Children rush to read in Ubud

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 07/25/2007 11:51 AM  |  National

Trisha Sertori, Contributor, Ubud

A group of 35 kids wanting to read and perched with anticipation on the porch of an Ubud home one Sunday afternoon was proof enough for the homeowners inside a children's library was much needed in their town.

Laurie Billington and husband Made Sumendra had already established an adult's library in their home and had long wanted to open a children's library as well.

But a lack of space and funds along with an uncertainty the kids would use the library, saw their plans placed on hold for many years.

""The space was difficult. We wanted to do this, but had no idea how to finance the children's library.""

There was also a concern that kids would not use the library because until recently reading had not been an established part of Balinese culture.

Laurie said an anthropologist accidentally convinced her a children's library was desperately needed.

""This anthropologist said the Balinese had an oral tradition and didn't need books,"" Laurie said.

""She asked me who we were serving in developing the library.

""And she was right in a way. We did need to ask kids how they felt about a library.""

Working as a teacher at this time gave Laurie the perfect opportunity to test the market for a children's library.

""I asked my class, if we had books, would they come and read them.""

Laurie said the kids answered positively but wanted to know if there were books they could read for free.

""That was a Thursday afternoon and we had only one shelf of kids books in the library.""

Laurie and Made said they were staggered to find dozens of kids on their verandah just a few days later.

""That Sunday, three boys on a bike were standing at the front door -- they couldn't wait to get started and were a week early,"" she said.

""I had to go out for a minute and asked them to wait. I got back and the three had grown to around 35 kids sitting on our porch.""

Entertaining 35 keen kids with a handful of books was a stretch, even for a cross-cultural Masters educationalist.

Laurie knew if they did not offer an alternative to reading while the library was being developed they may lose the kids for good.

""That's how the Sanggar dance classes started. In the dirt outside because we had to keep the kids busy while we built the library around them,"" said Laurie of the traditional dance classes that still run twice weekly.

Building a space for the children's library became a priority, but funding was an ever-present problem.

""I happened to meet the president of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Patty Stonesifer, who had been involved in libraries across the States,"" Laurie said.

""We got talking about the children's library and she wanted to come and see what we were doing.

""The day she arrived she was green with Bali belly. She had to go home because she was so ill but as she left she handed me an envelope.

""Inside was US$1000. That money was used on the (building) foundations so we could start to build.

""It was a heart-felt gift and that is how all this started.""

Today the adult and children's libraries have around 6,000 books and hundreds of users.

The library works with young Indonesians from Rotaract who ferry kids from outlying schools to the library -- a center which today has dance and gamelan classes and teaches several languages.

""The young guys from Rotaract are fantastic,"" she said.

""They do a program where they bring kids from out of town to the library to give them access to books.

""It's a great project and it is showing that kids here love reading.""

Pondok Pekak was named in honor of Made Sumendra's grandfather, Pekak Mangku.

Made said his grandfather ""had a passion for reading, learning and helping others"".

Pondok Pekak today stands on Pekak Mangku's original ""pondok"", or corner, on what used to be rice fields.

For more information on library hours contact Pondok Pekak on telephone 0361 976 194.

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