Cultural tax incentives fund permanent libraries in Ceara Brazil

The Projeto Ciranda do Saber established the Caixinha de Emoções project to provide libraries and storytelling sessions to four institutions in the state of Ceara, Brazil.

The initiative reached approximately 610 children and 150 education professionals. The project included the delivery of book collections and reading meetings based on the bilingual work "Dentro de Mim," which Meire Nascimento wrote in Portuguese and Tupi-Guarani to connect readers with indigenous languages.

The project used the Lei Rouanet, a law that allows companies to direct up to 4% of their income tax to approved cultural projects. This specific initiative, sponsored by TAG, Transportadora Associada de Gás, ensures that the books remain in the schools and public libraries for ongoing use by educators and students after the initial activities conclude.

The state of Ceara currently maintains the highest child literacy rate in Brazil, with 84% of public school children able to read and write by the end of their second year of elementary school. Because of this high literacy rate, the project focuses on turning those who can read into regular readers by providing permanent access to books.

Based on the success in Ceara, the Projeto Ciranda do Saber plans to seek new partners to expand the model to other schools and communities.