The Touch A Life Foundation

Dear friends,

When my husband Randy and I first decided to establish a small not-for-profit in 1999 in memory of our son, I never could have dreamed we’d be where we are today. In these last ten years, we have had the privilege of traveling many times to communities throughout Southeast Asia and Ghana, Africa, and meeting countless people whose dedication to human rights continue to awe and inspire us.

I’m especially proud to say that we’ve had a far greater impact than I ever imagined. To be honest, when we first realized that Jantsen’s memorial fund had collected more than $20,000, my first thought was to buy soccer uniforms for a local team. I’m glad I forced myself to think bigger…to think globally.

The issue of child trafficking and modern day slavery—and the extent to which its victims suffer—is not an easy one to swallow. There are more slaves today—nearly 27 million—than at any other time in human history. But my work with Touch a Life has taught me what has become my life’s greatest lesson: not knowing what to do shouldn’t mean we simply do nothing. It just means that we do what we can, however small or insignificant that may seem. For me that has meant helping children, one at a time. That is how this started for us. We saved a child. And then another. And another.

Today, we support more than 200 children in Vietnam, and through a series of small rescue operations, coordinated closely with a dedicated team of Ghanaians, we have rescued more than seventy children from slavery in Ghana’s Lake Volta region. We recently completed construction on a residential facility and school where these children are happily living and, for the first time in most of their lives, receiving an education, a family’s love and, best of all, the opportunity to see themselves not as slaves, but as humans.

People sometimes write to us about how impressed they are by our work rescuing children from slavery, or those at risk of being trafficked. I always feel a little uncomfortable accepting that commendation because the truth is, I am the one who’s been rescued. Children like Mark Kwadwo, John Arthur and Emmanuel—all former slaves in Ghana—have taught me more about myself, and my values, and what truly matters than anything else—college classes, church sermons, academic tomes—could have ever taught me. Without them, I would never be the woman, the mother, or the person I am today.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to learn about our Foundation. With your support, we will continue to do our part in working to abolish modern day slavery, and, most of all, to protect the countless number of children who need our help. Thank you for joining us in our efforts and, as always, we welcome your comments and advice.

With best wishes,
Pam Cope