The ACOHOF Family Farm Schools
Practical Agricultural Education Rooted in Families and Communities
The Afoni Children of Hope Foundation (ACOHOF) developed its Family Farm School model to provide practical, family- and community-based agricultural education for rural young people and vulnerable families.
The Family Farm Schools combine structured learning with practical agriculture, work-based learning, family participation, entrepreneurship and livelihood development. The approach helps young people acquire useful skills while they remain closely connected to their families and communities.
ACOHOF has established two Family Farm Schools over the course of this educational initiative: the original school in Tatum and the currently operating school in Bankim.
ACOHOF Family Farm School – Tatum
The first ACOHOF Family Farm School was established in Tatum, Bui Division, North West Region, Cameroon, in 2014.
It was created in response to the vulnerability of rural children and young people who faced poverty, limited access to practical education and skills training, child trafficking, exploitative labour, early marriage and migration to urban areas.
ACOHOF developed the school in partnership with DISOP Cameroon, providing practical and locally relevant agricultural and vocational education linked to family and community livelihoods.
The school later ceased operations in Tatum following the escalation of the armed conflict in Cameroon's North West and South West Regions, which made it unsafe to continue normal educational activities there.
ACOHOF Family Farm School – Bankim
Following ACOHOF's establishment of an operational presence in Bankim, Mayo-Banyo Division, Adamawa Region, the organization established the ACOHOF Family Farm School – Bankim, which remains operational today.
The Bankim Family Farm School continues ACOHOF's commitment to practical agricultural education while serving vulnerable rural families, young people, internally displaced persons and members of the surrounding host communities.
Its educational approach emphasizes practical agriculture, work-based learning, family participation, entrepreneurship, food security and sustainable livelihoods.
The Family Farm School Model Today
The Tatum Family Farm School represents the origin of ACOHOF's Family Farm School experience, while the Bankim Family Farm School is the currently operating Family Farm School.
The Family Farm School model remains distinct from the ACOHOF Bilingual Technical Vocational College of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship (ATVOCAE), which is a separate technical and vocational institution also operated by ACOHOF in Bankim.
Together, the ACOHOF Family Farm School – Bankim and ATVOCAE provide complementary educational pathways for practical skills development, agriculture, entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
