Getting Worried No More

It was a few days before principals and teachers participate in the Library Period workshop, and it was the time to spred the news about when and where the workshop takes place. We went from one school to another to distribute the invitation letter and mention how important their presence are for the sake of their upcoming libraries.

Various questions were raised from the teachers and principals. And some who were present at the previous workshop proudly shared how the first workshop went, which was said to be different than other workshops they have participated in. From what I’ve heard, I can imply that the friendly atmosphere is what they love most. Glad to hear that!

In this upcoming workshop, the principal is present once again, as they play an essential role in the sustainability of the school, to be exact the library.

When delivering the invitation and having a talk in one of the schools, I received a quite distracting question. A teacher raised a motion whether or not they can receive more amount of transportation reimbursement, considering the school’s location. It is undeniable that this issue has been our attention, seeing at the schools’ location and high transportation cost.

I admit that the transportation reimbursement we provide is not equivalent to the expense to get to the workshop venue. However, we have calculated other options to burden the participants at the least, yet we found that no addition can be provided and that the current value is the wisest.

I mentioned the rationales to them and added, “Bapak Ibu, we truly hope that the knowledge we will share during the workshop can give you what we cannot provide.”

I can see that my explanation was quite surprising for those teachers. As soon as I finished, the principal, who was sitting beside me, added, “Dear fellow teachers, we should be very grateful for having the opportunity to collaborate with Rainbow Reading Gardens and for receiving a lot of donation. Ibu, three of us will be present at the workshop, from the first day until the last day,” he said with a bright smile.

To be honest, I was quite unsure about the way to tell them that we cannot give what they need, and what we can give is the information during the workshop. However,the immediate response shown by the principal promptly eased my panic. Unexpectedly, the teachers later asked me if they are allowed to paint “Taman Bacaan Pelangi” on the wall. I did not want to put any burden on them, so I let them decide. I only mentioned that the TBP team will be very pleased.

Beyond my expectation, a teacher approached me and said, “Ibu, we are sorry this is the only thing we can do to repay to Rainbow Reading Gardens.” Whoa! I was surprised! It turns out that what the principal said, in fact, is able to turn the teacher’s response upside down in a blink of an eye.

Soon, I am ensured that I am not alone in this journey. There is no need to be worried. I am supported by many for the establishment of the library, because the library belongs to us all.