As a young teacher working at an elementary school in North Philadelphia, it used to break Karen Cohen’s heart to see students from needy families come to class wearing the same clothes every day. Even though she was just starting out in her career and didn’t have much money herself, she found a way to help, borrowing used items from family members to give to the children.
Thirty years later, that charitable spirit is as strong as ever in Cohen. The only difference is that her efforts have increased considerably: She’s not just helping people in her hometown, but halfway across the globe.
“I always had it in my heart to give,” Cohen says. “I’m blessed now that I can give more.”
After three-plus decades in education, including 16 years in South Jersey at the Katz Jewish Community Center, Cohen planned on a relaxing retirement spent with her husband and two kids. When her father passed away unexpectedly, however, she turned to travel as a way to regroup and heal, and it was during a visit to Africa in August 2023 that she found her new purpose.
Capping a three-week trip to South Africa with a stop in Madagascar, the getaway proved to be life altering.
“What I saw changed everything: It changed my outlook on the world and my life,” she says. “When I saw how these tribal people lived, I couldn’t believe it. I realized that if no one is allowing these people to have clean water, clothes, etc., then someone needs to do something. So I thought, well I’m retired, I can do something.”
Cohen started small. After returning home to Marlton, she kept in touch with her tour guide on the trip, a man named Theo, who shared that kids at his local school were in desperate need of footwear. So she collected 300 pairs of flip flops and returned to Madagascar that October to personally deliver them.
“They didn’t care about the color, they didn’t even care if they were too small. It was like the best thing that ever happened to them, because it was the first time in their lives that they received a gift, of anything,” she says.
When Cohen got back after her second trip, she was encouraged by friends and family to start a foundation, and Philawell was born. Her nonprofit—whose name is a combination of her hometown of Philadelphia and the need for wells in the Mandrare River Camp to provide fresh water—now provides everything from clothes, toiletries and flip flops to school supplies, including laptops, to Madagascar’s Antandroy people and schools in need. More recently, Cohen made sure kids in the village received their very own sets of Legos so they could spark their imaginations.
“It was truly remarkable to see what they made and the smiles on their faces and how creative they can be when they work together. You really saw a different side of these kids,” Cohen says. “I didn’t give them a blueprint, we just gave them some Legos, showed them how to use them and told them to create their own masterpiece.”
Cohen also hopes to soon be able to deliver small propane stoves to help eliminate the use of charcoal for cooking. The charcoal is made by cutting down trees, which is displacing lemurs and disrupting the ecosystem.
While the donated supplies are helping the village thrive, fresh water remains the priority, which is why Philawell has already built two rain-sustainable wells that provide an abundance of water to the camp as long as the rain is coming steadily. During times of drought, however, the people struggle, so Philawell is leading a project to build more wells and a piping system closer to the river.
In March, new solar-powered wells will be built with the goal of being able to provide the village fresh water, 365 days a year. It’s a project that will solidify the hard work Philawell has put forth and hopefully a springboard for similar projects to extend into neighboring villages.
“I’m completely blown away [by what this means for the villagers], but we are not stopping until everyone gets what they deserve—which is clean water,” Cohen says.
The progress made in a short time is impressive, but Cohen doesn’t want attention for herself, just anyone who may be in need.
“If you think about the women and men of this village who may be in their 50s or 60s, they’ve never had this. They’ve always bathed, did their laundry and got water from an infested river. … That’s why I’m heading out there in the summer, because I can’t imagine their reaction. I truly believe they deserve this opportunity and I’m blessed this experience happened to me.”
DONATIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
When you donate money or supplies to help further Philawell’s cause, your support is helping change lives. Please consider making a donation at Philawell.org.
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Published and copyrighted in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 21, Issue 10 (January 2025)
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