Get involved

Meet Oleksii

“I’m excited to be part of the MCE Youth Board because I see it as an opportunity to make a real impact on an important issue while learning and growing in the process.

Having migrated from Ukraine to Poland to start a new chapter of my life, I’ve gained some valuable experiences and an insight into the challenges faced by children with a migrant background. I’m eager to bring this perspective into my work on the Board and contribute meaningfully to our shared mission, which is preventing children across the Europe from going missing.

I am certain that together with the Board, we can make a change and ensure that the voices of young people are truly heard and valued.”

Meet Lisa-Marie

“Am I missing if I walk around a city in the dark to avoid having to go home? If I fantasize about being adopted? If I want friends, just to have any other place to be but home?

Being part of the youth board at MCE, I hope to give a voice to those who ask themselves the same questions – those who weren’t missing for long “enough”, weren’t abused “enough”, felt they didn’t need the help badly “enough”. I want people to see us. I pursue my studies with the same passion, doing research into how society can better detect and help child victims of abuse and neglect as a psychologist.”

Meet Miina

“I’m Miina Kokoi, twenty-five-year-old MCE Youth Board Member and IT student from Finland.

I’m an Expert by Experience, with personal experience of international parental abduction and going missing as a child. For several years now, it has been my passion of mine, to share my experiences in an effort to help professionals improve the child protection system. There is still much work to be done. My most important (and favourite) role is being a mother to my son, who I believe is one of the biggest drivers behind my volunteer work. In my free time, I express my creative side through photography and writing, I’m currently co-authoring my first non-fiction book, due to be published next year.”

Meet Burak

“Hi, I am Burak from Türkiye. With a degree in International Relations from Ege University, I am deeply committed to creating a meaningful social impact and addressing systemic inequalities.

Currently, I serve as a Corporate Tax Assistant at KPMG Türkiye, while also leading a personal podcast project that seeks to amplify the voices of the queer community in rural Türkiye. My dedication to children’s rights and inclusion led me to join the MCE Youth Board, where I strive to foster youth participation and advocate for broader social change. I firmly believe that inequalities begin in childhood, and it is our responsibility to address them from the outset. Every child matters, and together, we can ensure a more inclusive future.”

Meet Naya

“Hi, I’m Naya Al Hosain– 18 years old, in my final year of high school, and probably the only person in my class who somehow thinks writing policy papers is fun.

I joined the MCE Youth Board because nothing excites me more than standing up for children with a refugee background. When I was seven, I fled from Syria to the Netherlands. My journey taught me what it means to start over, to face fears, and to grow stronger. I was never missing myself – but through my work I’ve listened to the stories of children who were. Visiting refugee camps and speaking with young people who experienced disappearance has made me deeply aware of what is at stake, and why this work matters. Beyond MCE, I also collaborate with organisations like Save the Children and the EU, always with the same mission: making sure that every child feels safe, heard, and valued. As a child, I used to feel ashamed of my scars and my story. Now, I see them as my superpower – the reason I can speak up proudly for others who may not yet find the words.

Fun fact? Even though my work is serious, I’m a firm believer that joy, laughter, and hope are just as powerful as policy. After all, change is easier to build when you’re smiling while doing it.”