Help Promote Good Reading Habits in Kalimantan

As 2017 comes to an end, we reflect on all the things that we have experienced and organized together with our beneficiaries at the YUM Community Library in Kalimantan.

This year started with our Creativity Day - the children’s favorite event of the year. With your generous support, we were able to hold this event twice - in January and in September. For the children, it is a double opportunity to participate in several creative competitions, perform their talents and hobbies, and of course the chance to win interesting prizes!

We also received visits from students from international schools in Jakarta. They came to engage and play with our library members. They organized several educational activities, such as arts and craft, science experiments and participated in the Dance Club. One of the groups of visiting students learned Dayak dances from our beneficiaries and then performed it in front of the children from the library.It was a proud moment for our beneficiaries who have become such good dancers thanks to the Dance Club!

Besides that, the library also underwent an upgrade: we purchased new books, CD’s and DVD’s, subscribed to children’s magazines, distributed milk once a week, as well as purchased materials and equipment for the activities. And as mentioned in our latest report, thanks to a donation from Dentsu Ageis Network (DAN), we renovated our bookshelves, windows and ceiling and purchased new tables and chairs.

There is nothing more exciting than seeing the children at Bukit Batu in Central Kalimantan have the opportunity to enjoy the qualified education and activities every day, for free. We are truly and sincerely grateful your kind support to “Help Promote Good Reading Habits in Kalimantan” project. Thank you!

The YUM Community Library in Kalimantan was established in 2008, with great facilities and materials supporting not only the reading activity but also various educational activities. Every day, from Monday to Friday around 30 children come from neighborhoods surrounding YUM’s area to enjoy this qualified non-formal education for free. Thanks to our great and loyal donors, including you, we are able to continue serving more and more disadvantaged children in the area.

However since 2008, the library has never been renovated nor the equipment’s upgraded and on my last visit there, I found several areas and equipment that needed to be fixed and renewed such as the bookshelves, tables, chairs, ceiling and windows. Our librarian also needed a new computer since hers broke down due the rainwater falling from the library’s ceiling. I also found the necessity to sort the books and magazines that we have. Some of them are already damaged and could not be read anymore. Thanks to funding from Dentsu Agies Network (DAN), we were able to solve some of the library’s facility problems.

During the renovations, the library was closed for three days to sort the books and repair some of the furniture. We also now have new computers and a printer not only for our librarian, but also for the children. Now, we are able to accommodate a Computer Club program for the children!

YUM is very fortunate to have such great donors like you, who put their trust in our organization and support our projects. Hopefully we will continue receiving your donations so we can continue to provide quality educational activities for the children in Bukit Batu, Central Kalimantan. Thank you.

With gratitude,                                                                   

Yolanda