Selina was born in Beirut and lived through the Wars in 1996, 1998, and 2006. She gave her life to the Lord while attending Sunday school at her home church, Ras Beirut Baptist Church. In 2009, Selina moved with her family to Tyre to plant a church and establish a center for the proclamation of the Gospel and to provide humanitarian aid and relief. Her childhood was marked by service to the poor and destitute in Tyre, and her heart for serving the refugees was established. In 2012, Selina moved to the U.S. to study bible at Hannibal La Grange University. She returned to Tyre in 2018 and assumed the role of Care Portal Regional Manager and was later appointed as the Executive Director of GO MENA. Selena is currently enrolled in a Master of Education program at the American University of Beirut.

Selina Yamout

Executive Director

Mohamad A. Ataya was born, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, to Palestinian parents, Abdel Al Rahman and Um Mahdi. He moved to college at just 16, driven by a love for science and inspired by mentors like his parents and great minds such as Nikola Tesla. Mohamad’s dreams were big—he longed to invent something that would impact the world and one day return to rebuild his homeland of Palestine. But his journey also carried deep struggles, including a battle with drug addiction and a season in prison, which profoundly shaped his identity and faith. Through these challenges, Mohamad discovered a deeper purpose. With a background in academia, ministry, and business start-ups, he became part of the founding team that relaunched GOMENA’s work in Beirut—driven by a passion to serve, rebuild, and bring hope where it’s needed most.

Talar Garabedian

Project manager

Talar Garabedian was born in France to a culturally rich family. After studying in Armenian and French schools, she moved alone to Lebanon to complete her master's in nutrition, facing significant challenges—new languages, cultural shifts, and independent living. But through it all, she leaned on God and grew in faith. Deeply shaped by her own mother’s experience as an orphan, her mother’s heart for the poor and her own desire to live out God's command to care for the vulnerable, Talar joined GOMENA to help strengthen families in need.

Mohammad Ataya

Operations Manager

Aline Simonian

Partnership Implementer

Aline Simonian was born into a Christian Armenian family in Lebanon. The outbreak of the Syrian war brought deep personal loss—her family home, her grandparents' garden, and several loved ones. In Lebanon, the church where her parents served became a place of refuge, and the church community became her extended family. Motivated by the love of Christ and a desire to serve vulnerable children, she pursued a degree in Social Work at Hagazian University, graduating in 2021. After a season of prayer and waiting, Aline had a dream in which she was called to care for widows and orphans. Though the message was mysterious, it stirred a deeper sense of purpose. Just two months later, she began serving with GOMENA as a partnership implementer, stepping into a ministry that aligned her heart for serving others.