Banganté: New partnership with the Clinic UdM

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The L’Eau Claire Centre in Bangangté remains our pilot centre 

 

The L’Eau Claire Centre in Bangangté remains our pilot centre: one hundred children are coming four times a week for tutoring, access to the vast library, lessons on how to use a computer, to learn Mâdumba (local language) and traditional dances.

Twice a week, from 6am to 10am, a team of 19 young people (including a girl) practices rugby on the muddy pitch of the village. They began participating in the championships, the latest being on June 21st in Bafoussam where they unfortunately lost against a team of professionals. 

A nice change: since the team exists, we have noticed a nice evolution as most of the children now have shoes to play as well as swimwear and equipment thanks to various donations collected in Cameroon, France and the United States.

The medical drop-in clinic will be even more dynamic by September as the charity has signed a partnership with a clinic that will provide us with a midwife and a pediatrician twice a week.

Academic records: the 2012-2013 school year ends with 95% success concerning the children of L’Eau Claire. We support and encourage all of them.

 

 

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

 

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 !

 

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.

Bafia : Inauguration of the new centre

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Previously called Rosy centre, it is now a new building which is opened every Saturday for the children.

The workers as well as our young teenagers of Bafia and their parents worked for two months on this new project which has been completed mid-January.

A computer room, a library and a drop-in clinic are now available to our children who have started again the school support.

We thank the parents and the teenagers for their efforts and their involvement in the construction of the centre. This demostrates their commitment and willigness.

Event: Christmas Lotto

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Three years after our first Christmas Lotto in Biarritz, Serge Betsen Academy organised a similar event last December, at the same place, for the same cause and with the same success !

We shared this friendly and entertaining moment with Serge Betsen who distributed prizes to winners. This was a nice occasion to raise funds in favour of underprivileged children of Cameroon and particularly to complete the construction of the Bafia centre .

In the name of the children we are helping, the charity would like to thank all the participants and generous donators, as well as Nelly for her commitment to the organisation of this event.

 

Cameroon: A container of more than two tonnes

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More than two and a half tonnes of various equipment were shipped to Cameroon in November 2012.

For Christmas, clothes, shoes, linens, books, sports equipment, medical equipment, toys and others were directly distributed to the children of our centres for their greatest happiness.

20 computers and 5 printers were generously provided by the CCAS (Caisse Centrale d’Activité Sociale), a work council of the French company EDF. This action helped provide our centres with a computer room available to the children. In L’Eau Claire centre where the computer room already existed, the equipment has been renewed. Two computers were donated to the school for deaf-mutes in Yaoundé.

In the name of the children, Serge Betsen Academy thanks all donors and volunteers without whom this would not have been possible.

Event: A physical challenge for a humanitarian cause

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A physical challenge benefitting to underprivileged children of the desert

 

Marion and Anne, two women from Lyon, are going to take part in the cup “Roses des Sables” (http://www.enfantsdudesert.org) in order to help the children of the desert (http://trophee-roses-des-sables.net).

 

A physical challenge for a humanitarian cause: they are going to distribute at least 50 Kg of basic supplies during a Moroccan rally raid.

Starting on 11 October 2012

Serge Betsen Academy and its chairman –Serge Betsen, give all their support to Marion and Anne for this adventure!

 

>>> They did it!! After 10 days running through the Spanish and Moroccan desert , they distributed the supplies to the children before coming back to France ! 

For additional information, visit their website -> http://lyonnesdessables.trophee-roses-des-sables.org/

 

 

Cameroon: Support to the Apprentis d’Auteuil

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Serge Betsen Academy supports a project of the French instituion Apprentis d’Auteuil in Douala-PK24

In July 2012, the French institution -Apprentis d’Auteuil organised an international building site for the benefit of the charity Homes of Saint Nicodème that take care of the street children in Douala. Serge Betsen Academy decided to financially support the project and attended the opening of the site.

The project:

  • Construction of two houses in the observation and stabilisation household “farm PK24”: painting, plumbing, masonry, tiling, electricity …..
  • Renovation of facilities for the reception of young

Actors:

  • 12 girls and boys from the French institution Notre Dame d’Apprentis d’Auteuil (La Loupe, 28), managed by four teachers.
  • 12 Cameroonian boys and girls, street children of Douala, who live in the St Nicodème NGOMA under the responsibility of four teachers.

Everybody lived and worked in partnership during 21 days, sharing their meals and activities. They have evolved in a context that was unknown and that was sometimes difficult to manage. Thanks to their motivation and determination, it has been a very successful mission for the benefit