OUR STORY

The Bernadette Francis Foundation (BFF) is a 501(c)3 foundation dedicated to the memory of Bernadette Francis. Bernadette was born in 1906 in Delices, at the time a small remote coastal village on the island of Dominica. She and her husband Rome recognized the importance of education and did all they could to get their 8 children the best education available to them. As a testament to their dedication and sacrifice, several of their children attended high school in the city – a very rare occurrence for rural children during colonial rule in the 1940s and 1950s. These sacrifices paid off and eventually lifted the family out of poverty. At some point in their lives, many of her children became teachers – with some of them becoming school principals, assistant principals, and college professors. One of her children even attended an Ivy League university. Either directly or indirectly, all of her children have been motivators for young people seeking a better future through education.