Mozambican Bishop and Peace Advocate Dom Dinis Sengulane is the Child Well Being Champion

Bishop Emeritus Dom Dinis Sengulane from the Diocese of the Limbobos one of the mediators of the peace agreement that ended Mozambique’s civil war has been awarded Child Protection Champion for his unconditional and tireless actions to promote the well-being of the country.

Bishop Dinis Sengulane is locally well-known for his advocacy actions for health causes and initiatives to end violence. His mediation added value until the peace agreement was reached in 1992 ending a 16 years civil war and making way to stop the conflict but also to disarm minds.

“The African Union has been requesting the Silencing of Guns, I add to that, we need more than silencing guns. There are people handing toy guns to their children, exposing children to violence on television, I think we need to disarm our children from toy guns and disarm their minds,” said Bishop Dinis Sengulane.

“We need to show children that they can go far when walking with the support of other children and demonstrate to them the spirit of collaboration,” said the bishop discouraging toy guns among children.

The Child Protection Champion Award was given to Bishop Dinis Sengulane, by Christian and child-focused organization World Vision Mozambique, as part of its 40-year celebration, years that the Bishop was also part of when he joined campaigns such as Arma Não Anima (Guns aren’t Fun) an initiative that collected thousands of toy guns later destroyed. The bishop also served as World Vision Advisory Council Chairperson.

“The bishop has this thing of embracing causes and sometimes causes that seem impossible, difficult ones, causes that are frightening and few people are willing to take them,” said Eleuterio Fenita, World Vision Mozambique Advocacy and External Engagement Director before the award handing.

Among several initiatives led by the Bishop, one of them was the transformation of firearms into agricultural production tools among other art pieces.

“One of the first art pieces that were generated from the repurposing of the guns was this crucifix I am wearing, it seems like a small thing others would say childish, but of it is great meaning,” said the Bishop.

Addressing the audience, the bishop praised the contribution of World Vision Mozambique through donors in the fight against malaria, one of the causes to which he has dedicated time and investment to reduce the number of infections and mortality caused by the mosquito-borne disease, particularly among children.

“Congratulations to World Vision for including programs to combat malaria and for covering countless children. Thank God we have saved a lot of children,” said the Bishop, ending his speech and motivating the audience to persist. “For the good causes never give up, never, never and never”.

About the Bishop

Dinis Salomão Sengulane was born on March 5, 1946, in Zandamela, Zavala district, Inhambane province south of Mozambique. His parents were part of the first generation of Anglicans in those lands. Is a Mozambican Anglican Emeritus bishop of the Diocese of Libombos and former chairperson of the Christian Council of Mozambique (CCM), this cleric was involved in the peace negotiations that ended Mozambique's civil war. He also runs campaigns for malaria eradication and disarmament. He is the leader of the Movement to Roll Back Malaria, a civil society movement. As the leader of TAE project - Transforming Weapons into Hoes - he managed to collect around 800,000 weapons in around ten years after the end of the civil war.