Event: A sporting challenge with a humanitarian objective

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2 000 miles cycled across Eastern Europe in only 1 month to raise funds for SBA and the French Red Cross.

 

Two  young London Wasps players, William & Fabrice,  put all their efforts to raise money for two charities : Serge Betsen Academy and the French Red Cross. During the summer  they cycled 2 000 miles across the Eastern Europe in only one month. Through this action, they have raised over £7 000.

A nice example of sport challenge for a humanitarian cause.

More information about their adventure is available on their website: www.enroutemousquetaires.com

There is still time to support them until October 30th !

 

Event: Charity concert

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It is with much emotion that I attended the charity concert performed by 12 young musicians and rugby players, on Sunday 19th May at the French Institute in London. 

It is with much emotion that I attended the charity concert performed by 12 young musicians and rugby players, on Sunday 19th May at the French Institute in London. 

I really admire their courage and determination when they were on stage, so young  and playing in front of over 8O people ! In addition to their extraordinary talent which they shared with the audience, I would like to highlight their approach and motivation. From Cameroon to London, a gap separates these children however thanks to their rallying we could raise over £1,200. This amount of money helps us support 500 children every day through education, health and rugby. 

This amazing action will be followed by William & Fabrice’s cycle challenge, which will start on July 7th to end on August 3rd in London. I invite you to support them through their website www.enroutemousquetaires.com.

I would like to deeply thank all these young people and their parents, who are generously committed to help disadvantaged children of Cameroon.

To conclude, I will quote William & Fabrice when they say these true words :

“Everyone has a talent, and alone or as a group you can use these talents to carry on helping the Serge Betsen Academy to provide support to the children of Cameroon.”

Thank you

Serge Betsen

 

Bangangté: Spotlight on the Tcha Kounté Family

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Far from being an ordinary family, the Tcha Kounté family, of the Fatgo’o Bangangté linage, represents what we seek to achieve through our work at Serge Betsen Academy.

 

In a clay house, three generations live in a main room and a living room: the grandmother, parents and their two daughters Jessica (10 years) and Sabrina (8 years). The house is in the middle of the forest, surrounded by corn fields reaching maturity in this rainy season.

Jessica has been coming to the centre since 2008, she is delighted to come despite the one hour walk to get there. Her radiant smile wins you over the first second you see her, the intelligence of her gaze captivates you and you find she is a child out of the ordinary.

Context: we are in Western Cameroon, in a poor family. Jessica is a child sponsored by the centre * “Eau Claire”, which allows her to go to school and study centre during the days it is open and during school holidays. “I am happy to come to the centre, because there are many books in the library (the only library in the village!). We can ask the teacher when there is something you did not understand in class. You also learn to read and write Medumba ** (pronounced Medjimba). “
Jessica has passed the entrance into 6th year form (equivalent to Year 7 in UK), and she scored in the top 20 of over 600 applicants!

“Only Daddy passed this exam in the family but he did not go further.” Like Jessica, her sister Sabrina is no exception as she scored first in her class with 18 of average. They are the pride of their parents and teachers at the centre.
Jessica admits that the centre “opened her mind to the world with the computer room and internet access”, but she knows that the road is still long to accomplish her dreams of “being able to go to university”. We will endeavour to do all we can so that one day her dreams become a reality.

The Eau Claire centre functions through the hard work of director Elisabeth despite her 73 years of age.

She never stops finding new projects and seeing them to completion. The latest: the creation of a cooperative.
This cooperative, of which Jessica’s mother Marie-Claire is a founder, aims to improve the lives of families of children from the centre. In practical terms, the sum of FCFA 15,000 is allocated to each micro project: Marie-Claire whose business palm oil wholesale (buy-sell), recognises that despite a difficult economic situation “the cooperative has enabled us to improve our everyday lives”. With Marie Claire, three other mothers have benefited from this capital contribution. The cooperative has invested in the purchase of four hives that will soon be harvesting quality honey and above all a source of additional income for the women of the cooperative.

Today is the turn of English speaking*** Ernest, the guardian of the centre, to join the cooperative. His activity: carving wooden objects (statues, stools, etc.). Like a true artist, he makes traditional sculptures of great beauty.

*Jessica’s sponsorship allows amongst other things to pay for her school fees, manuals and school supplies.

** Local dialect

*** In the past Cameroon was placed in trust of the United Nations, who was represented by France and the United Kingdom.  The West part of the country is English speaking, the Centre and East parts speak French.