On returning home, Paulin started to rebuild the family’s group of small houses. He covered roofs with straw, but didn’t fully rebuild the damaged walls. Why not? “The situation is calm now, but I’m only going to rebuild when there’s peace,” says Paulin. “Without peace, there’s no point.”

Like many others, Paulin has returned home after the war yet does not dare to fix everything for fear that the fighting will start up again.

Florence and Paulin have endured years of displacement, but they’ve not lost any of their loved ones. Dina Ngakoutou, aged 25, hasn’t been so lucky. “The Séléka came into our village and looted people’s homes, so I fled with my mother, father and my children,” says Dina. “They killed my husband when he fled.” Her story doesn’t end there: the family had to flee again.