UA Little Rock Nursing Professor Helps Start School in Africa
A UA Little Rock nursing professor is helping to support education in her home country of Cameroon, Africa, by supporting a new school.
Dr. Josy Nduku, program coordinator of the online RN-BSN program, is part of an international and diverse group of educators and experts who have founded the Mfah-Mfah (meaning brother sister) Academy in the city of Bandounga, Cameroon.
“It started out as a group of friends talking about an idea back in 2018,” Nduku said. “We wanted to start a school that offered something different than what we grew up with. We wanted to focus on building the whole student with life skills and encouraging skills that aren’t necessarily focused just on academics. Because of my background in academia and love of education, they offered me the position of chair of the School Board.”
Nduku and her committee have helped to hire the initial teaching staff and set the curriculum for the school, which opened in September 2022. They meet monthly with school leaders to discuss its needs and fundraise on behalf of the school.
“I believe in the vision of the school and plan to be involved for years to come,” Nduku said. “It’s rewarding just to have an impact on the children back home in a different way. We are recognizing talent and nurturing the whole human being.”
Mfah-Mfah Academy is a different kind of school that is focused on producing well-rounded students that are prepared for higher education and careers in a global world. The academy’s curriculum is focused on academics, arts, technology, life, economics, politics, and sports. Nduku and the school’s other founders hope it will grow to house 1,000 students in the next decade as well as become a major economic driver for the local community.
In addition to the school, Nduku has been helping six children from single mothers go to school by sponsoring their school fees. She is planning to start a nonprofit organization this year with a mission of empowering women and children through education in Cameroon.
“For a long time, our society did not value education for women. Women would just become mothers and take care of the house,” Nduku said. “I was given the opportunity by my parents to study abroad, and I wanted to give that back to other women. I think once we educate women back home, things will be better in terms of how women are living. They will be able to educate other people and make society better.”
Nduku added that she is also hoping to use her nursing skills to teach people in Cameroon about disease prevention.
“In our society, we don’t value taking care of ourselves before we get sick, and a lot of people don’t have insurance so they can’t afford to go to the hospital,” she said. “As a nurse, I want to train people in preventive medicine and ways they can prevent disease.”
