On July 8th Dr. Robin E Bowen (President of Arkansas Tech University, ATU) and I, signed an MOU (Memorandum Of Understanding) that will be of mutual benefit to ATU and our unique school (Ray of Hope Academy, ROHA.).
The MOU signing is the culmination of six years of relationship and collaboration between our special needs school in Douala and ATU. About two years ago, through a grant, the school sent Dr. John O’Connor of the College of Education on an exploratory trip to our school. The plan was for about ten faculty members from various colleges at ATU to visit last year and for ATU students to start visiting this year.
On returning, Dr. O’Connor started working on a grant for one million dollars from the Spencer Foundation to enable us buy land and build a model school. Unfortunately, the grant didn’t go through. Together, we are working on approaching other foundations for a grant to buy land and build a modern school in Cameroon so we can focus on what we have dubbed: “Cameroon Educational Impact Project.”
BFL is thrilled to layer this dynamic partnership on top of over two decades of serving and connecting resources with needs across West-Central Africa.
We are combining forces to develop a genuine partnership to improve educational and physical activity behaviors in the Ray of Hope Academy students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, students with other special learning needs, and students without disabilities.
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Prof John O’Connor training our school staff
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Signing the Memorandum to allow ATU to lead the Cameroon Educational Impact Project. Dr. Robin E. Bowen, President of Arkansas Tech University, Dr. Barbara Johnson, Vice-President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Linda Bean, Dean, College of Education, Dr. Tim Carter, Associate Dean, College of Education
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We envision a partnership that will allow ATU to take responsibility to lead the Cameroon Education Impact Project‘s efforts to:
- Provide increased educational opportunities for students at Ray of Hope Academy.
- Develop increased capacity of teachers and staff to fulfil their service delivery roles.
- Effectively prepare ATU program candidates across multiple fields of preparation via international clinical experiences.
- Pursue the funding and development of a modern resource and technologically equipped school facility that extends the impact of the Ray of Hope Academy within the local community and the region.
Will you join us in praying for:
- Funds to renovate the building we have recently signed a contract on?
- Provision to pay all the rents this year
- The acquisition of land and development of our own infrastructure to accommodate the expansion of the school
- Funding for staff and the recruitment of the following special education specialists:
- Speech therapists, occupational therapist, and psychologists.
- The equipment and school utilities: Computer projectors, sensory toys, and a school van.
Your prayers for this projects and the entire work of BFL is appreciated.
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 Elizabeth Eliot correctly note: “Prayer lays hold of God’s plan and becomes the link between his will and its accomplishment on earth.” Amazing things happen, when we pray, and we are given the privilege of being channels of the Holy Spirit’s through prayer. We believe that prayer makes a powerful difference in our ministry! We are so thankful for friends, like you, who pray for us. If you are not part of our prayer network, would you consider putting us on your prayer list?
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 Monthly Partners are those who commit to make monthly gifts to BFL to cover the operational needs of BFL. Recurring monthly gifts provides sustainable income, helping our team plan and implement their work with confidence and certainty. We now have 40 individuals and 11 churches. This still puts us at less than half of what we need to support a staff of over 60 in Cameroon. We are however thankful that God continues to use one time gifts and love offerings during my yearly visits to make the difference.
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 With our growth, it has become necessary to start looking for other funding sources. We are looking for people who are good at grant writing and those who can help us identify grants or foundations who have interest in what we are doing.
 Invite friends to your home for dinner or desert to learn about our work. Help start a fundraiser (car wash etc). You can also use your social media platforms. It could be dedicating your birthday to BFL, or doing a crowdfunding, etc.
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 It is our desire to spread our vision to others and to the Business Community. A word of introduction or endorsement from you will go a long way in opening doors in churches or with community and business leaders in your area, or across the country.
 We organize several ‘mission and vision’ trips every year to assist individuals and groups experience other cultures and see first-hand what we do, as well as participate in our work. We invite you join us on a short-term mission trip.
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 Invest in any of our sustainable ministry bases. A gift towards the farm will keep reproducing itself. At the present we are looking at developing a fish pond, build animal houses, buy more goats and cattle, etc. These gifts will multiple themselves over time and move us to a place of sustainability. This has been the case with the pineapples. We now have almost 200,000 on the ground. This will triple every year and bless villages as we help them with seeds to start similar ventures.
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Please do not reduce your giving to your local church to support Bread for Life.
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