"I want to succeed, give people jobs to prevent them from joining the war"

Image
Image
Martial making his daily rounds at the market, collecting food for his catering business.
Image
A cattle herder until 2012, Martial's entire herd was destroyed when his town was attacked during the conflict in the Central African Republic. He lost his livelihood and came to Bangui, the country's capital, in search of work. He first found a job as a cleaner at MUNISCA, started saving his salary, and eventually saved enough to begin a small business in catering. Through his network of contacts he was able to expand the business and now services over 80 clients, including International Organizations and NGOs around the city.
Image
​“People join the violent movement of Sélékaor Anti-Balaka when they are poor and have nothing to lose. I want to succeed as a businessman and employ as many people as possible, give them something to do and prevent them from joining the war.”

Photo: Rena Effendi for the ICC #LifeAfterConflict - Stories as told to ICC Outreach @renaeffendiphoto