ACOHOF Family Farm School Bankim | Agricultural Training | Afoni Children of Hope Foundation

About ACOHOF Family Farm School of Bankim

The ACOHOF Family Farm School of Bankim is a practical agricultural education institution established and operated by the Afoni Children of Hope Foundation (ACOHOF) in Bankim, Mayo-Banyo Division, Adamawa Region, Cameroon.

The school provides practical, family- and community-based agricultural education designed to equip young people with knowledge, skills and livelihood opportunities that respond directly to rural realities.

Its educational approach combines classroom learning with practical agriculture, work-based learning, family participation, entrepreneurship and community-based assignments. Learners are encouraged to apply what they learn within their families, farms and communities, strengthening household livelihoods while building practical experience.

The Bankim Family Farm School serves vulnerable rural youth, internally displaced persons, and members of surrounding host communities, with particular emphasis on agriculture, food security, entrepreneurship, self-reliance, and sustainable rural development.

The school operates alongside the ACOHOF Bilingual Technical Vocational College of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship (ATVOCAE) in Bankim, but they remain distinct educational institutions with complementary mandates and learning approaches.

The Bankim school builds on ACOHOF's Family Farm School experience that began with the establishment of the original Family Farm School in Tatum in 2014.

Why the ACOHOF Family Farm School Model Remains Relevant in Bankim:

The ACOHOF Family Farm School model remains highly relevant in Bankim because many rural young people continue to face limited access to practical education, few gainful employment and self-employment opportunities, low agricultural productivity, and negative perceptions of farming and rural livelihoods.

The school responds to these challenges by combining relevant education, practical agriculture, entrepreneurship, work-based learning and family participation so that young people can build viable livelihoods within their own communities.

limited employment and self-employment opportunities for rural youth;

low agricultural productivity;

the stigma attached to rural life and farm work;

the mismatch between formal education and practical livelihood needs;

rural poverty and vulnerability;

the need for entrepreneurship, practical skills and sustainable agriculture.

Vision of the ACOHOF Family Farm School of Bankim

A community of well-trained young women and men equipped with practical, professional, entrepreneurial and life skills to contribute to sustainable rural development, resilient families and thriving communities.

Mission of the ACOHOF Family Farm School of Bankim

To work in partnership with parents, families, community members, professionals, local authorities, government institutions and development partners to provide rural young people with relevant education, practical agricultural training, vocational and entrepreneurial skills, work-based learning opportunities, and the values needed for self-reliance, responsible citizenship and sustainable livelihoods.

INTRODUCTION

The ACOHOF Family Farm School of Bankim is a practical agricultural education and rural skills-development institution operated by the Afoni Children of Hope Foundation (ACOHOF) in Bankim, Mayo-Banyo Division, Adamawa Region, Cameroon.

The school builds on ACOHOF's Family Farm School experience that began in Tatum in 2014 through a partnership with DISOP Cameroon. Following the disruption of ACOHOF's activities in Tatum by the armed conflict in Cameroon's North West Region, ACOHOF established operations in Bankim and continued developing the Family Farm School model in response to the needs of rural youth, vulnerable families, internally displaced persons and surrounding host communities.

The Family Farm School seeks to reduce rural poverty and strengthen sustainable community development by equipping young people with practical agricultural skills, entrepreneurial capacity and knowledge that can be applied directly within their families, farms and communities.

Pedagogy of Alternation

A central feature of the Family Farm School model is the Pedagogy of Alternation, also expressed through work-based learning, practical periods, home practicals, family-based learning, and community-based assignments. These different appellations help describe the same core principle: learners alternate between structured learning at school and supervised practical application within their families, farms, enterprises and communities.

During these practical or work-based learning periods, trainees are expected to carry out assigned agricultural, entrepreneurial and community-based activities rather than treating the period away from school as a holiday. Parents and guardians provide support and supervision, while teachers conduct follow-up visits and practical guidance.

Training emphasizes:

Practical agriculture and livestock production;

Entrepreneurship and small-enterprise development;

Food security and household livelihood improvement;

Climate-smart and environmentally responsible agriculture;

Work-based learning and practical assignments;

Family and community participation; and

Self-reliance, leadership and responsible citizenship.

Through this approach, the school seeks not only to train individual learners but also to create positive and sustainable benefits for their families and communities.