April is a special month for literature. On the 18th, National Children’s Book Day was celebrated, and on the 23rd, World Book Day. To encourage reading among children and introduce a world of discoveries made possible by books, the Instituto Moinho Cultural Sul-Americano, in Corumbá, held several activities involving books.

To close out the special month, Moinho Cultural held, this week, a storytelling session with writer Anna Lucia Dichoff. The activity was organized by the institution’s Núcleo de Cultura e Letramento (Culture and Literacy Center).
“I brought my new book – Logo Ali – to come here and share my knowledge with Moinho Cultural. I’m very happy, because April is the month of the book, of literature. Long live the book, long live literature, long live Moinho!” said the writer, who is also the author of the book “Meu avô de uma perna só” (“My One-Legged Grandfather”).

For Moinho Cultural’s executive director, Márcia Rolon, activities involving reading and the Núcleo de Cultura e Letramento are essential for the development of the children and teenagers served by the institution.

“We know how much reading stimulates and challenges us. And we also know how much reading has been set aside. That’s why our Núcleo de Cultura e Letramento has been working hard to bring reading into the daily routine of the children and teenagers we serve here at Moinho Cultural every day. We believe that building individuals who are more aware of their social role goes through reading,” said Márcia Rolon.

Still during book month, Moinho Cultural received a donation of 29 books from the Folha Grandes Pintores (Folha Great Painters) collection, from Acaia Pantanal, a longtime partner of the institution. The collection brings together hundreds of works by major names in painting, such as Van Gogh, Monet, Leonardo da Vinci, Frida Kahlo, among others.

The Instituto Moinho Cultural Sul-Americano

Moinho Cultural is a civil society organization that has, for 18 years, offered dance, music, technology and computer science classes to children and teenagers in situations of social vulnerability in Corumbá, Ladário, Puerto Suárez and Puerto Quijarro. The ongoing training offered by the institution lasts up to eight years. Moinho also works on training creator-performers for young people and adults, through the Companhia de Dança do Pantanal, Orquestra de Câmara do Pantanal and Núcleo de Tecnologia (Technology Center). The institution’s mission is to reduce social vulnerability in the Brazil-Bolivia border region, through access to cultural and technological resources. Since activities began, more than 23,000 children and teenagers have been served by Moinho.

Moinho Cultural currently has master sponsorship via the Lei de Incentivo Cultural (Cultural Incentive Law) from the Instituto Cultural Vale, as well as sponsorship from Bellalluna Participações LTDA, Energisa, BRINKS, BTG Pactual, CaraÍ Empreendimentos LTDA, HINOVE, Rodobens, Cultural Support from Instituto FAR, funding from the Government of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, through the Fundação de Cultura de Mato Grosso do Sul, in addition to the partnership with J.Macêdo and Fecomércio MS-SESC.

Institutional partners include the City Hall of Corumbá, City Hall of Ladário, City Hall of Puerto Suárez, City Hall of Puerto Quijarro, Instituto Homem Pantaneiro, IFMS, UFMS, Acaia Pantanal and other individual and corporate donors.