Tools and Blankets
The Sound of Hope

Photo: Annie Griffiths Belt

The gentle hum of Delfina Cossa's new sewing machine is a blessed sound of hope in her family's life as she pieces together brightly colored dresses and pants.

Thirteen years of civil war devastated Delfina's country, Mozambique, and left it awash in weapons -- weapons that have led to banditry and violence.

But hope is on the horizon, through an innovative guns-for-tools program supported by Church World Service. When people surrender their guns, no questions are asked. And in exchange for the weapons, they are able to choose farm tools, bicycles, carpentry tools, or sewing machines -- instruments of peace in a country badly in need of healing.

Her sewing machine was the choice when Delfina's brother turned in his assault rifle. More than 27,000 firearms have been exchanged in the guns-for-tools program. One village even got together and swapped 500 rifles for a tractor to benefit the whole community!

Delfina is happy, though, with her more modest exchange. Stitching away while her niece visits, she now feeds her family with sales of clothes that are, she proudly tells us, "fine enough to sell in New York!"

Mozambique

• located in Southern Africa, on the Indian Ocean, Mozambique is slightly less than twice the size of California
• 30% of Mozambicans are Christian, 20% Muslim, and 50% practice indigenous beliefs
• the infant mortality rate is 133 (per 1000 live births); in neighboring Zimbabwe it is 49; and in the U.S. 8 Source: "The State of the World's Children, 1998"

Pronunciation key:
Delfina Cossa -- dell-FEE-nah KO-sah
Mozambique -- MO-zahm-BEEK