Whether we like it or not, Christmas is upon us.
So while most people are covered in tinsel, writing their wish lists, filling out their Christmas cards, buying their cookie making supplies, and decorating their homes, my mind is on… barbed wire.
In and around Maputo and Matola the crime situation is quite serious and multifaceted. Street crime such as pickpocketing, purse‐snatching, muggings is common, even in broad daylight, especially in crowded areas, transport hubs and where people move about. Beyond that, violent crimes including armed robbery, carjackings and home invasions occur, with criminals using knives, firearms (often “rented” from police) and sometimes working in coordinated gangs. In Matola specifically, there have been recent incidents of targeted shootings and gang‐style murders, even police officers have been killed. Kidnapping for ransom is also a noted danger in the region: more likely to hit higher‐income locals but foreign nationals are not immune. Underlying many of these issues are weak law enforcement in some districts, corruption or harassment of citizens by police, and social/economic conditions that make the area vulnerable to organized crime.
We and our Sunshine families live in Matola, a suburb located just outside of the country’s capital city, Maputo. Depending on what source you read, 44% to as high as 56% of the crime in the entire country of 33+ million people happens in Maputo. An estimated 33% of the nation’s crime happens in Matola. Put those two together and you realize that we live in an area of the country where 77-89% of the crime occurs. Hmmm…no wonder everyone’s houses have high cement walls topped with either broken glass bottles, barbed wire, or electric fencing.
Mozambique is a good teacher in the valuable life lessons it presents to you.
Upon our arrival in Mozambique, it did not take us long to experience the crime first-hand. A year and a half into our residency, we experienced three robberies in a very short period of time. First the outside area of our house was targeted while we were sleeping at night. Random items were taken from the back veranda where we had tools stored. Then while we were away on New Year’s Eve, they busted right through our front door and anything of value was taken- computer, television, my jewelry (even the plastic beaded bracelets made for me by children- thank goodness I did not bring anything of value), Don’s briefcase, William’s new keyboard, etc. Two weeks after this, in mid-January, we experienced an armed home invasion. They stole two cars while holding us at gun point. All of this taught us to be much more vigilant. Our current home has walls so high that only Spiderman could scale them, topped with electric fencing and security cameras. Lesson learned.
As we began creating our Sunshine Houses, we wanted to ensure our families would be safe and protected. So before moving a family in, we made sure to build a strong, tall wall around the perimeter of the yard. We soon learned that this was not enough. They will climb up, jump the wall, and take anything that is not cemented or welded down. They have stolen the bulbs from the outdoor light fixtures, the sink from a bathroom that was absentmindedly not locked at night, the spigots from the outdoor taps, and even climbed onto the roof of a house to take the outdoor light fixture installed near the roof line.
They do not even have to jump the wall to steal from us. They can be very clever. While doing work to improve Sunshine House 4, we asked a neighbor if we could store tools and cement bags in his house. We had good relations with this man, and he worked as a security guard for a company. He was the father of a little boy with encephalitis, and we had been to many consults with him seeking help for his little boy. But in the end, we were told that it was too late to make a difference. (While we could not reduce the enlargement of his sweet little head, it would at least not grow anymore as he aged.) We also paid the school fees for his older son and purchased a uniform so he could attend school. We believed we could trust him, but one day he sold the tools and cement we stored in his house. Lesson learned.
While building Sunshine House 9, one of the workers hired by our builder sold bags of cement to the woman who lives across the street. She knew she was buying cement stolen from our house but did it anyway. No one can be trusted. Lesson learned.
So we tried having guard dogs to patrol the property at night. That did not work. They throw poisoned meat over the wall to put the dog to sleep or to kill it. Delcio and I now have a saying, “No more dogs!” Lesson learned.
One evening, thieves walked right into the outdoor kitchen of a house and stole the stove’s gas tank…all while the family was in the living room watching television.
All of this was unsettling and disturbing. But all bets were off after they jumped the wall of our third Sunshine House and stole our beloved puppy, Pipoca, by pulling him through the metal bars of the front veranda. This moved us to raise the walls of our three houses by two cement blocks and cement in broken glass bottles on the top.
This theft astounds me to this day! Who steals a puppy from orphaned children?!?!
Yet even the high walls and glass bottles have not stopped them. Our fifth house has been the most recent target. This is where we park the van that takes our children to and from school each day. This past week, they jumped the wall, broke into the van through a window that was not locked, and stole the battery out from the van! Needless to say, when our driver and the children showed up at 6:30 am the next day, they realized they would not be going to school that day.
We had to move into action immediately. Whoever stole the battery would know when we drove home at the end of the day that a new battery had been installed in the van. They for sure would return to steal this as well, and maybe even the side mirrors or wheels as well! This robbery was most likely committed by a neighbor, someone who knows us and our routines. I was sooooo tempted to hang a sign on the gate saying something like “Congratulations! You stole a car battery from a group of orphaned children. I hope you feel like a big man now!” But Don warned me that this might challenge them to steal more. So, I relented. But ohhhhh how I wish I could have done it!
We first installed a car alarm in the van. This probably should have been done when we purchased the van. Lesson learned.
Next, we hired a man to install barbed wire on the wall around the perimeter of houses 3 and 5 (because they are joined together).
This will for sure prevent anyone from jumping the wall or gate. The houses now look like a high-security prison! But it for sure sends a clear message to our neighborhood thieves. Lesson learned.
With the coming months of December and January where our budget is strained due to paying the 2026 school registration fees for our children, Christmas presents and family meal provisions for our families, our bi-annual clothing shop where the mothers receive $100 to buy needed clothing for our growing children, and then the back-to-school shopping extravaganza in January of uniforms, shoes, belts, book bags, school supplies, and text books…we did not need this additional expense. But we were left with no choice.
The crime that occurred this past week at Sunshine House 5 is not exclusive to this house. All of our houses and families, are susceptible to theft, even with the high cement block walls and broken glass. It is for this reason that I am dreaming not of a white Christmas but a barbed wire Christmas. We now have two houses that are fully protected. This leaves seven houses that still need this anti-theft measure installed. The cost would be about $500 USD per house. If you feel led to bless our families with THE BEST Christmas present ever…we would be overjoyed!
So yes, this Christmas, while others might be wishing for cozy sweaters, glittering lights, or the latest gadgets, I’m wishing for barbed wire. Not because it’s pretty or festive (Even though it does sparkle in the sunshine!), but because it means safety, peace of mind, and a good night’s sleep for our mothers and children. It means that the little ones in our care can grow up laughing and learning instead of being afraid. In a world where so much is uncertain, we want to give them the certainty of protection and of knowing that someone cared enough to make them safe. If your heart feels moved to help us wrap our homes in that kind of security this Christmas, know that your gift is more than metal and wire… it is love in its most practical form. And from all of us here in Mozambique, we are deeply grateful.
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