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School Opens to New Academic Year of Promise

Sister Jane Mankaa envisioned a future for her Good Shepherd Home children, and all Cameroonian children, grounded by a quality secondary education.

Her vision continues to thrive this fall on the campus of Good Shepherd Academy. Twenty-nine new students arrived, some with their parents, to join last year’s class on campus. Imagine the excitement! Most of our students are in the First and Second forms (Grades 7 and 8) and some students have transferred from other area schools in advanced grade levels.

This school year sees the addition of new faculty in music and physical education to provide students with opportunities on soccer teams and in band concerts.

a mix of boy and girl students practice song

Principal Churchill Che Welcomes Faculty and Students

Churchill Che has returned for his second year as Principal of Good Shepherd Academy, welcoming new faculty members as well as many new students. Churchill originally joined the Good Shepherd staff at the school’s opening in 2016 and developed his role under Sister Jane’s supervision. Churchill continues to keep the spirit of Sister Jane alive on the Bafut campus.

“We continue to nurture the young minds entrusted to our care and mentorship,” Churchill explained. With sixteen students in the lowest forms, away from home and families for the first time, there are many challenges. Some Form One students already show exceptional promise. Other students require special attention from teachers. But the message to all students is the same. “Hard work equals success.”

Most encouraging is the attitude of older students in Form Four. “They are all academically competitive,” Churchill noted, “Each vows to be the first in their form.”

Running the school this year is not without its challenges. The government Ministry of Education has required new textbooks and teachers are “scrambling to find material from additional sources like the internet and their personal libraries.” Just like so many of their American colleagues they use their own resources to gather materials to enrich their curricula, “always going the extra mile for their students.”


Good Shepherd SLF Celebrates Generosity of Donors

The winter solstice marks the beginning of the season of giving. Our days grow shorter as we traditionally give thanks for good harvests and the rewards of a bountiful life. This year many will celebrate the continued eradication of the coronavirus with the opportunity to celebrate once again with family and friends.

Our Good Shepherd Sustainable Learning Foundation family is especially grateful for YOU! Without your continued support our Good Shepherd Academy in Bafut, Cameroon would not be able to thrive. Despite five years of civil war, our school is open and dozens of eager enthusiastic students walk the campus in their sky blue uniforms each day.

An abundant garden

The late Sister Jane Mankaa picking lettuce from school gardens for a hearty lunch. Her spirit is with us every day.

Our foundation name embraces the word sustainable for many reasons.

We sustain the hope of students for a better future, sustain their intellectual and character development and sustain healthy living and a direct relationship to the land by adding a farm management curriculum.

We also are enriched and sustained by the knowledge that providing this school opportunity in one of the world’s poorest nations guarantees that the message of promise and transformation will continue to be heard.

We sincerely thank you for taking this journey with us and hope that you will continue to share God’s profound life-changing blessings with our faculty and students. As you enjoy this season of giving with your family and friends, we hope you will reflect on how your personal giving has had the ability to change lives throughout this very small planet. With God’s grace, we will continue to spread good news, one child at a time.

As always, we thank you for your continued support of our mission to Build a School, Build a Future for students in Cameroon, West Africa!

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