The “Livros para Começar” (Books to Get Started) collection has contributed to providing accessible and culturally relevant stories for children, developed with the aim of broadening access to Mozambican children's literature. Written in one of the national languages, it aims to encourage a love of reading and learning in children's mother tongue, while also enabling them to come into contact with Portuguese, the official language, from an early age. The initiative was developed as part of the
“Educadores em Movimento – Uma Educação Itinerante para a Primeira Infância” (Educators in Motion - An Itinerant Education for Early Childhood) project, aimed at the integral and harmonious development of preschool children in the District of Chibuto, Mozambique, through the promotion of Early Childhood Education (ECE).
In 2024, the collection had already been highlighted with the launch of the fourth title,
“A Borboleta Xica na Aldeia de Todas as Espécies” (Xica the Butterfly in the Village of All Species), written by Mélio Tinga and illustrated by Ruben Zacarias, which joined the first three titles written by Venâncio Calisto: “A Aldeia dos Cajueiros Mágicos” (The Village of the Magic Cashew Trees), illustrated by Suzy Bila; “O Artesão e os Macacos Malabaristas” (The Craftsman and the Juggling Monkeys), illustrated by Marisa Bimbo da Costa; and “O Cão, a Lebre e o Pássaro” (The Dog, the Hare, and the Bird), illustrated by Samuel Djive. The first three books were translated into XiChangana by Wiliamo Muchanga.
“Lila, a Girafa que Tinha Pressa de Crescer” (Lila, the Giraffe Who Was in a Hurry to Grow Up) adds to this series of books, which aim to spark children's imaginations and instill values of empathy, citizenship, and solidarity, which are the pillars of the project. This new title is particularly relevant in a context such as Mozambique, where illiteracy rates remain high, especially among girls and women. The organization seeks to break cycles of poverty through the publication and distribution of books. To date, it has distributed more than 1,000 copies of the books in the collection free of charge, particularly in the province of Gaza.
Susana Damasceno, Founder and President of the Board of AIDGLOBAL, emphasizes: "I recognize and value the transformative power of reading. We have been very happy with the creation of the bilingual children's literature editorial line – “Livros para Começar” (Books to Get Started). It has been one of the projects that has given us the greatest satisfaction. It is so rewarding to see the smiles of Portuguese and Mozambican children to whom we read the same story in their mother tongues, allowing each of them to dream to the extent of their creativity."
