Ende Regency is one of the largest regencies on the island of Flores. This regency is famous for its tolerant nature among its communities. Communities of different ethnic and religious backgrounds live side by side and harmoniously. Interestingly, in the cultural parade, an event to welcome the independence day of the Republic of Indonesia, students in Ende use a variety of regional clothes. The city government of Ende always reminds its citizens the importance of maintaining tolerance.

Elementary students in Ende wear regional clothes in a cultural parade welcoming Independence Day

 

The cultural parade in Ende district

This year, Taman Bacaan Pelangi (Rainbow Reading Gardens) will start to develop a child-friendly library program in Ende district. Since early August, Taman Bacaan Pelangi began visiting schools that are recommended by the District of Education  and UPTD in Ende. For this period, the schools that are invited to cooperate in children-friendly library program in Ende district are schools located in four sub-districts of Central Ende, North Ende, East Ende and South Ende.

Before visiting the school, a team from Taman Bacaan Pelangi met with the head of district of education (DoE), Mr. Peter Guidono, who was more familiarly called Pak Pietno. Taman Bacaan Pelangi presented the library development program in Ende as an effort to increase reading interest of children in Eastern Indonesia.

“Good, that’s great …. We must increase the reading interest of children, including the importance of the school literacy movement, as well as the library visit program, this will let them enjoy reading books, ” said Pak Pietno to support our program. The support from Pak Pietno certainly enhanced the spirit of Taman Bacaan Pelangi team.

The schools in Ende district strongly uphold the values ​​of tolerance. For example, we can find Christian and Catholic teachers teaching in schools where their students are all Muslim. On the contrary, we can also easily find Muslim teachers teaching in SDK (Catholic Elementary School), which all of the students are Christians. This spirit of tolerance, may be the reason why at that time, Indonesia’s first president, Mr. Soekarno, formulated the foundations of Pancasila from Ende. In addition, there is a Pancasila field in Ende, which looks more festive with red and white, when the communities celebrate the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia in this August.

The socialization of child-friendly libraries in Ende runs since the beginning of August. This socialization went smoothly, the teachers were very excited when the Taman Bacaan Pelangi team conveyed that there would be a child friendly library development program in this district.

Kak Dewi from Taman Bacaan Pelangi is socializing child-friendly library in a primary school in Ende

Kak Riri from Taman Bacaan Pelangi finished conveying the socialization of child-friendly library to one of the principals and one of the UPTD representatives

They expressed their gratitude that there had not been a child-friendly library in Ende district before. Taman Bacaan Pelangi team is very happy with all the support of schools, district of education, UPTD and the library department for the plan of the development of child friendly library program. Hopefully the child friendly library will soon be realized in Ende.

Ende, August 10, 2017

Adhimas Wijaya