The promotion of reading and Mozambican languages was at the heart of the launch of the bilingual children’s book “Os Sapatos Sonhadores” / “Svifambu Svavalorhi”, an initiative by ACDI that brought together authors, educators and institutional representatives in Maputo. The launch took place on Tuesday, 14 April, at the Portuguese Cultural Centre in Maputo, as part of the roundtable “Writing, Translating and Illustrating for Children”.
The event highlighted the role of bilingual literature as a tool for inclusion and early
childhood learning.
During the meeting, Portugal’s Ambassador to Mozambique, Jorge Monteiro, emphasized the centrality of education in development, in a country where around 60% of the population is under 30 years old. “Education is a true engine of development and allows every citizen access to equal opportunities to fulfil their life aspirations. That is why Portugal considers it one of the priority pillars of cooperation with Mozambique,
which will continue to be strengthened in the next strategic programme 2027–2030,” he stated.
Nataniel Ngomane, President of the Portuguese Language Bibliographic Fund, also defended the need to strengthen access to books, stating that “the country will only
develop when the majority of the population has access to the knowledge contained in books.” The book is part of the Livros para Começar collection, an ACDI initiative that promotes children’s literature in national languages and has already distributed several titles free
of charge in Mozambique. According to Susana Damasceno, founder and President of the Board of ACDI, “the project was born from the need to promote quality education, valuing local languages
and facilitating children’s learning from their own reality.” She added that “Os Sapatos Sonhadores” is the sixth title in the collection, but the seventh bilingual children’s book produced by ACDI and distributed free of charge in Mozambique. The project began in
2018 and will run until July 2026, with the support of Camões, I.P. and the Calouste
Gulbenkian Foundation.
 he book, written by Vandy Cambula, illustrated by Cerina do Rosário and translated
by Mabjeca Tingana, was presented to the public along with an exhibition dedicated to
the creative process of the collection.