Somb Lingom: Di blind journalist weh no let im condition stop am
Jean Pascal Somb Lingom weh e blind wen e bi eight years old don start give back, for helep young pikin dem weh deh no di see go school.
Jean Pascal Somb Lingom blind wen e be eight years old Somb Lingom no bi de only visually impaired pesin for Cameroon weh e wan helep odas, Coco Bertin don build school di helep pipo laik e get correct education. De journalist go study for Cardiff University under Chevening scholarship, kam back wit new ideas for programme 'Our green World', and e don create association for helep pipo weh deh no di see. Somb Lingom don di work for pipo wit disability for promote dia integration before, but wit e association support pikin dem for school wit moni for books for Bamenda and Yaoundé. Today, Somb Lingom weh e study bilingual series French and English for Yaoundé University say, "Ah fit tell ma pikin for bi journalist and more, even president". Afta e get master e no fit see how dis go helep e so e decide go for school of journalism, wen e finish e drop laik 50 job applications. "One day ah receive call from human resource pesin for national radio and television say make ah kam sign contract, an no even hear de last work temporary, ah shout, stop de call jump". For work laik journalist, de beginning no bi easy, "Some of ma bosses check say deh recruit me because of ma disability. Deh surprise wen say ah di use computer compile foreign news and afta six moons, one editor say make deh give me opportunity for work laik journalist and not just treat me lain pesin weh e no di see". "Ah write first report, laik say na de first and last, ah ask pipo for helep proof read. When ah present de report, many colleagues di ask if ah really blind". Somb Lingom and oda chevening scholar Afta e first outing for field, wen deh say make colleagues take care for me laik say ah bi baby, Somb Lingom don cover school games, university games, cycling tour. Wen ah ask how e meet e woman, de Somb Lingom laugh, ah laik beautiful ladies, ah di feel dem, hear and smell dem, dia perfume, smooth skin, fain heart, so ah 'smell' my wife". For Somb Lingom, "networking na key for life, if you know pipo you rich pass pesin weh e get billions". Rowan James Laxton, British High Commissioner for Cameroon receive Somb Lingom and 17 odas weh deh finish for British Universities.