West Jakarta literacy kampung nurtures children’s interest in reading

Fri, February 28, 2020 / 08:31 am

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A woman walks past Gang Z on Feb. 4, 2020, where a painted sign welcomes people to the “kampung literasi” in Jatipulo subdistrict, West Jakarta. JP/Afriadi Hikmal
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Ihsan, 11, looks for something to read in one of five book-sharing boxes that have been installed along the narrow alleys of the Jatipulo literacy kampung in West Jakarta. JP/Afriadi Hikmal
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Two children of the Jatipulo literacy kampung read books, seated on a bench beneath a decorated book-sharing box. JP/Afriadi Hikmal
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Aini flips through superhero character cards amid pages on desert geography in the Jatipulo literacy kampung. JP/Afriadi Hikmal
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Children browse through books from a book-sharing box in Jatipulo subdistrict, West Jakarta. The books have all been donated to the community in its initiative to turn the neighborhood into a literacy kampung. JP/Afriadi Hikmal
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Children look at the covers of donated books on religion, crafts and real-life school experiences at a book-sharing box in the Jatipulo literacy kampung. JP/Afriadi Hikmal
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A colorfully painted book-sharing box offers free reading material along an alley in Jatipulo subdistrict, West Jakarta. JP/Afriadi Hikmal
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A boy looks at the wares of a jamu (herbal drink) seller in front of the archway to the Jatipulo literacy kampung in West Jakarta. JP/Afriadi Hikmal

Afriadi Hikmal

The residents of a crowded neighborhood in West Jakarta’s Jatipulo subdistrict have initiated efforts to transform into a “literacy kampung”, with the support of the city administration.

According to local leader Berman Saragih, 64, the residents of community unit (RW) 08 officially launched the literacy kampung in August 2019, following worries that many young children disliked reading and spent most of their time playing games or watching videos on their smartphones.

Five book-sharing boxes have been installed along the narrow alleys of RW 08, where most of the residents are informal workers. The books are maintained by the neighborhood unit (RT), and can be read for free.

Every day after school, the children take turns reading the books, which have been donated by the community and the West Jakarta Library.

The program seems to be working, with some of the elementary-aged children complaining that they were bored of reading the same books over and over again. They are now hoping that new titles will be donated to the collection, since their parents cannot afford to buy books. [kes]