In the courtyard of his home in the northwest of the Central African Republic, Pierre Bazama cuts small pieces of raw cassava and feeds them to his pigs.

Pierre, who has raised animals all his life, looks around happily, surveying the pens of his other animals: chickens, ducks, goats and sheep.  

“God often gives people gifts; what he gave me was to be a breeder," Pierre says. “So, I do it with love and patience to make a living.”   

Pierre has been raising animals for 22 years, but it was only recently that he received formal training in breeding and animal care. Today he is the leader of the Merci na Nzapa, or “thanks to God” livestock group and formally trains other groups in his and nearby communities. 

This change came about in December 2023, when Pierre was invited to take part in the I Londo I Mai: Reinforcing Resilience in the Central African Republic project, which is implemented by Catholic Relief Services in partnership with All for Peace and Dignity, with funding from U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.  Pierre and other participants took part in a training course on best practices for raising and breeding animals.