The Christian Home Economics class, also called Bon Fanm Tout Bon (The woman of Noble Character, taken from the title at Proverbs 31:10 in the Creole Bible) is inspired by the model of the Proverbs 31 woman. This series of classes is designed to encourage women from surrounding communities (sometimes a whole day’s walk away) to be godly women in their spheres of influence while developing skills they can take back to their communities and share with their friends and neighbors.

The class is about 15 sessions usually meeting twice a month over the school year.

People from the surrounding communities with special skills in class subject areas are brought in to teach along with HAFF staff members. Ladies participating in the class learn cooking, sewing, baking, basket-making, embroidery, arts and crafts, soap making and more.

Although the demand for the class is great, HAFF has limited the class size to twelve to better facilitate learning and one-on-one instruction,. At the beginning of the school year women interested in participating in the class can take a basic test used to measure the ability to read, follow instructions, measure, and do basic math. The test also includes short answer questions inquiring of the reason for the woman's interest in the course and how she intends to use the skills developed to benefit her community. These tests are used to aid in the selection process of choosing the twelve partici

pants each year.

A few years ago the course was expanded to include 12 high school girls. This course is identical to that of the adult women except a unit on sexual purity has been added. Due to varying interest, this class is not offered every year.

HAFF is greatly encouraged by the effects this class has had on some of the surrounding communities. "Ladies who have completed the course are excited to share what they are learning," staff missionary Barb Van Schoyck says. "I remember visiting a town nearby for some other HAFF business and seeing a ladies group that was meeting for training. The leader of the group was one of the women from the Bon Fanm class and she was already teaching these ladies what she had learned in class that week. It was really encouraging."

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