Muhindo Kamate, trained by UNFPA with support from the Government of Japan, dedicates his life to supporting young people in DRC on the path to peace. Credit: RET Germany
Carrying the voice of young people to build peace – convictions of a Congolese former child soldier
"I carried a rifle in my youth. Today, I carry the voice of young people to build peace." This stark, powerful declaration comes from Muhindo Kamate, a former child soldier whose family was lost to the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) brutal, decades-long conflict.
Kamate's journey is an extraordinary testament to courage. After putting down his gun and leaving the armed group, he refused to let the scars of war define him. Instead, he founded the Association of Ex-combatants for Youth Support to offer thousands of other young people an alternative to the violence.
In the DRC, where children remain deeply impacted by conflict - with over 4,000 forcibly taken into armed groups in 2024 alone, according to the UN - Kamate's work is a lifeline.
Read his story of hope, resilience, and the drive to build "a future without violence and conflict."
This story was made possible with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
War destroys more than it builds
My name is Muhindo Kamate, but many know me as "Purchase Price". This name comes from my home village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where my parents ran a small shop. People would refer to our shop by "purchase price". Over time, the nickname stuck with me.
When I was 15, an armed group attacked my village, and my life was turned upside down. I witnessed unimaginable things: the rape of my loved ones and the massacre of my family.
Alone and traumatized, I was forcibly recruited into a non-state armed group. I was led to believe that a rifle was the only way to exist, to protect myself, and to earn respect. But very quickly, I discovered that war destroys more than it builds.
I was led to believe that a rifle was the only way to exist, to protect myself, and to earn respect.
Three years later, I put down my gun and left the armed group. I was just 18 years old – officially an adult. I wanted to reinvent myself, to build a new life and a future without violence and conflict.
In 2017, I founded the Association of Ex-combatants for Youth Support to offer other young people an alternative that I hadn't had as a teenager.
Supported by UNFPA, Muhindo Kamate raises awareness among displaced youth about peaceful co-existence between communities and preventing radicalization in eastern DRC. Credit: UNFPA DRC / Jonas Yunus
A powerful force for peace and development
Through a programme supported by UNFPA and funded by the Government of Japan, I was trained on the prevention of violent extremism, positive masculinity, and youth-led peacebuilding. That experience taught me how to engage with young people without judgment, to ease their tensions, and to guide them away from radicalization. Today, I am proud to have helped other young people like me leave armed groups and to have discouraged many more from joining them.
Today, I am proud to have helped other young people like me leave armed groups and to have discouraged many more from joining them.
Youth-lead organizations are a powerful force for peace and development. We join hands at festivals bringing together young peacebuilders from across North Kivu and South Kivu. These events help us to share knowledge and build our networks. We can also access resources often denied to adolescents and youth, like information on sexual and reproductive health and bodily autonomy and ending gender-based violence, which we can bring back to our communities.
This last part is really important: every time I see a woman or girl who has been subjected to violence, it breaks my heart. It is not only a crime – it is a wound to our entire humanity. I often tell young men that true peace begins in our homes, through respect for women. I invite them to be allies: to listen, to protect, and to speak up when they see injustice.
I often tell young men that true peace begins in our homes, through respect for women. I invite them to be allies: to listen, to protect, and to speak up when they see injustice.
Here in North Kivu, as in South Kivu and Ituri provinces, war continues to destroy lives, but we refuse to remain silent. Together with other young people, we organize dialogues on dignity, workshops on positive masculinity, theater, and sports to send a clear message: no woman should live in fear, and every survivor deserves to be heard and respected.
In Kirotshe, North Kivu, the Hunde, Hutu, Twa, and Nyanga communities unite in a spirit of solidarity and hope during a peace awareness activity supported by UNFPA. Credit: UNFPA DRC / Jonas Yunus.
Asking the world for a chance to live without fear
Despite all the work I have been doing, war does not easily fade from memory. There are still nights when the sound of boots brings back the past. Sometimes, people still see me as "the former fighter," not as a builder of peace. But I have learned to turn that pain into strength so I can keep moving forward.
One of my most memorable experiences was collaborating with UNFPA and the Women's Solidarity for Peace and Integral Development organization for an International Day of Peace celebration. We brought together thousands of people from displaced communities to watch young artists sing, perform plays and dance to raise awareness about peace. It was then that I realized that peace is not just agreements signed in offices.
Peace, to me, means finding in those fragile but precious moments when we choose to share the joy of being together. Each time a young person decides to express themselves through music, sport or speech, rather than violence, I know that we are moving forward, step-by-step, on the path to peace.
Peace, to me, means finding in those fragile but precious moments when we choose to share the joy of being together.
What gives me strength is when I see a boy lay down his weapon to pick up a microphone and sing for peace. When I see those courageous women who rise again after violence and rebuild their lives, I tell myself that nothing is lost. I find hope in their eyes, in their determination to live differently despite the chaos.
After 30 years of conflict, many of us have known nothing but war. What we ask of the world, above all, is peace in the east of the country, but also the chance to learn, to work, and to live without fear. The world can help us by supporting safe spaces where young people can learn and where women can speak, rebuild, and inspire change.
After 30 years of conflict, many of us have known nothing but war. What we ask of the world, above all, is peace in the east of the country, but also the chance to learn, to work, and to live without fear.
When a young person has a dream, they lay down their arms, just as I did. And when the international community believes in them, that dream becomes possible.
The interview with Muhindo Kamate was conducted by Jonas Yunus, UNFPA's Communications Officer in the DRC.