At a UNFPA-KOICA supported Safe Space in the Central African Republic, one case worker is helping survivors heal, rebuild and rediscover their futures.

BIMBO, Central African Republic — By 8 am, women and girls are already arriving at the Safe Space in Bimbo. Some come seeking advice. Others need psychosocial support. Most arrive carrying burdens they have never shared with anyone before. Waiting to welcome them is Marguerite Yabobi Wonsale.

An educator and a psychosocial case worker, Marguerite has worked at the Safe Space since it opened in December 2024. Supported by UNFPA and the Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the centre provides a refuge for women and girls facing violence, trauma and social exclusion.

For Marguerite, no two days are ever the same. “Women and girls come here every day,” she says. “Some have experienced violence. Others face problems at home. Every story is different.”

“Sometimes girls experience violence but do not even realize that what happened to them is violence,” she explains.  In a country where conflict, displacement and poverty continue to expose women and girls to heightened risks of gender-based violence, the Safe Space offers much more than a place to sit and talk.

It provides relief, support and hope through counselling, health and legal referrals, group therapy and skills-building activities, while helping individuals feel connected, valued and part of a community. 

The first conversation

One of Marguerite’s most important responsibilities begins the moment a woman walks through the door. For many survivors, it may be a moment of desperation and the first time they have reached out for help. It is also the first step towards safety, dignity and recovery. That first encounter can shape everything that follows. As a case worker, Marguerite provides a safe and compassionate space where women can be heard, their needs assessed and the right care and support identified. 

“Don’t keep it to yourself,” she tells participants during therapy sessions. “Come to a listening centre. Talk about it.”

Without support, she says, trauma can have devastating consequences.

“People can become traumatised. They can develop mental health problems because they keep thinking about what happened to them.”

Watching transformation happen

Marguerite remembers when a young woman named Melissa first arrived at the centre after learning about it through community outreach activities.

Melissa had survived sexual violence as a teenager and was struggling with the long-term impact of her experience. Through counselling and regular participation in centre activities, she gradually began to rebuild her confidence.

Today, Melissa is a university student studying logistics. She earns additional income through handicrafts she learned to make through the programme.

For Marguerite, her transformation represents what the Safe Space is designed to achieve. “Today, she is the one who brings support and smiles to other young women and girls.”

Beyond counselling

Supported by KOICA, the UNFPA programme combines these elements through an integrated model that links protection, health services and economic empowerment.

Beyond psychosocial support and life-skills education, the Safe Spaces have also become catalysts for women's economic empowerment. In Leya and Liton villages, participants received training to establish Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), which are now fully functional and managed by the women themselves. 

Through regular savings contributions and small loan cycles, members are building financial resilience, investing in income-generating activities, and reducing their economic dependence. 

The initiative has also sparked unexpected positive outcomes. Inspired by the collective spirit fostered through the Safe Spaces, women in one community organized their own gardening group, creating an additional source of income and strengthening social cohesion. These grassroots initiatives demonstrate how Safe Spaces can evolve beyond their original purpose, empowering women to become agents of change within their households and communities.

Across the Central African Republic, the partnership has helped more than 22,000 people benefit from gender-based violence prevention and response activities, while over 8,200 women and girls have received psychosocial support, socio-economic reintegration assistance and life-skills training.

“If this centre did not exist, it would be very difficult,” says Marguerite. “We would see much more trauma in the community.”

“Our mothers did not have opportunities like this,” she says. “But today’s women and girls have a place that helps them understand things they did not understand before. There is real progress.”

Tomorrow morning, through the generous support of KOICA, the doors will open again and Marguerite will be there to listen, guide and help women and girls take another step toward healing and hope.