP Wheels for Humanity as a technical advisor since 2015, supporting USAID-funded projects designed to strengthen rehabilitation service delivery systems through the development of policy and regulatory frameworks; the professionalization of physical therapy; and awareness raising about the importance of rehabilitation services. Lesya is also a founder and board member of the Ukrainian Association of Physical Therapy.
Alina Tereshchenko is an occupational therapist and lecturer and has participated in the development of rehabilitation services in public and private hospitals. She is a member of the working group of the National Health Services of Ukraine and a Board Member of the Ukrainian Society of Occupational Therapists.
Yulianna Girsa has nine years of monitoring and evaluation experience with organizations including UCP Wheels for Humanity and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance. She has extensive experience in database design, data analysis, and the preparation of complex analytical materials and reports.
Iryna Stepanova has worked in communications for several local and international NGOs and international organizations including UNDP Ukraine and the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine. She is experienced in strategic communications, public relations campaigns, media relations and social media, training sessions on communications, event management, and branding and design.