After surviving violence, a young woman in the Central African Republic is pursuing her studies and growing a small business with support from a UNFPA-KOICA programme.

BANGUI, Central African Republic – At a small workshop in Bimbo, on the outskirts of Bangui, 23-year-old Aissata carefully threads colourful beads together. What begins as a dainty bracelet will soon become part of a handbag she hopes to sell to help finance her university studies.

For Aissata, the craft represents much more than income. It represents recovery, dignity and a future she once feared had been taken away.

Several years ago, while travelling through a conflict-affected area of the Central African Republic (CAR), Aissata survived a traumatic experience of sexual violence - an experience that left deep wounds and altered the course of her life. 

Today, she is in her third year of university studying logistics, thanks in part to the support she received through a UNFPA safe space supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

“Through this centre, I began to feel comfortable again,” Aissata recalls.

The safe space in Bimbo is one of several supported through the UNFPA-KOICA partnership in CAR, providing women and girls with psychosocial support, life skills training, referrals to specialized services, and opportunities for economic empowerment.

In a country where conflict, displacement and poverty continue to expose women and girls to heightened risks of violence, such services can be life-changing.

A lifeline for women and girls

The Central African Republic remains one of the world’s most fragile humanitarian settings. More than 2.3 million people require humanitarian assistance, while gender-based violence remains widespread and maternal mortality rates are among the highest globally.

To address these challenges, KOICA has partnered with UNFPA through the Conflict-Affected and Fragile Countries Supporting Programme (CFP), helping expand access to sexual and reproductive health services, gender-based violence prevention and response, youth services and civil registration.

Since the programme began, more than 22,300 people have benefited from gender-based violence prevention and response activities. Over 8,200 women and girls have received psychosocial support, socio-economic reintegration assistance and life-skills training. The project has also supported holistic case management through five safe spaces across the country.

For many participants, the safe spaces are the first place where they can speak openly about their experiences.

“Some girls do not want to talk about what happened to them,” Aissata says. “But when you speak with others, they can encourage you. You begin to feel free again.”

Investing in resilience

Beyond counselling and protection services, the programme helps women and girls develop practical skills that can generate income and restore confidence.

After participating in therapy sessions, Aissata joined vocational training activities at the centre, learning how to make bags, shoes, jewellery and other handcrafted items.

She’s been able to sell them to help cover part of her university fees.

“Making these items helps me move forward,” she explains. “‘I have lots of dreams... to continue my studies at Master's level, or even go on to do a PhD, and then work here in my home country so that I can help it develop, and set up my own business.’

Delivering results where needs are greatest

The KOICA-supported programme reaches women and girls through an integrated approach combining health services, protection and empowerment.

To date, the partnership has helped provide sexual and reproductive health services to more than 28,000 people, supported 150 health facilities with reproductive health kits, trained 180 health personnel, and enabled more than 9,000 pregnant women to receive life-saving maternal care and assisted safe deliveries. Seventy-six women and girls have also received obstetric fistula repair surgery enabling them to regain dignity, independence and improved social interactions in their communities.