Word travels fast in Buea. Once the head of the journalism department at the university found out a “new media specialist” was visiting, he called for me.

Pale yellow buildings are flung across the sprawling campus in no particular sequence. The taxi dipped in a pool of mud left from the rainfall the night before in front of the communications and humanities building.

I sat down across from the dean's paper-scattered desk. Mr. Akangwa, my boss at the grammar school, pulled out my resume and tapped his finger on each line, emphasizing (a bit too much) my skills.

“She's a new media specialist.” The dean stroked his chin in approval.

“It will be very difficult for you to do work here.” he said. Before arriving I wasn't sure what was being asked of me. “We need your experience in our classrooms.”

 You want me to teach? Here? At the university?!

“Yes.” he said, still scanning my resume.

The school started an online journalism course last year and wanted me to lead the class next semester. Four years ago, I walked into my first newspaper job. Now, I was a college lecturer. My ego pushed me into a space of flattery.

The catch? “We have no computers.”

The dean's words hit me like a sledgehammer.

Working in Buea is like trying to slay an army with a slingshot and five smooth stones. Everyday, I am asked to complete and initiate sweeping multimedia projects. Everyday, I am reminded of the sparse resources.

I sat down with the co-founder of the deaf school to figure out where to shoot the sign language video. We walked over to an empty classroom. The structure was a concrete slab with dirt floors, no widows, no electricity. It was too dark to film.

Do you have a lamp I could use to brighten the subjects on camera? I asked.

She laughed so hard she almost fell off the half-build porch.

“This is Cameroon,” she said. “You have to be creative.”

Tripod on wooden planks, director covered in mud, and our makeshift backdrop: Pep the sideshow to see my team's “creativity” in action at the sign language video shoot.


 
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