What Bread For Life does

Bread For Life International is a 501(c)(3) Christian nonprofit headquartered in Kerrville, Texas, that operates an integrated portfolio of ministries in Cameroon, West-Central Africa. Founded in 1995 by Ernest Ehabe, a Cameroon native, the organization runs programs across six Cameroonian cities (Yaoundé, Douala, Mbang, Dimako, Muambong, and Limbe) spanning church planting, medical outreach, agricultural training, education (including the Ray of Hope Academy for children with special needs and the hearing-impaired), prison ministry, micro-enterprise, and Baka Pygmy community development. The organization has approximately six US-based staff and relies on an indigenous Cameroonian team for field operations.

The business model is donation-driven: Bread For Life International raises funds through individual donors, church partnerships (including Westside Chapel), the Gideon 300 monthly partner program, and affiliation with Commission To Every Nation (CTEN). Operational entities include CADAC (a Cameroonian church-planting network), Ray of Hope Academy, Beulah Group LLC (US financial and operations hub), and Project Nehemiah (US diaspora mobilization). The organization is also experimenting with earned income through the BFL Guest House in Douala. Notable capital initiatives include the Operation Build ROHA campus expansion and the Water for Life drilling campaign.

There is no proprietary technology platform; the underlying 'infrastructure' is physical—250 acres of farmland, school and dormitory facilities, medical outreach vehicles, water-drilling equipment, and a guest house. The organization's competitive position rests on three decades of regional trust, indigenous leadership with deep cultural knowledge, an integrated ministry ecosystem, and physical assets in underserved areas that would be costly and time-consuming for new entrants to replicate.

Name

Bread For Life

Legal name

Bread For Life International

Website

https://breadforlife.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bread For Life International is a 501(c)(3) Christian nonprofit operating integrated ministries in Cameroon—church planting, medical outreach, agriculture, education, and prison ministry—serving Baka Pygmy, rural, and special-needs populations across six cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Nonprofit Mission Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Religious Organizations (8131), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG)

Keywords

• Christian nonprofit services
• Missionary education
• Medical missions
• Church planting
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Yaoundé

HQ country

Cameroon

HQ region

Africa

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Gifts from individuals supporting the ministry financially. All gifts are tax-deductible through 501c3 status.
2. Church Partnerships: Contributions from churches as part of their missions giving. Early support came from Open Door Church (Warren, AR), Calvary Temple Church (Kerrville, TX), Kerrville Bible Church, Hill Country Evangelical Free Church (Fredericksburg, TX), Earles Grove Baptist Church (Westminster, SC), and Lakeshore United Methodist Church (Jacksonville, FL).
3. Gideon 300 Monthly Partners: Monthly operational support base through 'Gideon 300' friends who commit to regular giving. Addresses the challenge of relying on special gifts and speaking honorariums for operational costs.
4. Business As Mission Enterprises: Self-sustaining ministry businesses including Beulahland Farms agricultural projects, Water for Life well-drilling equipment, Ray of Hope Community Centers, BeulahGroup LLC shipping/services, BFL Guest Houses (Center for Spiritual Renewal), and Ray of Hope Academy. These generate income while creating employment and ministry opportunities.
5. Micro-Enterprise Revolving Loans: Samaritan's Enterprise Micro-Enterprise Assistance Program (SEMAP) provides interest-free loans to believers. Repayments go back into revolving account to help other businesses, strengthening the church economically.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bread For Life is a 501(c)(3) Christian nonprofit that runs an integrated portfolio of missions and humanitarian programs in Cameroon, including Christian education (Ray of Hope Academy, After School Program), medical care (Christian Medical Centers, HIV/AIDS education), agricultural development (Beulahland Farm), water access (Water for Life Project), economic empowerment (Samaritan Enterprises / SEMAP), church planting, and outreach to vulnerable groups including the Baka Pygmy people and prisoners.

Product overview

Bread For Life International is a Christian nonprofit organization operating in Cameroon and West Central Africa, not a product company. The organization provides a diverse portfolio of humanitarian and ministry programs: Ray of Hope Academy (inclusive K-12 special needs education), Christian Medical Centers & Outreach (free medical clinics), Agricultural Outreach (farming training and evangelism), Church Planting (discipleship and church buildings), Micro-Enterprise/SEMAP (interest-free business loans), Water for Life Project (well drilling), Baka Pygmy Outreach (education and healthcare for indigenous people), After School Programs, HIV/AIDS Education, Prison Ministry, Project Nehemiah (diaspora African outreach), CADAC (community development subsidiary), BFL Guest House/Center for Spiritual Renewal, Beulah Group LLC (social enterprise subsidiary), and various children's programs. The portfolio operates as interconnected ministry programs rather than a unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CADAC: Community Awareness & Development Association Cameroon - a subsidiary focused on community development, economic development, agriculture, health care, and education & training.
• Ray of Hope Academy
• Beulah Group LLC
• Business As Mission (BAM)
• Beulahland Agricultural
• Samaritan's Enterprise Micro-Enterprise Assistance Program (SEMAP)

Products and services

• Ray of Hope Academy Christian primary and secondary school providing education to children in Cameroon as part of Bread For Life's education ministry.
• Christian Medical Centers & Outreach
• Agricultural Outreach (Beulahland Farm)
• Church Planting
• After School Program
• Baka Pygmy Outreach
• Samaritan Enterprises (SEMAP)
• Water for Life Project
• BFL Guest House
• Prison Ministry
• Ray of Hope Community Centers
• HIV/AIDS Education
• Bags to School
• Sports for Development

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 pastors and church leaders trained annually through Rightly Dividing the Word conferences
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dr. Kathleen Holland-ClaypoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Board member and medical doctor who helped initiate AIDS/HIV education in 2004 and Christian Medical Outreach. Provided medical expertise and connections for healthcare ministry development.
• Dr. Jackson DowneycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Medical doctor who helped initiate AIDS/HIV education and Christian Medical Outreach in 2004. Has taken multiple medical teams to Cameroon as outreach of Lake Shore UMC.
• Nancy HoodcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Pharmacist who helped initiate Christian Medical Outreach in 2004, providing pharmaceutical expertise and support for medical missions.
• Jake & Holly SchilinskiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Came to Cameroon under CTEN in 2000 to serve with Bread For Life helping new church plants in Limbe, Cameroon.
• Dr. Daniel ShucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Dr. Daniel Shu joined the ministry in 1998 as Executive Director and head of efforts in Cameroon, providing leadership and continuity for African operations.
• Commission To Every Nation (CTEN)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCTEN processes donations for Bread For Life as a registered mission sending organization. Donations can be sent to CTEN at PO Box 291307, Kerrville, TX 78029 with designations for BFL and specific ministry areas. CTEN provides 501c3 tax-deductible receipting for donors.
• Westside Chapel (Jacksonville, FL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with senior pastor Dr. Kenneth Mitchell and Westside Chapel provides annual training for over 400 pastors and church leaders through Rightly Dividing the Word conferences. The church provides teaching resources and personnel for expository preaching training.
• Beulah Group LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCameroon-based consortium of social enterprises (subsidiary of BFL) providing shipping container space sales, transportation services, land purchases, and professional services. Proceeds support Bread For Life ministries. Located at beulahgroup.com.
• CADAC (Community Awareness & Development Association Cameroon)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry of Bread For Life focused on socio-economic development including community development, economic development, agriculture, healthcare, and education/training. Operates at cadacameroon.org.
• Various Churches and DenominationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInter-denominational approach working with Christians across denominations. Strategic partners from many churches and ministries. Early supporting churches included Open Door Church (Warren, AR), Calvary Temple Church (Kerrville, TX), and others.
• Government Agricultural WorkersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with government agricultural workers to teach rural and struggling farmers practical skills on soil conservation, harvest improvement, and profitable crop diversification.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Samaritan's Purse: Larger evangelical humanitarian organization providing medical care, agricultural aid, water projects, and disaster relief globally. Directly comparable to BFL's holistic medical, agricultural, and water ministry but operates at vastly greater scale and across more geographies.
• Compassion International: Large evangelical child-focused NGO operating child sponsorship, education, and economic development programs across Africa. Comparable to BFL's children programs, after-school initiatives, and Bags to School backpack distribution.
• World Vision: Major Christian humanitarian NGO running child sponsorship, medical outreach, agriculture, education, and water programs across sub-Saharan Africa including Cameroon. Overlaps with BFL's integrated ministry model and serves overlapping beneficiary populations.

Direct peers

• Africa Inland Mission (AIM): Evangelical mission agency with long-standing African operations including church planting, theological education, healthcare, and community development. Directly comparable indigenous-staff model and program portfolio to BFL.
• MAP International: Christian health organization providing medicine and medical supplies to underserved communities globally. Comparable to BFL's Christian Medical Centers and free-medicine medical outreach model in Cameroon.
• Lifewater International: Christian NGO specializing in clean water access and well drilling in developing countries. Directly comparable to BFL's Water for Life project including the $100,000 drilling equipment model and $6,000-$16,000 per-well costs.
• SIM (Serving In Mission): Inter-denominational Christian mission organization active across Africa with similar integrated ministry model combining healthcare, education, agriculture, and church planting. Operates in Cameroon and West-Central Africa with comparable program breadth.
• HOPE International: Christian microfinance and micro-enterprise development organization serving the poor globally. Closest peer to BFL's Samaritan's Enterprise Micro-Enterprise Assistance Program (SEMAP) providing interest-free business loans.

Others

• Commission To Every Nation (CTEN): Mission-sending organization that processes BFL's donations and provides 501c3 receipting. Not a peer in services but a structural partner; included for ecosystem context given BFL's reliance on CTEN for US donation infrastructure.

Emerging players

• CBM (Christian Blind Mission): Christian disability-focused organization running inclusive education and special-needs programs in low-income countries. Closest peer to BFL's Ray of Hope Academy given the focus on disability inclusion in stigmatized contexts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bread-for-life

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bread For Life