Douala - Serge Betsen Academy

The Serge Betsen Academy (SBA) will celebrate its 20th anniversary in March 2024 and on this occasion we will be organising various events to celebrate our actions and to introduce our plans for the future. 20 years old is a golden age when one has lots of energy, and it’s perfect because we have many plans.

Over 20 years, the Serge Betsen Academy has supported more than 9,000 disadvantaged children both in Cameroon and Mali, using rugby as a vector of social integration. The mission of the association created by Serge Betsen, former international rugby player, is to give them access to after-school academic support sessions, medical care, meals and rugby training. It is thanks to the generosity of our partners and donors that the SBA has been able to create six centres over the last 20 years and that it has had such a positive impact on the lives of its young people through its various programs.

Serge Betsen and the entire association would like to invite you to discover our events (see below) and to contact us would you wish to participate in them and to turn these events into unforgettable moments, in support of our children!

– Match Biarritz Olympique V Rouen Normandie Rugby

Date & Venue: Friday February 16, 7:30 p.m., Parc des Sports Aguilera, Biarritz

Match dedicated to the Serge Betsen Academy association

Kick-off by Serge Betsen

– Dinner for the 20th anniversary of the Serge Betsen Academy in Lyon

Date & Venue: Friday March 15, 7 p.m., Grand Refectory of the Grand Hôtel Dieu in Lyon

A dinner with 200 guests among sports legends, in a beautiful venue, on the eve of the France-England game of the Six Nations. Cocktail, seated dinner, auctions and musical entertainment will be on the menu!

Details here.

– Rugby & Art: evening of emotions near Lille

Date & Venue: Thursday March 21, 6 p.m. in Marcq-en-Barœul France (59)

An extraordinary evening organised by Thetechicy, combining artistic expression through contemporary art and the passion for rugby, with the Serge Betsen Academy. On this occasion an auction will be organised, selling 40 works of art. Part of the sales will be donated to the association. This event will be dedicated to art lovers, sports enthusiasts and charitable spirits!

Details here.

– Gala match: Football – Variétés Club de France vs Serge Betsen’s team

Date & Venue: Saturday March 23, 2024, 2 p.m., Stade Nelson Paillou – 2 Rue Jean Walter, 92110 Clichy

Program: Football match between the Variétés Club de France and Serge Betsen’s team, made up of sports legends, physiotherapists and masseurs (OKM) and football players from the Clichy club (USAC). To be followed by a cocktail-party at 4 p.m.

For the benefit of the Serge Betsen Academy

– Gourmet dinner in a secret place in London to support the Serge Betsen Academy and to celebrate Paris 2024

Date & Venue: Thursday March 28 at 6 p.m., London

This will be a spectacular evening, during which a sumptuous 3-course dinner will be served to you in a legendary building in London, where musical entertainment will enhance your evening, where special guests will make it unforgettable and where various fundraising activities will take place for the benefit of our association.

Please email mailys@sergebetsenacademy.org for further details

– Women’s and men’s rugby and basketball tournament, Yaoundé & Douala, Cameroon

Date & Venue: 10-13 April (TBC), Yaoundé and Douala, Cameroon

A tournament to enable young people to compete against each other while playing rugby. This event organised at the initiative of the French Embassy in Cameroon will bring together different charities, including the Serge Betsen Academy and will be an opportunity to talk about important themes related to sports, health and gender equality. There will also be an initiation to rugby and basketball.

– Dinner to celebrate the 20th anniversary of SBA Cameroon, in Yaoundé

Date & Venue: Thursday May 30, 6 p.m., Boun’s Hotel, Yaoundé, Cameroon

We will gather with the SBA team members and our faithful partners to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the charity and raise funds for our future projects. A delicious buffet will be served and there will be various entertainments.

We look forward to welcoming you soon to celebrate our 20th anniversary!

Translation : Katy Birgé-Wilson

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.