Mala de Histórias celebrates six years bridging literature and culture, taking vulnerable children to the São Paulo Biennial show in Goiás.
On April 11, 40 children from the Terra do Sol Community in Aparecida de Goiânia will step inside a museum for the very first time. The nonprofit Mala de Histórias (“Suitcase of Stories”) is bringing them to MAG Goiás, housed in the Oscar Niemeyer Cultural Center, to experience “Nem todo viandante anda estradas” — a touring exhibition from the 36th São Paulo Biennial.
The outing marks the closing of the organization’s latest reading workshop cycle and was designed as both a celebration and a meaningful cultural milestone. The visit will be guided by the NGO’s own team, encouraging curiosity, observation, and the sharing of impressions among the children as they encounter contemporary art for the first time.
Active participants, not just visitors
The NGO’s president, Bárbara Wendel, explains the philosophy behind the day’s structure. “The whole dynamic of the outing is designed so that the children feel safe, welcomed, and like protagonists of the experience — not just participants, but active subjects in this cultural journey,” she says.
“The whole dynamic of the outing is designed so that the children feel safe, welcomed, and like protagonists of the experience — not just participants, but active subjects in this cultural journey.”
Beyond the museum visit, the day also includes a trip to a bookstore where each child gets to choose their own book. “We want to give every child the experience of picking their own book — it’s something very special,” Bárbara adds.
Vice-president Leticia Cezario draws a direct parallel between museum visits and the NGO’s core mission. “Taking a child to a museum for the first time is very close to what we do with reading — we open a door to a new world full of possibilities,” she says. For Leticia, the visit is also a first encounter with ideas of heritage, memory, and cultural production. “It’s a chance for them to realize that stories aren’t only in books — they’re also in objects, images, and the spaces around them.”
Six years in Terra do Sol
Mala de Histórias, recognized as an official Culture Hub (Ponto de Cultura) by the Brazilian government, has been working in the Terra do Sol Community since 2020. The area, located near a landfill in Aparecida de Goiânia, is home to roughly 748 families. More than 250 children aged 0 to 18 have taken part in the NGO’s activities there, with 183 regularly attending the reading workshop cycles.
Each cycle serves an average of 60 children. In Terra do Sol alone, the team held 16 workshops in 2024 and 9 more in 2025. Over this period, 1,257 literary books were donated to the community.
“More than the numbers, what these figures show is the construction of an ongoing process. Reading becomes part of these children’s daily lives — not as an obligation, but as a real possibility,” concludes Bárbara Wendel.
How to help
Anyone wishing to support the April 11 outing can sponsor a child for R$ 150 (approx. USD 30). Institutional partnerships, financial donations, and product donations are also welcome.
Event Info
- Event: Guided visit to “Nem todo viandante anda estradas” — 36th São Paulo Biennial touring show
- Date: April 11, 2026
- Time: 2:00 PM (BRT)
- Venue: MAG Goiás — Oscar Niemeyer Cultural Center, Goiânia, Brazil
- Organizer: Mala de Histórias NGO
- Child sponsorship: R$ 150
- Phone: +55 (62) 99952-3805
- Email: contato@maladehistorias.org
- Pix: pix@maladehistorias.org
