We have sad news. We have received an e-mail from Marc Pavkov this morning; he informed us that thieves with guns broke into the centre last night.

The following is an extract of Marc’s e-mail.

I would like to give you an update on today’s events since we last spoke.

Well you know this is a difficult email to write. We wish it were not sadnews. Hopefully you received our earlier email today. Now we will explain with more detail what has happened.

Augusto came to our house in town with Alberto this morning about 6am. He explained to Marc that at about 1am thieves with guns broke in to the center. There were four of them. First, they tied up the guard and shoved his hat in his mouth so he could not yell. They struck him on the head and caused a wound that was bleeding. Then they pounded on Augusto’s house. They broke the door in (both of them) and attacked him. They were telling him they wanted money, his bosses money and wanted to know were it was and where the keys to the vehicles were. They called him by name and asked him if it was worth it for him to lose his life over the money. He told them he didn’t have any. They beat him and tied him up. Then they attacked his wife and beat her and tried to sexually assault her but were not successful. They tied her up. They also beat a child Sergio Augusto son and tied him up. They went through the house and took some things like his bank card, the cell phone, pots, etc. They broke into the house where we used to live. They took a crow bar and broke the lock off the front gate. From there they stole car battery and the single mattress. They also broke through the door to the kitchen store room and stole some food. On their way out of the center they broke the padlock off the front gate.

Augusto is quite shaken up understandably. Marc took him into town to go to the bank to change the pin on his bankcard that the thieves stole, also to go to the police and report the incident. We have told Augusto to move into the house with bars. It is necessary although it seems that even that is not safe. Marc is going to purchase new padlocks for the gates. We are not sure how the guard is feeling about returning to work.

We went to the police station and a sergeant came with us out to the center to see for himself the damage the thieves had done. He made a written report and he says he is going to lead an investigation. The sergeant was impressed with what the center is doing for the children. Our guard that was injured on the head was interviewed at the center then he was given a paper for free medical treatment at the hospital. He is fine and plans to be back to work tonight.

I went out to the center and this is what I observed missing/damaged:

In the guest house (where we were living)

Single mattress

Car battery

Broken padlock

Broken door lock

Small solar panel light system we left for others to use.

Augusto’s house

Both doors broken and door jams broken

Keys were stolen including the keys for the container, storage room and possibly the guest house

Stolen were Augusto’s clothes, their coats, pots, dishes, and cell phone and his personal documents including his bank card.

The Gate Padlock broken

Kitchen Storage Room Door that enters through the church is broken.

I bought new padlocks for the front gate and the house with bars. Augusto plans to move his family in there this evening after dark. His wife is understandably very scared.

Marc as you already know is the director of the child centre at Chimoio, Augusto is one of the staff who lives in one of the premises at Chimoio child centre in Mozambique.

We are now asking you for pray with us, because this is the fourth time that it happens in for months, not only the work is suffering with this type of attack, staff children emotionally but I myself know how hard it is because I have been through the same experience. Safety has become one of our priorities now. I ask you for pray for me also as I am leaving to Africa on this coming Thursday on April the 9th.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

God Bless you All.

Vilma and Eddie Brito
http://healingeverynation.org/