Children assisted by the Instituto Moinho Cultural Sul-Americano (South American Cultural Mill Institute) received, in the late afternoon of Thursday, December 12, an illustrious visit. Santa Claus from the “Caixa Encantada” (Enchanted Box) campaign, carried out by the Government and civil servants of Mato Grosso do Sul, was at the institute’s headquarters to deliver gifts.
Welcomed with much applause and joy, the “good old man,” as he is also known worldwide, arrived accompanied by the State’s First Lady, Monica Riedel, and the deputy secretary of State Administration, Roberto Gurgel. A big party was held for the gift-giving.
The First Lady, Monica Riedel, told the Diário Corumbaense that the campaign’s goal is to promote a spirit of solidarity among public servants of the State Executive Branch and in society, using the season to make Christmas happier for children in situations of social vulnerability.
“I’m happy as First Lady and also as godmother of our State’s civil servants’ campaign. Bringing this toy to children in childhood surely gives their dreams a chance, stirs their imagination, their creativity, and leaves a lasting mark. This moment becomes even more important by coming here, to the Moinho, which is a symbol of pride for all of us in the State, an institution known throughout the world, led by Márcia Rolon. Her work with the children fills us with pride,” said the First Lady.
She also stressed that the action relies heavily on the participation of state civil servants and partners, who join this cause to collect the toys.
“The campaign has grown, and besides the civil servants, it started to have partners, which gave us a larger number of collected toys. Last year we saw it was possible, and by joining efforts, we managed to expand—not to every city in the State, but here in Corumbá alone, eight institutions benefited, and this Friday, the Porto da Manga region, in the Pantanal, will receive the action,” said Mônica Riedel.
The deputy secretary of State Administration, Roberto Gurgel, reported that 43 cities that registered were served, with 350 registered institutions, 250 in the Capital and 100 inland.
“The State Administration Secretariat is where the civil servant’s working life begins and ends. This is a campaign of the civil servant. Being here today, at an institution like Moinho, which is an instrument of transformation in these children’s lives, is the coming together of what we said throughout the campaign: that we civil servants weren’t just donating a toy, but giving affection, love, inclusion, which many of these children don’t have. We had civil servants from all secretariats, private-sector partners, public agencies—17 agencies, besides the state secretariat—which shows how much public spirit this campaign has. Donations from every segment with a single purpose, and we managed to reach the countryside for the first time,” Gurgel explained to the press.
Anticipation
All the children were anxiously awaiting Santa Claus’s arrival. When he was announced, he was welcomed with great excitement.
Arthur Ícaro, 6 years old, was pure joy upon receiving his gift. “I really liked what I got, it was a truck. I was waiting for Santa Claus and I thanked him a lot for giving me the toy. When I get home, I’m going to tell everyone that Santa Claus came here at the Moinho and it was very special,” he said.
This Friday, the Caixa Encantada set off with the Military Firefighters along the Paraguay River to bring the joy of the Christmas gift to the children of the Porto da Manga region. Mônica Riedel and Roberto Gurgel are also visiting the community.
The campaign had the partnership of Fiems, which provided the Albano Franco venue and helped build the sorting plan under the coordination of the State Government’s campaign.
The awakening of enchantment
Márcia Rolon, founder of Moinho Cultural, who was celebrating her birthday, said that the greatest gift she could have was the children’s smiles. She stressed that the “Caixa Encantada” campaign awakens the enchantment of the children who received the gifts.
“An action that truly awakens the enchantment that our children have often lost. So, believing it’s possible to receive a toy, to receive a gift from Santa Claus, the importance of the government’s attention toward them, toward Corumbá, toward the Moinho, will leave a mark. They’ll know that this project is incredible. I believe this enchantment was reinforced by them all being in costume, on stage, a magical place, making the moment even more important. This is the magic that Christmas needs, which comes together with Manoel de Barros, the dawn, the enchanter, where we can dream, create and make it real,” she said, also referring to the show Moinho In Concert, taking place this Friday and Saturday, December 13 and 14, at 7:30 pm, at the Moinho Cultural headquarters, on Rua Domingos Sahib, 300 – Beira-Rio.
Moinho In Concert is inspired by the poetry of Manoel de Barros, especially his book O Fazedor de Amanhecer (The Dawn Maker), and with the support of the Instituto Ziraldo, the show pays special tribute to these two great icons of Brazilian culture: Manoel de Barros and Ziraldo Alves, celebrating their remarkable contributions to art and literature.
