One is a naval officer, the other an engineer by training who later chose a military career. Both serve as photographers within the MINUSCA Force. In the Central African Republic, Lieutenant One Mirtha Asa Prasena and Sergeant Zahra Amalia Nurhidayati share a common mission: to capture in images the efforts towards peace, acts of solidarity and the resilience of communities. Behind their cameras, two different journeys converge around a shared conviction: that images can be a powerful force for peace.
Every day, their photographs document the work of peacekeepers in the field. But beyond simply recording events, their images tell stories: stories of communities rebuilding their future, of soldiers forging bonds with local populations, and of peace that is being built one step at a time.
For Lieutenant One Mirtha Asa Prasena, photography gradually became a passion over the course of her military career. A graduate of the Indonesian Naval Academy in 2019, she discovered through her various assignments a wealth of faces, landscapes and stories that progressively shaped her perspective. “Throughout my deployments, I have encountered places, people and stories that awakened my passion for photography. The camera became much more than a simple tool; it allows me to tell stories, convey emotions and preserve the memory of precious moments,” she explains.
Sergeant Zahra Amalia Nurhidayati followed a different path. After completing her secondary education, she initially pursued civil engineering studies at Tidar University in Indonesia. Yet her ambition to become a soldier never wavered. In 2022, she finally joined the Indonesian Army and later discovered photography through her work in public information.
“What began as a professional assignment gradually became a true passion. I came to realize that photography can tell stories, convey emotions and bear witness to the realities experienced in the field,” she says.
While their backgrounds may differ, they share a common perspective on the Central African Republic. Both say they have been deeply impressed by the strength and resilience of the Central African people. “What inspires me most about Central Africans is their ability to maintain hope despite the challenges they face,” says Lieutenant One Mirtha Asa Prasena. Through their lenses, they seek to highlight this often-unseen resilience. Whether it is a woman restarting an income-generating activity, children returning to school, or a warm exchange between peacekeepers and local residents, these are the moments that, in their view, provide tangible evidence of the dividends of peace.
For both women peacekeepers, photography is also a powerful tool for awareness and advocacy. It provides a window into the realities of life on the ground while showcasing the efforts undertaken to consolidate peace. “Photography enables us to tell the stories of communities with humanity,” says Lieutenant One Mirtha Asa Prasena. Sergeant Zahra Amalia Nurhidayati shares that conviction. In her view, certain images capture the human dimension of peacekeeping more eloquently than words. “When a peacekeeper interacts with community members, offers a smile or simply demonstrates care and attention, the human value of a peace mission becomes clear,” she explains.
This ability to capture the moment is now an integral part of their service with MINUSCA. On both sides, the camera has become a way to bring people closer to the Mission’s work and to preserve the memory of moments that bear witness to the country’s evolution.
Ultimately, Lieutenant One Mirtha Asa Prasena and Sergeant Zahra Amalia Nurhidayati share more than a passion for photography. They share a common perspective on their mission: that of committed observers who use images to tell the story of peace, highlight the dedication of peacekeepers and give hope a human face. Their photographs serve as a reminder that, in the Central African Republic as elsewhere, peace is not merely the absence of conflict. It can also be seen in the smiles, encounters and acts of solidarity that they capture through their lenses every day.
Noura Oualot et Oscar Manirakiza
