Yaounde, Cameroon - September 10, 2024

A female train driver from Cameroon, who has defied the odds to become a pioneering figure in a male-dominated profession, encourages young women across the country to pursue their dreams despite the challenges.

Known affectionately as the "Night Queen of the Rails", Sandrine Nyambon stands out as one of the few women in Cameroon's rail industry, blazing a trail in a male-dominated sector.

She works for Camrail, a company operating passenger and freight traffic in the country.

Each day, Nyambon leaves her family behind to head to one of the main train stations in Yaounde, capital of Cameroon, where she begins her routine.

The early days of her career were challenging for her family, as her husband and children initially struggled to accept her role as a train driver.

For Nyambon, her journey is not merely about breaking gender barriers; it's also about inspiring the next generation. As a female train driver, she embodies a shift in societal norms and serves as a beacon of hope for young girls who might have once considered such careers out of reach.

Shotlist:
Yaounde, Cameroon - Sept 10, 2024:
1. Sandrine Nyambon, female train driver in Cameroon, getting on train;
2. Nyambon busy with preparations;
3. Workbook;
4. Various of Sandrine filling in form;
5. SOUNDBITE (French, dubbed with English) Sandrine Nyambon, female train driver:
"You visit the locomotive and make sure that everything is fine and that there are no worries. As soon as you've finished, you go back to your supervisor to tell him you're done. The supervisor then gives you the paper confirming that the track is clear and that you can go on to the other station. So, all the conditions are met for you to go to the other station, and the supervisor authorizes you to leave.";
6. Various of Nyambon driving train; digital display on train;
7. SOUNDBITE (French, dubbed with English) Sandrine Nyambon, female train driver (starting with shot 5):
"It took my husband a while to understand, and even the children complained at first, and were always looking for Mom. But then they got used to it, and now they are the ones chasing me out of the house, like "Mom, are you not going to work". It's a routine now, they know that Mum's going to go out and be away perhaps for two days. They've already got the hang of it.";
8. Various of staff at work; Sandrine driving train;
9. SOUNDBITE (French, dubbed with English) Sandrine Nyambon, female train driver (partially overlaid with shots 9-11):
"I've already got used to the idea that it's a job like any other. I started and realized that I could. So, when you already know you can, you take away the fact that it's a job reserved for men. There's no such thing as a men-only job, maybe there is, but if you can already do this kind of work, that means there's nothing men-only about it.";
[SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
10. Staff on running train;
11. Nyambon driving train;
12. View from running train;
[SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
13. View from running train;
14. Various of Sandrine driving train.

[Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]