Reading as a right and social transformation

Access to reading is a fundamental right. Books serve as passports to knowledge, imagination, and the construction of a more just future. However, this right is still denied in many communities, where thousands of children grow up without exposure to stories that could transform their lives.

Faced with this scenario, the Ramacrisna Institute, located in Betim (MG), created the Reading Suitcase project. The initiative brings stories, discoveries, and opportunities to thousands of children in the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Region.

State recognition and cultural impact

With more than 50,000 people impacted and 4,510 books donated, the project has just been awarded by Edital Raízes de Minas, promoted by the State Secretariat of Culture and Tourism of Minas Gerais (Secult-MG), with funds from the National Aldir Blanc Policy (Pnab).

The award was given in the category “Good Practices in Community Museums, Memory Spaces, Memory Points, Collections, Community Libraries, and Listed Spaces.” Among the 39 winners, Mala de Leitura took 7th place, consolidating its importance in the cultural scene of Minas Gerais.

How the Mala de Leitura project works

The proposal is simple but highly effective: a mobile bookcase made of resistant fabric, with transparent pockets that display the covers of the books, arousing the curiosity of children.

The equipment can be easily installed in various spaces within institutions, such as classrooms, gardens, and corridors. With this, the project encourages the daily use of books, promoting the habit of reading from childhood.

Moving testimonials about the impact of reading

For Solange Bottaro, vice president of the Ramacrisna Institute, the award recognition reinforces the seriousness and impact of the initiative. “Reading transforms realities, broadens horizons, and builds more promising futures. The Reading Suitcase represents all of this: a project that, with simplicity and affection, reaches where public policies often fail to reach.”

The coordinator of the Ramacrisna library, Cleide Moura, also highlights the importance of the project. “Each book delivered is a window open to new worlds, ideas, and possibilities. The Reading Suitcase brings hope, imagination, and, above all, the chance to dream.”

New actions: 75 daycare centers will benefit

In its new edition, the project is called “Isso é Coisa de Criança – Mala de Leitura” (That’s Child’s Play – Reading Suitcase) and will serve 75 public and affiliated daycare centers in the city of Betim by the end of the year. Each unit will receive a suitcase with 40 books, in addition to a storytelling presentation.

This action is sponsored by WEG, the Machado Meyer Advogados law firm, and the Machado Meyer Institute, through the Federal Culture Incentive Law. The estimate is to benefit hundreds of children in early childhood education over the next 12 months.

Project history and awards

Created in 2010 in the library of the Ramacrisna Institute — named after its founder, journalist Arlindo Corrêa da Silva — the project has already reached five municipalities: Betim, Belo Horizonte, Esmeraldas, Juatuba, and Mateus Leme.

Awards received:

🏆 2013: Best Project to Encourage Reading in Brazil, by the National Foundation for Children’s and Youth Books

🏅 2018: Winner of the Leitura do Bem contest, by popular vote, promoted by TV Alterosa, the Estado de Minas newspaper, and Livraria Leitura

🥇 2024: 7th place in the Raízes de Minas competition, community libraries category

With more than a decade of experience, Mala de Leitura strengthens the Ramacrisna Institute’s commitment to education, culture, and equal opportunities.