About COTP
Children of the Promise- Committed to caring for the Infants of Haiti since 1999.
Who We Are
Children of the Promise is a Non-denominational Christian ran organization started in 1999 by Bud and Jan Bonnema, a Minnesotan Couple. We have individuals and families from all around the world that help us fullfill our calling to care for the sick and malnourished infants in our area of Northern Haiti. Every year, hundreds of volunteers travel to COTP on short-term trips to participate in our work with us. We are also blessed with partnerships of churches and individuals around the globe who financially contribute to our ministry in Haiti.
Children of the Promise is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
What We Do
We are dedicated to caring for the physical, emotional, medical, and spiritual needs of sick and malnourished infants/toddlers in Northern Haiti. Our main mission is to take in these babies for three months to help return them to full health and allow their family time to get back on their feet if they are going through a difficult time. Once a child is healthy enough, we reunite them with their biological family. If this is not able to happen then we help facilitate an adoption for the child.
We also have several programs to empower families to be able to care for their infants on their own. These programs include the Formula, Prenatal, and School Sponsorship, Medika Mamba programs.
Another big part of our mission is employment. We currently have a staff of about 80 local Haitians that work for us as Nannies, Laundry Ladies, Cooks, Adoption Workers, and Yard Guys. We have seen amazing changes in our community through the jobs we are able to provide and are able to empower our employees to be able to better provide for the needs of their families.
Why We Do it
The work of COTP is driven by our calling from God to serve the poor and oppressed in Haiti. We believe that God loves each and everyone of the babies and people we come in contact with and want to help show them this love. Through being faithful to care for these babies as God has called us, we continue to be blessed in return. We see his hand on the lives of our nannies and other Haitian staff, which now number over 80. Our community of Lagossette has grown and thrives with new houses as a result of so many jobs.We believe that every child can change their world and we want to give them that chance.
COTP History
In October of 1999 Bud and Jan Bonnema, the founders of COTP, went on a week long mission trip to Haiti. During that trip they were overwhelmed with the need to care for orphaned or very ill babies; in fact, they were asked to help three babies on three separate occasions.
Three months later they bought land in the village of Lagossette where they planned to build an infant care center. They moved into a small house in Cap Haitien and began to take in sick, abandoned, and orphaned infants. In August of 2001 they moved into the mission next to the land they bought and began to build our current facility, which was finished at the end of 2003. Caring for this many infants was often a challenge with very little money and often times no running water or electricity. Through it all God has provided and we are very thankful for our current facility that allows us to care for the needs of up to 50 infants at a time.
