Help Promote Good Reading Habits in Kalimantan

Times have changed since the outbreak of COVID-19 and each country, each person has had to adapt. The same goes for our community library in Kalimantan. When the first cases of COVID-19 were found in Indonesia, YUM's first response in Bukit Batu was to temporarily close our projects, spread information about the outbreak, reminding everyone to wear a mask, keep washing hands, and to stay at home as much as possible. In collaboration with the local authorities, the messages were communicated through social media platforms and further reinforced through printing banners, posters, and flyers. We also distributed more than 2,000 masks, soaps, and flyers to families living in the 7 surrounding villages. The placement of 200 posters and 12 banners in 14 different locations was another action that YUM took to help slow the spread of the virus. As many families do not have phones or television, the banners and posters provided information about COVID-19 and the steps to take to prevent being infected.

As for the library itself, we still remain in contact with our library members. Our librarian has made a special weekly schedule for home activities. We have prepared educational games, worksheets, some learning supplies and a box of milk for our most active members to take home and work on. Some of the activities are related to COVID-19 and its prevention. Parents can either collect the packages from YUM's Library or have a YUM staff deliver them to their homes.

The Ministry of Education has mandated that schools remain closed until the end of the year and so will the library. Children living in rural areas like in Bukit Batu are unable to follow online learning and this puts them at a disadvantage. That’s why we would like to continue distributing educational packages for our library members and hopefully more students in the area. This is how we adapt: our library team wishes to lend library books, create educational worksheets, create videos related to updated information on COVID-19, promote health and nutrition and impart simple tutorials of art & craft, so that the children of Bukit Batu continue to receive the kind of education they deserve.

For that, we will continue to need your help and support. We cannot achieve this alone and your partnership is essential for us. Please consider sharing this information to your friends and family. Thank you!

Warm regards and stay safe,

Yolanda

* Please note that the events described below happened before the Covid-19 crisis around the world. Our community library has closed its doors to the general public since March 16th as soon as the Indonesian government announced schools closure and social distancing recommendations.

YUM’s Community Library in Kalimantan has been actively inviting students from several schools in the area to join our program. Our aim is to provide students with high quality reading sources, especially those who live quite far from our library. In the months of January and February, students from several preschools and elementary schools have been visiting our library every week. During their time in the library, the students have the same access to our book collection as any other member. Our beloved librarian, Miss Rusti, is the one who accompanies them and prepares all the tools that they may need.

There is also a 10-minute reading policy that students are encouraged to follow though some of them are not fluent yet in reading as they are either in Pre-school, Kindergarten or 1^st grade. In order to tackle this issue, Miss Rusti conducts a group reading session where she reads aloud the book that they will discuss together. Other activities in the library include things such as a science club, play time with educational toys and games, drawing, and coloring.

“There are many students in our school who find it difficult to read and this made us realize just how limited our access was to reading materials. But thanks to YUM’s initiatives, our students now have access to sources of quality knowledge that we have been lacking so far. We would love to bring our students here more often whenever we have the chance. And once again, we thank YUM for this wonderful opportunity.” Emi, teacher of SDN 3 Tumbang.

Finally, YUM would like to say how grateful we are for the kind and continuous support that we have received from all of you through GlobalGiving. Your donation has helped in sustaining our projects and spreading our reach to more people. Thank you!

As we work in these uncertain times, it seems clearer to us that our community in Kalimantan needs us more than ever. And we need you! Not much is happening in terms of Covid-19 prevention in our area by the local government. If you’re able, please make a donation to this project so we can help our communities by providing them with soaps, masks and food packages to families most in need. Thank you again for being part of our community!