Founding years
[Founding principal]
Name to be confirmed from the College archives. The first principals came from the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary.
A Catholic College for Girls · Since 1963
Our Lady of Lourdes College Mankon
To Serve With Love
A Catholic all-girls boarding college dedicated to academic excellence, Christian formation, disciplined leadership and the education of generations of confident young women.
Mankon, Bamenda, North-West Region, Cameroon
63YEARS
1963–2026
1963–2026
Opened 15 October 1963
Form One – Upper Sixth
GCE Centre No. 11025
1963FoundedOfficially opened on 15 October 1963
F1–U6Form One to Upper SixthSecondary and high school sections
100%Girls’ full boardingA residential Catholic community
6HousesImmaculata, Rosary, Fatima, Bernadette, Shanahan, St. Paul
11025GCE Centre No.Registered as Our Lady of Lourdes Secondary College Mankon
60Diamond JubileeSixty years celebrated in 2023
ENEnglish instructionPreparing for GCE O and A Levels
RCArchdiocese of BamendaMissionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary
Welcome to Lourdes
Forming women of faith, learning and service since 1963
Our Lady of Lourdes College Mankon is a Roman Catholic all-girls boarding secondary and high school in Mankon, Bamenda, in Cameroon’s North-West Region.
Founded in 1963 to widen access to quality education for girls, the College has grown into one of Cameroon’s respected Catholic institutions. It teaches from Form One through Upper Sixth and prepares students for the Cameroon GCE Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations.
Under the authority of the Archdiocese of Bamenda, and administered in the tradition of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary, Lourdes joins academic preparation with Christian formation, discipline, service, leadership and character.
AA
Rev. Anayo AngelaPrincipal of Our Lady of Lourdes College Mankon. Her welcome message and photograph will appear here soon.
Our Principals
The women who have led Lourdes
From the Holy Rosary Sisters who shaped the school’s first decades to today’s leadership, each principal has carried the motto To Serve With Love.
Principal
Sr. Mary Neville
Holy Rosary Sister from Cork, Ireland. Her former students of the Class of 1986 travelled to Ireland in 2023 to thank her.
Principal
Sr. Nuala Lahart
Holy Rosary Sister, reunited with the 1986 Pacesetters in Ireland in April 2023.
Principal
Sr. Eucharia Ndidi
Led the opening of the high school section, when the school became Our Lady of Lourdes College Mankon.
Current principal
Rev. Anayo Angela
Principal of Our Lady of Lourdes College Mankon today, leading the College into its seventh decade.
The full roll of principals since 1963 is being compiled with the College and LESA. Names in brackets are awaiting confirmation.
The Lourdes Way
Three commitments behind every Lourdes girl
Classroom learning, faith and responsibility are woven together through each day of boarding life.
01
Academic Excellence
Structured teaching, supervised study and disciplined preparation for the GCE Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations.
Academics02
Faith & Formation
Holy Mass, prayer, Marian devotion, retreats and Christian service, under the patronage of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Catholic identity03
Leadership & Service
Responsibility, teamwork and mentoring that help girls grow into women who lead with courage, competence and compassion.
Student lifeOur Journey
Six decades of educating girls
From a single parish building in Mankon to a full secondary and high school college.
1963
The founding
Rev. Fr. Nabben of St. Joseph’s Parish Mankon founds a school for girls with Bishop Peeters’ authorisation.
15 Oct
Doors open
The school officially opens on 15 October 1963, under the patronage of Our Lady of Lourdes.
2005
A new college
A high school section opens under Sr. Eucharia Ndidi, and the school becomes Our Lady of Lourdes College.
2013
Golden Jubilee
Fifty years of Catholic education and service are celebrated.
2023
Diamond Jubilee
Sixty years of educating girls and preparing women for service.
2026
Looking ahead
Form One admissions open for the 2026/2027 academic year.
Boarding Life
One college, six houses
Every student belongs to a house: a family for friendship, responsibility and friendly competition. Select a house to learn more.
I
Immaculata House
One of the four principal dormitories of the original boarding school. Its name honours Mary Immaculate, in keeping with the College’s Marian identity.
Sixty Years of Education, Faith and Sisterhood
The 1986 Pacesetters return to Ireland
In April 2023, twenty-one members of the College’s 1986 graduating class travelled to Ireland to honour and thank the Holy Rosary Sisters who had educated them.
They reunited with retired teachers and principals, among them Sr. Mary Neville and Sr. Nuala Lahart. The reunion drew international media attention and showed the lasting values and lifelong sisterhood formed at Lourdes.
21Alumnae of the Class of 1986
2023April reunion in Ireland
60Years of Lourdes sisterhood
Honesty. Integrity. Self-discipline. Hard work. The preparation of Christian women leaders.
The formation alumni associate with LourdesNews & Events
Life at Lourdes
Admissions
Form One admissions for 2026/2027
The Catholic Education Secretariat of the Archdiocese of Bamenda lists Form One admissions to Lourdes College for the 2026/2027 academic year.
Admission detailsLeadership
Transition workshop on leadership
A 2025 workshop at the College explored leadership styles, empowerment, personal discovery, relationship-building and transformational leadership.
Student lifeJubilee
Sixty years of Lourdes
In 2023 the College celebrated its Diamond Jubilee: sixty years of educating girls in Cameroon and preparing women for service to the world.
Diamond JubileeAcademics
On the national honours roll
Recent records of the Cameroon GCE Board list Lourdes College candidates on the national honours roll.
Academic excellenceAdmissions 2026/2027
Give your daughter a Lourdes education
Form One and Lower Sixth places are offered each year. Speak to the admissions office about entrance requirements, boarding and fees.