Because of the coronavirus pandemic and following the Cameroonian government’s statements of 18 March, we have decided to close the Serge Betsen Academy (SBA) centres until further notice. During this time, our on-side teams will put in place an alternative support scheme for the children and their families.

On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded the status of the COVID-19 outbreak from epidemic to pandemic. We therefore responded by strengthening further hygiene procedures in our centres and by training our staff and the children. For example, we walked through protective behaviours and reviewed how to wash hands effectively. We encouraged everyone to share this information with their friends and family.

Unfortunately, coronavirus has been spreading in Cameroon and its borders were closed on 18 March. The COVID-19 pandemic is serious and unprecedented threat.

The SBA board therefore convened on the same day and decided to close all centres, to help limit the spread of the virus, and to protect our children, their families and our staff.

The managers of our centres are in close contact with the SBA board members to take all necessary measures as quickly as possible. We will organise disinfection of the centres and an alternative scheme for food assistance. Each child has already received rice and peanuts so as to benefit from an allowance equivalent to meals served at the centres.

We invite you to protect yourself and others by following the recommendations of Cameroon’s Health Ministry and to note the emergency numbers below: 

Because a girl’s period should not be a barrier to education, we’ve decided to distribute menstrual hygiene products to the girls of  our centers. Often girls miss school when they have their period, that’s why we’re actively working on a sustainable project to make our own washable pads in order to change the daily life of our girls. Menstruation is really nothing to be ashamed of, Odile Prevot, our CEO has decided to start talking about it! Let’s read her thoughts here:

“If Rugby is the vector, the excuse or serves as a hook to bring pupils together out of the street, the Serge Betsen Academy is fighting for every single child to be able to go to school.

While in Cameroon and Mali these last few months I got to spend more time with the girls of our centers. As CEO of the SBA I have been focusing particularly on the girls, their education, their role, their future, their problems and how to resolve them.

A number of our girls are missing schools during their periods as they’re unable to afford sanitary products. Some of them are improvising protections using rags, leaves, newspapers. Why? Whilst menstruation is one of the most ordinary individual female experiences, the discussion of menstruation in Africa is complicated due to cultural and social attitudes.

It’s not a new problem, but it’s not going away, and it’s time to take action: a girl absent from school due to menstruation loses on average 2 weeks of learning in every school term.

In 2020, we decided to distribute menstrual hygiene products so that no girls shall be excluded from education, no girls shall be ashamed of menstruation, no girls shall miss class and sport activities due to their periods. Help us break down the stigma!”

In Bangangté, we have set up a monthly campaign to clear out litter around the center. Raising environmental awareness among the children is very important to us.  And after the cleanup, we don’t forget to ask our children to wash their hands with the soap generously offered by the Hilton Yaoundé Hotel!

A big thanks to Elisabeth Seyi and the women of RAFAMI for their 5 kilos donation of corn to distribute.

Thanks to these hard working and generous women, 350 meals have been served in the Bafia centre in October and November 2019!

The RAFAMI is the coalition of Women’s Associations for Agriculture, farming and fishery in the Mbam and Inoubou departments, which was created by Elisabeth in 2009.

They also donated 50 kilos of corn seeds, which went to Bangangté for our women cooperative and will soon be planted.