Arlyn and Maria Koopmans

Meet our Dairy Manager:

We have served at Project Canaan since December 2012. We met while living and serving together at Children of the Promise, an infant care facility in northern Haiti. After we married, the opportunity arose for us to move to Eswatini (formerly  Swaziland) with a missionary friend. We were excited to see what doors God would open for us. During our first year in Eswatini, we heard about Project Canaan. We were instantly captivated by Heart for Africa’s mission to provide a safe home to orphans and vulnerable children, providing employment and sustainable income through the farm, and serving the larger community and country.

As a 3rd generation dairy farmer, I enjoy all things farming. Growing up on a farm, I gained practical experience with mechanics, welding and of course agricultural knowledge. My skillset has proved to be incredibly useful here while my time in Haiti, where supplies were extremely limited or nonexistent, prepared me to be creative when faced with challenges.  I first began working at the Lusito Mechanic Shop where I was able to repair PC vehicles and provide basic training to the Swazi staff. Since then, I have helped dramatically expand the dairy farm. I’m dedicated to ensuring that the dairy farm is well-managed, fields are developed and milk production continues to increase.

Having served at an infant care facility already,  Maria was thrilled to begin working with the teeny tiny babies and the aunties at Project Canaan.  The excellent care provided for the children here is one of the many reasons we love this place! Maria is so thankful to have played a small part in providing care to some of the children there, and it is a joy to continue to see them grow. Maria now has the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom to Kate, 4, and Owen, who is now 2.