COPE Ministry — Organization Profile
COPE Ministry, formally Children of Pokot Educational Fund, is a Christian mission serving Pokot children and families in Kenya. The ministry’s mission is to provide education for Pokot children by empowering Christians and their community to nurture children spiritually, mentally, and physically so they can grow into local and national leaders who think and act from a Christian worldview.
COPE’s U.S. mailing address is Lincoln, Illinois, and its African mission is located in Tapadany, Pokot, Kenya, serving the West Pokot region of Kenya. The organization states that it does not operate from a physical U.S. office; instead, volunteers and board members support the ministry remotely while mission work continues through local employees and leaders in Kenya.
The ministry began after Paul and Mary Boatman visited Pokot in 1995 and saw the need for basic education among children from the nomadic Pokot tribe. Barbara O’Donohue later helped establish the nonprofit in 1997 to fund Tapadany Christian Academy. What began as a small school has grown into Tapadany Christian Academy, COPE House, a feeding program, medical care, evangelism, and community outreach projects.
Education remains central to COPE’s work. Tapadany Christian Academy began with a preschool and now serves hundreds of students through primary grades. The school provides classroom instruction, Christian Religious Education, worship assemblies, a library, play space, and two meals each school day for students and employees. COPE describes the school as both an education ministry and a Christian outreach arm into the Pokot community, since children share what they learn with their families.
COPE’s evangelism and outreach ministries include Sunday worship, women’s Bible study, individual witness, parent prayer days, the Jesus Film, and weeklong teaching events for boys and girls. Its community programs include COPE House for children in need, Good Samaritan sponsorships, relief food, clean water, medical care, a bakery, canteen, Farming God’s Way, sewing, and jewelry projects. These efforts respond to needs in an area with limited employment and limited access to education and medical care.
People can engage with COPE Ministry by giving financially, sponsoring a child through the Good Samaritan Program, joining the prayer team, receiving newsletters, volunteering with fundraising or marketing, inviting COPE representatives to visit a church or group, supporting relief or growth projects, or participating in mission opportunities such as the 2026 Medical Mission Trip. Donations may be made online or mailed to the Lincoln, Illinois address.
Key Links
- Website: https://www.childrenofpokot.org/
- Our Mission: https://www.childrenofpokot.org/cope-mission
- Our History: https://www.childrenofpokot.org/history-of-cope
- Education: https://www.childrenofpokot.org/main-education
- Evangelism: https://www.childrenofpokot.org/evangelism
- Outreach: https://www.childrenofpokot.org/outreach
- Support Us: https://www.childrenofpokot.org/donate
- 2026 Medical Mission Trip: https://www.childrenofpokot.org/medicalmissiontrip2026
- Newsletter: https://www.childrenofpokot.org/newsletter
- Online Giving: https://cope.breezechms.com/give/online
Contact Information
- Email: ch*************@***il.com
- Mailing address: COPE, P.O. Box 903, Lincoln, IL 62656
- Kenya mission address: COPE Mission, PO Box 60, Kacheliba 30601, Kenya Africa
Socials
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/COPE-Ministry-186920588039587/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@copeministry2173
Leadership
- Devane Amalla — Executive Director
- Michaela Amalla — Executive Director
- Steve Kottemann — President
- James Turney — Vice-President
- Share Steffen — Treasurer
- Cynthia Clayton — Secretary
- Tom Milanski — Board Member
- Carrie Yana-White — Board Member
- Shelly Jones — Board Member
- Derrick Harvey — Board Member
- Pati Heller — Board Member
