Dr. Sylvain Gomossa looks at the three students in front of him, curious how they’ll react to what he is about to say.

“We used to tie people up with big, heavy chains. Even right here in my office.”

The young men remain impassive. Dr. Gomossa looks disappointed.

This story on the Central African Republic’s psychology program was published by the Christian Science Monitor in 2018. Check out the full story here with photos by Adrienne Surprenant.