Tag Archive for: Cameroon

Interview with Anne-Cécile Ciofani, named the world’s best women’s rugby sevens player!

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As part of Women’s Month, we had the opportunity to interview Anne-Cécile Ciofani about the role rugby plays in her life, women’s rugby, and her Cameroonian roots. This young woman is a shining example of success and resilience for our girls at the Serge Betsen Academy. We thank her for her time and wish her a speedy recovery as her season was unfortunately cut short due to a full ACL rupture.

  • Can you tell us about your journey and how you became passionate about rugby?

I’ve been involved in sports since I was little. I did athletics throughout my youth until I was 18. That’s when I discovered rugby at university. I was studying sports science, and rugby was mandatory. My professor convinced me to give it a try, and I never looked back. Five years later, I joined the French national team, with whom we became World Silver Medalists in 2018 and Olympic Silver Medalists in 2021. That same year, I had the honor of being named World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year.

  • How do you prepare for competitions? What are your ambitions?

We train several times a day. We also do a lot of video sessions to study our opponents, find ways to beat them, and improve ourselves. Our goal is to win a world championship.

  • In your opinion, what are the strengths of the French women’s XV ahead of the Women’s Six Nations?

Their determination will be their greatest strength.

  • What are you most proud of in your life?

The titles we’ve won, and the fact that we’re helping a women’s team shine in a sport like this!

  • You’re of Cameroonian origin. How does that shape your identity and the values you believe in?

I’m proud of my roots. I hope to one day trace back my maternal lineage. The values passed on by my mother and grandmother push me to want to learn more.

  • How did you discover the Serge Betsen Academy?

I discovered the SBA through social media. I’ve followed what’s happening there through the various videos and photos posted on Instagram.

  • Do you have any advice for the girls at SBA Cameroon who play rugby?

My advice would be to hang in there and fight to defend and embrace who they are. Rugby teaches so many values and helps you discover yourself.

  • What do you think about the recent growth of women’s rugby? What’s your dream for the future of the sport?

Women’s rugby has grown significantly in recent years. My dream would be for every club to one day be able to offer players professional status, with a salary and employment contract, so they can make a living from it and help the sport grow even more.

And finally, here are some flashs questions:

Thank you Anne-Cécile!

SBA : 2023 achievements and prospects

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Discover the association’s major achievements in 2023 and the projects that remain to be financed by the end of 2024!

Join the Agence Française de Développement (French Development Agency) as well as our partners and donors to enable us to strengthen our positive impact on the lives of our disadvantaged children in Cameroon and Mali.

We are looking for new partners to implement our projects in education and training, health, and rugby, and allow our young people to integrate socially and professionally in Cameroon and Mali.

If sport has the power to change the world, your support can change the course of our children’s lives!

Read our report “Serge Betsen Academy – 2023 achievements and prospects“, and contact us:
contact@sergebetsenacademy.org
www.sergebetsenacademy.org

Cameroon: Feedback on the rugby introductory program in the schools in the Ndé region

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Our rugby introductory program in the schools in the Ndé region has grown and we are ever so proud of this. We would like to thank Recycling Rugby, which has been supporting this program for the last year through its Foundation, thus allowing us to pay our coaches and buy rugby equipment.

The first rugby introductory sessions in the Ndé schools began in 2019 at the initiative of young rugby players from our Bangangté rugby team, known as the Nzuimanto Rugby Club. This Club is a group of young rugby players who have been trained by the Serge Betsen Academy (SBA). Upon completing their training, as they did not want to be split in order to integrate various clubs within the national territory, they resolved to set up a team to defend the colours of their own region, the Ndé, at the national level. In 2019, it was apparent that rugby was almost non-existent in the curriculum of the schools in the Ndé region. At the same time, introductory sessions were also conducted by Abaa, rugby manager of the Zoétélé centre in schools near his centre.

In Ndé, since September 2019, our young coaches, Idriss Ketcha, Jacques Toresse and Loïc Zeutsop have massively contributed to the popularisation of rugby in the schools. These actions happened once authorisation had been given by the Cameroonian Rugby Federation (Fecarugby) for the inclusion of rugby in schools. From 2019, Idriss, Jacques and Loïc gave theoretical presentations to make our sport known to school teams and students, handed out rugby balls, and carried out rugby training for young people from 2021. We would like to thank them for their dedication to the development of rugby in the country. It is a pleasure to collaborate with such passionate and diligent young people.

In 2021, 7 schools in the Ndé region benefited from SBA rugby introductory sessions, i.e. 745 children, plus the children from the Eau Claire centre in Bangangté and also those from the neighbourhood. In 2022, the young coaches of the Serge Betsen Academy carried on presenting rugby to the boards of schools in the region, and carried out rugby introductory sessions in 8 different schools and thus introduced rugby to 750 children. Rugby introductory sessions therefore took place in 2022 in the following schools: Nenta nursery school, Group 1 public school, Group 2 A and B public school, Fatgo’o public school, Saint Jean-Baptiste College, Babou Classic High School, Lycée Technique of Banékane and the Japanese Donation Public School, Group I A and B.

Here are some supporting photos:

 

Introductory session to school Group 2 A and B

Introduction to the Fatgo’o school

Introduction to the group 1 school of the Japanese Donation CM1B

Rugby introduction at the Bamena Technical High School

Rugby introduction at Saint Jean-Baptiste College

School introduction Group 2 A and B

At the Serge Betsen Academy, we work to develop rugby in the Ndé region but also in other regions where our centres are located. In the Zoétélé region, for example, rugby in schools dates back to 2011, the year in which it was set up by the Atoak Koumou association. When the SBA centre in Zoétélé was created in 2013 the SBA-Atoak Koumou partnership continued with these rugby introductions.

In Zoétélé there are 4 primary schools, namely the public school of Zoétélé Group 1 and Group 2, the Catholic school Sainte Marguerite and the bilingual school of Zoétélé which benefit from rugby initiations by the Serge Betsen Academy. In Nkoumadjap, there are 2 primary schools in which rugby initiations have been set up regularly: the public school of Nkoumadjap and the Catholic school of Nden, as well as 2 secondary schools: the Lycée of Nkoumadjap and the CETIC of Nden. Over the year 2021-2022, the Serge Betsen Academy recorded 1,518 children in Zoétélé and 726 children in Nkoumadjap who took part in the rugby initiation program.

In Yaoundé, Moise, coach of the Jardin Eden centre and of the youth team of the B Nkol Eton center (formerly Etoudi) will soon be in charge of developing the practice of rugby in schools in his sector in Yaoundé.

It is a real pleasure for the SBA to get young people to discover our sport and its values. Thanks again to Recycling Rugby for their support.

 

Translation : Katy Birge-Wilson

SBA Project: Support the Big Brother & Sister Project to help our young people in their higher education

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For the last 20 years, the Serge Betsen Academy has provided its children with academic support courses up to Baccalauréat level (equivalent UK A-levels) and also occasionally helps some of its higher-potential children to pursue their university/higher education.

The support of the French Development Agency (AFD), as part of the “Academies” Program, allows the SBA to strengthen its support in higher education, and with the backing of local businesses we will be able to strengthen our positive impact.

 

As part of our SBA Big Brother & Sister (B&S) Project, we are requesting that your business support our high-potential young people by:

– Offering qualifying internships to young people from the Serge Betsen Academy and monitoring them closely,

– Speaking in our centres to present the professions represented in your company and thus encouraging vocations,

– Showing our young people round your business facilities to introduce them to these professions,

– Making a financial donation to enable a student to pursue higher education.

 

This year, 5 SBA students (3 from the Bafia centre and 2 from the Zoétélé centre) passed the prestigious Ucac-Icam (Catholic University of Central Africa – Catholic Institute of Arts and Crafts) competitive entrance exam and without external funding from companies, they will not be able to carry out their engineering or advanced technicians studies on the campuses of Pointe-Noire in Congo or Douala in Cameroon, given the financial difficulties of their families.

By financing the studies of one of our young people over 3 years, you will allow this young person to study in a high-quality institute, to obtain a highly recognised license and to realise their professional dream! A donation of €16,669 (or FCA 10,918,000) allows a young person to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Douala. And for a degree in Pointe Noire, a donation of €18,915 (or FCFA 12,389,000) is necessary.

And of course, as soon as they leave university, with their diploma in hand, priority will be given to you for the hiring of this young person.

For more information, please contact our team: sylvie@sergebetsenacademy.org and mailys@sergebetsenacademy.org

 

Translation : Katy Birgé-Wilson

Event: Rugby 7s exhibition tournament on June 3 at the Bangangté municipal stadium

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The Serge Betsen Academy (SBA) association is organising a 7-a-side rugby exhibition tournament on Saturday June 3 2023 in the morning, in Bangangté. On this occasion, we will exceptionally bring together our four adult rugby teams from Cameroon at the municipal stadium of Bangangté and a women’s match will close this morning of sport.

We will have the honour to welcome H.E. Mr. Thierry Marchand, Ambassador of France to Cameroon, Mr. Yann Lorvo, the Embassy’s Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Action and Director of the French Institute in Cameroon, Mrs. Virginie Dago, Director of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD – French Development Agency) in Cameroon as well as two members of the AFD delegation, Mr Eric Niat, Mayor of Bangangté and Christiane Niat, Director of the Black Platinium Agency. Our President, Serge Betsen and Sylvie Ledard, our Project Manager will welcome their guests of honour and show them around our Eau Claire centre in Bangangté. At the end of this visit, the guests will attend the men’s rugby tournament and the women’s rugby match.

Thanks also to the Agence Française de Développement (AFD – French Development Agency) for its support of the association as part of the “Academies” program in collaboration with PLAY International and the Diambars Institute.

We would like to thank our distinguished guests for coming to Bangangté in order to attend this exhibition tournament organised in their honour, as well as Boissons du Cameroun, which is sponsoring the drinks, and the Town Hall of Bangangté, which is supporting us. This tournament is also possible thanks to the Agence Française de Développement (AFD – French Development Agency), which supports the SBA as part of the “Academies” program led by PLAY International and the Diambars Institute, and of which we are the lucky beneficiaries.

The objective of this morning is to give the SBA players the opportunity to meet on a rugby pitch and to develop their competitive spirit, to strengthen the players’ rugby spirit and the feeling of belonging to the same association and to assess the level of players from the Serge Betsen Academy (SBA).

Good tournament to all!

 

Translation : Katy Birgé-Wilson

 

Event: The first ever Bangangté inter-school rugby tournament! Congratulations to the winners of the four Trophies!

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Wednesday, April 26, 2023 will remain an important date for the young people of Bangangté. It was the very first time that they defended their school colours during a rugby tournament organised by the Serge Betsen Academy (SBA).

Around 216 young people, aged 6 to 14, divided into 18 teams, got together during the whole day at the Collège Saint Jean Baptiste stadium in Bangangté to take part in our Bangangté inter-school rugby tournament. There were young people from the Bamena technical high school, the Babou classical high school, the Saint Jean Baptiste college, the Eau Claire centre of the Serge Betsen Academy, the Group 1A school, the Group 1B school, the Group 2A school, the Group 2B school and the bilingual school.

Honouring us with his presence, Mayor Eric Niat kicked off the Tournament. Throughout the day, the atmosphere was incredible, and seeing the young people having so much fun on the rugby pitch, fighting for every ball, and then proudly brandishing their certificate and their trophy, we felt a lot of emotions.

Our congratulations go to each and every one of the participants for their rugby spirit during the tournament and for their combativeness on the pitch. And we would especially wish to salute the four teams for their victories during the first edition of the Bangangté inter-school rugby tournament. The big winners are:

– For the SBA Primary Girls Trophy: the bilingual school

– For the SBA Primary Boys Trophy: public school group 2B

– For the SBA Secondary school Women Trophy: Saint Jean Baptiste College

– For the SBA Secondary school Men Trophy: Saint Jean Baptiste College

 

We would like to thank the Saint Jean Baptiste College for their welcome, our guests of honour for their warm presence and their support towards the association, as well as our sponsors and partners without whom this event would not have been possible:

– Société Générale Cameroun

– Arno Group Association

– Town Hall of Bangangté, one of whose missions is to promote sports for young people in the municipal area

– Mayor Eric Niat

– The Black Platinium agency for their help in communication.

Thanks also to the Agence Française de Développement (AFD – French Development Agency) for its support of the association as part of the “Academies” program in collaboration with PLAY International and the Diambars Institute.

Last but not least, a massive thank you also to everyone involved in the organisation of the Tournament at the SBA, it was a great day of rugby, we could not have done it without you!

You can view the Tournament album here. We owe these beautiful photos and videos and also the above montage to Person Company, Baudouin Tchamegni and Rodrigue Azonfack and we thank them too.

 

Translation : Katy Birgé-Wilson

 

Partnership: The Mahola Health Foundation team soon on a medical mission to Cameroon!

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The Serge Betsen Academy is pleased to announce that they have set-up a partnership with the Mahola Health Foundation association. They will set-out on a medical mission to Cameroon, from 24 May to 4 June. As part of their mission, the Mahola Health Foundation team will intervene in our Bangangté centre and we are so grateful to them for that.The mission of the Mahola Health Foundation is to preserve and protect the health of populations living in Cameroon by facilitating their access to primary health care. Mahola means “helping” in Bassa, which really does sum up their commitment. For the last 4 years the association has been carrying out medical missions in Cameroon. Last year, they performed over 2000 medical consultations. This year, they will intervene in Youpwe (Douala) in their temporary dispensary and then spend 4 days from 30 May to 2 June in our Eau Claire centre in Bangangté to improve the health and well-being of our children!More than 70 people got involved this year as part of their mission. The volunteers include: doctors, nurses, gynaecologists, a stomatologist, a psychologist, osteopaths, ophthalmology students from the Institut Supérieur d’Optique(ISO-Superior Optical Institute) based in Lille (France) as well as ISO professors, opticians, dentists…

On the agenda: a complete medical check-up of the children of the centre, including ophthalmological consultations in order to get glasses ready for them if necessary, medical care, but also talks about public health issues according to the needs of the centre (for example: hygiene, the menstrual cycle including menopause and menstrual hygiene, malaria, self-esteem, consent, bereavement and emotional management). A donation of medical equipment is also foreseen.

In order to prepare for their mission, the team of the Mahola Health Foundation conducts a large collection of medications, medical equipment, glasses, toothbrushes and even sanitary protection. To participate in the fundraising or to take this project within your company, please contact the Mahola Health Foundation.

 

 

The entire Serge Betsen Academy wants to thank the Mahola Health Foundation team for their commitment, as well as the partners of the mission: ISO Lille and their “Les Yeux des Ecoliers” (“the eyes of the pupils”). We would particularly like to thank Hélène Belaubre, Co-Founder of the Mahola Health Foundation who wished to support us, following a conversation with Margaux Leboucq-Ducroc from Recycling Rugby.

 

Translation : Katy Birgé-Wilson

 

Cameroon: Distinguished guests on their visit to the Zoétélé centre

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On Wednesday, December 7, the new Ambassador of France to Cameroon, H.E. Mr. Thierry Marchand accompanied by Mr. Yann Lorvo, Director of the SCAC (Cooperation and Cultural Action Service), together with Mrs. Virginie Dago, Director of AFD – Agence Française de Développement (French Development Agency) in Cameroon, and also Germain Peyraud and Cyndie Marques of PLAY International and James Mbongo of the Diambars Institute came to visit the Serge Betsen Academy (SBA) centre of Zoetelé. Also making the trip were the Deputy of the Sub-Prefect and Mr. Paul Aristide Bomba, Mayor of Zoétélé.

 

 

It was a great honour for the children of the Serge Betsen Academy (SBA) to welcome all our guests. They greeted them with much enthusiasm prior to showing them around the centre, introducing them to the activities they enjoy on site and then demonstrating their rugby skills.

Our Zoétélé centre welcomes 45 children, which provides them with school support, medical care and control, and of course rugby training. Laurette, a young coach trained by Abaa the manager of the centre, led the rugby training session on December 7. One after the other the different groups put their best rugby-foot forward: the 3-9 year olds from the centre who played a relay game, the 10-13 year olds who played touch rugby, then the 10 girls aged 13-16 who made a few passes and played a five-a-side game, and finally the oldest boys who played a game of rugby 7.

The visit was orchestrated by Abaa Louis Paul, manager of the Zoétélé centre, with the help of Sylvie Ledard, our Project Manager who travelled from France, with our volunteer Christophe, for this occasion. Sylvie and Christophe are currently accompanying the PLAY International and Diambars Instituteteams in their tour of SBA centres. The AFD – French Development Agency has initiated an “Academies” program to be piloted by PLAY International and the Diambars Institute. Among the beneficiaries of this program is the Serge Betsen Academy; so this tour, scheduled for the next few days, aims to carry out an assessment of our centres. Through this program, the SBA is supported over the next three years, to the tune of 165 million West African CFA Franc- XOF (just over $267,000).

Our association had already benefited from the support of the AFD through a donation of 26 million XOF ($42,114) within the framework of the “Sport and Development” program of La Guilde. This then made it possible, between 2020 and 2022, to see 50 young children play rugby in the Zoétélé and Jardin Eden centres in Yaoundé and provide them with school support and medical monitoring.

We would like to warmly thank everyone present on December 7, first and foremost our distinguished guests.

We would also like to thank all those who provided support, as well as the media who came specially to cover the event! A big thank you to Yannick Zanga from Cameroon Tribune for his article reviewing this beautiful day; read here.

 

Below are some photos and videos from the rugby training:

   
 

 

Below, photos of the arrival of Sylvie, our Project Manager with her eleven suitcases containing donations from France so that we could spoil the children of the centres over Christmas and a photo with Bélinga, the nurse of the Centre and her assistant, caregiver, Celestine:

 

 

The centre’s three teachers and our nurse were also present for this very special visit. Laurette, tutor for the centre’s exam classes and rugby coach, as well as Charlène, who is also a teacher at the centre, produced a thank-you video:

Translation: Katy Birgé-Wilson

Cameroon: The HHH of Douala organised a charity walk by in support of our children!

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A charity walk took place on Sunday, October 23, at the Douala motocross terrain during which material donations were collected for our association.

The Douala HHH Committee organised this event and we would like to thank them for choosing the Serge Betsen Academy as their beneficiary association.

 

Around sixty walkers took part in this sports and family morning and we thank them all warmly for the donations they brought for our young people. On the partner side, we would like to thank ICRAFON who donated pens and supplies, the SABC Group for the drinks, ADC Mx Park who allowed access to the cross country field, and finally The HHH of Douala for their donation of hygiene products and the organisation of this beautiful event, with the help of Hubert Gonella as point of contact.

Vanelle, a former member of the SBA from the class of 2009 and who now works in Hubert Gonella’s company was present to represent the association; together with Baudouin, a former member of the Bangangté centre who is now a computer science teacher, and Djibril, the manager of the Eau Claire centre in Bangangté. Djibril held a stand about the association and presented the work of Philippe, our deaf and mute protégé who creates decorative objects in pearls and bamboo furniture in the workshop intended for him at the centre.

 

The generous donations, the majority of which were school supplies, hygiene products and clothes, were shared between our centres of Bangangté (Eau Claire) and Bafia.

The distributions have already taken place, and it was a joyful moment for all the children who want to say a massive thank you to the donors. Our team of young rugby players from Bangangté have not been forgotten either, they received soaps in order to be able to wash their sport equipment; they also convey their thanks to the donors.

 

 

Translation: Katy Birgé-Wilson

Support: The Serge Betsen Academy: winner of the Academies Program, instigated by the French Development Agency

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It is an absolute honour for our association to be named as one of the winners of the Academies Program instigated by the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement – AFD) and led by the duo PLAY International – Groupe SOS and the Diambars Institute. It warms our hearts to know that the actions that we have carried out in Cameroon for 18 years and in Mali of for 2 years gets this recognition and this exceptional support is a real gift allowing us to strengthen our positive impact on the lives of our children. Indeed, the Serge Betsen Academy (SBA) will receive funding of up to 250,000 Euros (about £214 000) and support over 3 years as part of this program, which will allow us to strengthen our mission, consolidate our action and our projects to improve access to education, gender equality, health and rugby.

This program to strengthen sports and inclusive academies in Africa was officially launched on November 4, 2022 at the Diambars Institute in Saly, Senegal during an official ceremony in the presence of Jérôme Teiletche, Secretary General of the SBA and several important figures whether from the world of politics or of sports. This program, which is the implementation of President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement at the New Africa-France Summit on October 8, 2021, aims to support the emergence of inclusive sports academies on the continent. Four academies present in six African countries are benefiting from support within the framework of this pilot phase: SEED Project, LEAD Edu, Sunward Park High School and the SBA

At the end of this pilot phase, a call for projects will be launched in 2023 in order to support twelve additional academies throughout the African continent.

For more information on the program, please read this article.

 

Translation: Katy Birgé-Wilson