The Rev Dr Karla J Cooper Foundation exists to provide education and economic empowerment opportunities to women and children across rural areas of Ghana, with a particular focus on girls' school completion, women's agricultural development, and sustainable community partnerships.
Girls' Scholarship Program
We remove the financial barriers that keep girls out of school — covering fees, uniforms, and books so every girl has the chance to complete her education and build her future.
Women's Agricultural Empowerment
Through climate-smart farming training, cooperative formation, and microfinance access, we help rural women generate sustainable income and achieve financial independence.
Community Partnerships
Lasting change requires community ownership. We build alliances with traditional leaders, local institutions, and diaspora partners to ensure our programs are culturally rooted and long-lasting.
About Us
Who We Are
The Rev Dr Karla J Cooper Foundation is a registered NGO of Ghana (2025) founded by Rev. Dr. Karla J. Cooper EdD — an educator, ordained minister, and community developer with over 23 years of service in Africa. We exist to ensure that women and girls across rural Ghana have access to education, economic opportunity, and the dignified future they deserve.
Our work spans girls' scholarship programs, women's agricultural cooperatives, microfinance access, community learning centers, and youth leadership development. Everything we do is grounded in deep respect for local culture — and guided by the belief that when a girl is educated, an entire community is transformed.
Our Programs
Programs That Transform Communities
Girls' Scholarship Program
Climate-Smart Agriculture Training
Women's Cooperative & Microfinance
Community Learning Centers
Traditional Leader Partnerships
Youth Leadership Pipeline
Founder & Executive Director
Rev. Dr. Karla J. Cooper EdD
Rev. Dr. Karla J. Cooper is an ordained minister, educator, and community development specialist whose life's work spans continents. Born with a calling to serve, she has dedicated over 23 years to building bridges between African communities and global partners — working across Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and Zambia.
Holding a Doctor of Education (EdD) and advanced degrees in Divinity and Public Administration, Dr. Cooper brings academic rigor and spiritual depth to her leadership. She founded the Rev Dr Karla J Cooper Foundation in 2025 as the formal expression of decades of grassroots work in education, women's empowerment, and community development.
Read Full BiographyImpact
Stories of Real Change
Abena's scholarship enabled her to complete secondary school and gain admission to university — the first in her village to do so.
Read Her Story
From Village to University
Fatima joined a women's cooperative, secured a microfinance loan, and now runs a thriving market stall supporting her entire household.
Read Her Story
From Cooperative to Entrepreneur
A community learning center opened in a remote village, giving 120 adults their first access to structured literacy education.
Read the Story
Literacy for All Ages
After adopting climate-smart farming techniques, women farmers in three communities doubled their harvest yield in a single season.
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Doubling the Harvest
Youth leadership training produced 18 young civic ambassadors who now run community outreach programs in their home districts.
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Youth Leading the Way
A partnership with a district chief opened 6 new schools to girls who were previously denied enrollment due to cultural barriers.
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Chiefs Opening Doors
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the mission of the Foundation?
Who benefits from your programs?
Our programs serve girls at risk of leaving school early, women farmers and entrepreneurs seeking to build economic independence, and communities across the Bono Region and rural Ghana. We target rural and semi-rural populations who are most underserved by existing support systems.
How are scholarship recipients selected?
Scholarship recipients are selected based on demonstrated academic potential, verified financial need, and commitment to giving back to their communities. Applications are reviewed by a local selection committee that includes community leaders, educators, and Foundation representatives.
How can I donate or support the Foundation?
You can support us by making a direct donation, sponsoring a scholarship, partnering as a corporate sponsor, or joining our diaspora network. Contact us at info@revdrkarlajcooperfoundation.org or through our Ghana and USA offices to discuss how your contribution can make the greatest impact.
Is the Foundation registered in Ghana?
Yes. The Rev Dr Karla J Cooper Foundation is a fully registered Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) of Ghana as of 2025. We operate under Ghanaian law and are accountable to our communities, our donors, and the regulatory authorities of both Ghana and the United States.
How do you work with local communities and leaders?
We engage traditional leaders, chiefs, religious institutions, and local government authorities from the earliest stages of every program. We believe that sustainable change must be community-owned, so we invest in building trust and shared ownership before any program begins.
"The foundation did not just pay my fees. They believed in me before I fully believed in myself. Today I am studying public health and I am coming back to serve my region."
— Abena, Scholar, Bono Region"The cooperative gave me more than a loan — it gave me a network, a voice, and a business. My children will never go hungry again because of what I learned."
— Fatima, Cooperative Member, Sunyani"When a chief says girls must go to school, the whole community listens. Dr. Cooper understood that. She came to us first, and that made all the difference."
— Nana Kwame, Traditional Chief, Ghana"Reverend Dr. Cooper's vision is unique — it honors African tradition while creating real pathways for women and children to rise. I am proud to call her a colleague."
— Bishop Mutua, East AfricaFrom the Foundation
