Mama Deborah
Iya Bonat
"A heart for the lost, a home for the found: Sustaining the mission Mama Deborah lived and died for."
"From the mission field to the Father's arms, but the Mission remains: Carrying the torch of a life poured out for the Gospel."
A Message from the Board
The Vision Unveiled
"We must mend the heart before we can teach the hands."
β Mama Deborah Iya Bonat
"I want to go with my people."
β Her final words before Taraba, March 2026
The Board of Trustees
The Deborah Bonat Foundation
"Mama's work didn't end in Taraba. We are carrying the torch."
Our mother, Deborah Iya Bonat, walked 30 years as a widow β not in retreat, but in forward motion. From distributing firewood and foodstuff in Jos, to supporting missionaries in the field, to nurturing new converts and abandoned orphans, she spent herself completely in service.
Her final journey to Taraba State to carry out mission work was not an end β it was the fullest expression of who she was. It is now the foundation of everything we build in her name.
The Deborah Bonat Foundation is her vision, formalised. We β her children and the board she helped inspire β commit ourselves to ensuring that every widow, orphan, elderly person, missionary, and new convert in Nigeria knows that they are not alone.
Homegoing Celebration
Funeral & Burial Programme
30th April β 3rd May 2026 β Samaru Kataf, Kaduna State
Gospel Crusades
Funeral Service
Discipleship
Thanksgiving Service
The Living Memorial
Flowers That Never Fade
Finishing the Work in Taraba
On 23rd March 2026, Mama Deborah I. Bonat was returning from a successful mission in Taraba State β a journey of planting seeds, building hope, and expanding the Kingdom. While she has been called to her eternal rest, the mission she started remains. This is the report of what the Outreach, organised by the Evangelical Missionary Society (EMS) of ECWA, accomplished in her final days of service.
EMS Outreach Report
2026 KebbiβTaraba Saturation Campaign & Follow-Up Outreach Β· Concluded 22nd March 2026
1,096
Missionaries & Volunteers
5,198
New Converts
27
New Churches Planted
45
Mission Fields Unoccupied
53
Communities Need Schools
84
Communities Need Boreholes
"Our utmost condolence to the families of our heroes and heroines of faith for losing their lives in the cause of this Outreach. May God grant you the fortitude to bear this loss."
β MacPhillips E.D., EMS Director
The Foundation's Response
In her honor, The Deborah Bonat Foundation has committed to returning to the very field where she last laboured. We are officially adopting a newly planted church in Taraba β ensuring the work she began reaches its full fruition.
Many have asked how to honor her memory. In lieu of traditional funeral flowers, we invite you to contribute to The Taraba Adoption Project. Your gift will not wilt β it will become the walls of a church, the roof of a clinic, and the education of a child. Let us build a living memorial in the heart of Taraba.
Funding the Harvest: Project Breakdown
The Missionary House
A safe, dignified home for those labouring in the field.
β¦5,500,000
Fund this →Project Fund Progress
Every gift builds a living memorial in Taraba
β¦0
of β¦26,100,000 goal
How to Give Your "Digital Flower"
- 1 Click the Donate to the Taraba Project button below.
- 2 Select the specific item you wish to fund, or choose General Taraba Fund.
- 3 Include a dedication: "In Memory of Mama Deborah" or a personal message for the family.
- 4 Every donor to this project receives a digital Legacy Partner Certificate and regular progress updates from the Taraba mission station.
Secure giving Β· Bank transfer available Β· Receipt provided to every donor
A Life Poured Out
Leave a Tribute for Mama Deborah I. Bonat (1957β2026)
In the wake of our profound loss, we find strength in your stories. Mama Deborah was a mother to the motherless, a sanctuary for the persecuted, and a light to the ECWA family. Whether she taught you in the classroom, led you in the Fellowship, or sheltered you in her home, we invite you to share your memories and messages of comfort here. These tributes will be compiled into a Legacy Book for the family and the Foundation archives.
Write Your Tribute
All messages are reviewed before appearing publicly.
Tributes from the Community
Voices from the Body of Christ across Nigeria and beyond.
Zonzon DCC Women's Fellowship
Mama Deborah didn't just lead us; she walked with us. She taught us that a woman's greatest strength is her faith in action. We will continue the work she started in the villages. Rest well, our International Leader.
A Former Student (Kagoro Seminary)
As Dean of Students, she was firm but incredibly fair. When I struggled with my fees, she didn't just counsel me; she found a way to help. She was the definition of a 'Mother in Israel.'
Anonymous
I arrived at her door with nothing but fear after fleeing my home. She gave me a bed, a Bible, and a new hope. Because of her, I am in school today. Her house was truly my first sanctuary.
In Lieu of Flowers
Make a Launch Gift
Honour Mama Deborah by sowing into the causes she lived for. Your first gift to the Foundation is a seed of her legacy.
The HOPE Fund
Hope for Orphans' Education Fund
Give an orphaned child the gift of education β school fees, books, uniforms, and mentorship through their formative years. Every naira changes a trajectory.
Donate to HOPE FundNew Convert Care
Deborah's Basket Monthly Package
Support new believers who face persecution after leaving their faith communities β with food, shelter, and discipleship through "Deborah's Basket" monthly care packages.
Donate to New Convert CareThe Five Pillars
Her Mission, Our Mandate
The Deborah Bonat Foundation serves five groups she held closest to her heart.
Explore the full foundation websiteGive in Memory of Mama Deborah
In lieu of flowers, honour her extraordinary life by funding the work she started at age 13. Every gift continues her mission.
Give in Memory of Mama Deborah