About the Foundation
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The Rev Dr Karla J Cooper Foundation for Women's & Children's Education
- Our Mission
- Our Vision
- Our Values
- To transform lives in rural areas of Ghana by breaking down cultural barriers to education, empowering women through agricultural innovation, and building lasting partnerships with traditional leaders — creating pathways from poverty to prosperity that honor local wisdom while opening doors to global opportunity.
- A Ghana where every girl completes her education, every woman controls her economic destiny, and every community thrives through the power of knowledge and sustainable agriculture.
- Cultural Respect — honoring traditional structures while advocating for progressive change. Community Ownership — local voices lead, we support. Sustainable Impact — building systems that outlast our presence. Gender Equity — dismantling barriers, creating opportunities. Agricultural Innovation — transforming farming from subsistence to prosperity.
Itinerant Elder, AME Church | Associate Professor, Doane University | Author | Pan-African Visionary with 23+ years of pastoral leadership across three continents.
Rev. Dr. Karla J. Cooper, EdD
Founder & Executive Director
From Vision to Action in Rural Ghana
A Vision Rooted in Africa
Dr. Cooper's deep ties to Africa — from pastoral training in Kenya to her partnership with Bishop Catherine Mutua of the Kaaga Synod in Meru — laid the spiritual and relational foundation for the Foundation's work in Ghana.
Registered as an NGO of Ghana (2025)
In 2025, the Foundation was formally established as a registered NGO of Ghana, focusing on rural Ghana — a region with the nation's highest poverty rates, lowest educational attainment, and most severe gender disparities.
Building Sustainable Partnerships
By partnering with traditional chiefs, queen mothers, and District Assemblies, the Foundation embeds itself within existing community structures — ensuring programs are culturally legitimate, community-owned, and built to last.
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Years of Ministry & Service
Rev. Dr. Karla J. Cooper, EdD
Ordained Minister • Educator • Pan-African Visionary
Rev. Dr. Karla J. Cooper is an Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, an Associate Professor at Doane University, and a community development specialist whose life and ministry have spanned three continents. With more than 23 years of pastoral leadership and community development experience across Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and Zambia, she has dedicated her life to building bridges between African communities and the global church.
Holding a Doctor of Education (EdD) and advanced degrees in Divinity and Public Administration, Dr. Cooper brings both academic rigor and a pastor's heart to every initiative she leads. Her theological formation includes years of engagement with Bishop Catherine Mutua of the Kaaga Synod in Meru, Kenya — a partnership that shaped her deep reverence for African leadership and indigenous wisdom.
In 2025, Dr. Cooper formalized decades of grassroots service into the Rev Dr Karla J Cooper Foundation — a registered NGO of Ghana dedicated to girls' education, women's agricultural empowerment, and community partnerships rooted in cultural respect. She remains personally engaged in every program, traveling regularly between the USA and Ghana to maintain the relationships at the heart of the Foundation's work.
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Degrees in Divinity & Public Administration
Itinerant Elder, AME Church
23+ Years Pan-African Service
Our Programs
Girls' Scholarship Program
We cover school fees, uniforms, and books for girls facing financial barriers — so every girl has the chance to complete her education and build her future.
Climate-Smart Agriculture
We train rural women in climate-adaptive farming techniques, cooperative formation, and microfinance access to build lasting economic independence.
Community Partnerships
By engaging traditional chiefs, queen mothers, and District Assemblies, we ensure every program is culturally legitimate and community-owned.
Youth Leadership Pipeline
Through mentorship, civic engagement, and leadership camps, we develop the next generation of young Ghanaian changemakers and community leaders.
Ready to Make a Difference?
Every donation, partnership, and act of advocacy brings us closer to a Ghana where every girl completes her education and every woman controls her economic destiny.
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