As an organization, sustainability is a problem which is always faced while carrying out a program. It is always be our homework to make the Reading Gardens which have been established to be running as they should be. To continue to serve the desire of children to fulfill the needs of reading books. Our dream is simple, but it requires various solutions which should be taken in order to make our dreams become truly visible.

Books are one of the basic needs for a child. Books are a beginning to recognize the world and its surroundings. Books are the initial door for children to be able to dream. We believe presenting the interesting good books in a colorful reading rooms, child-friendly furniture, friendly librarians, and supportive teachers can captivates their hearts to love books. These are all important things for us.

Before opening a child friendly library, school selection process is necessary to find the right schools to collaborate with. This is a very important for the sustainability of the library in the future.

One of School Library in Sumba Barat Daya
One of school in Sumba Barat Daya

Taman Bacaan Pelangi is not focusing on the transforming the empty space or ‘unused building’ at school, but we go deeper than that. We also maintain to manage other factors such as the nuance at the school, cooperation between teachers and principal, and last but not least the committee involvement.

The big question is “Do we establish library in the right place and in the right hands?” We can’t have the answer right away. However, we will help them to make the right answer by focusing on more child-friendly library programs, and increase the capacity of principals, teachers, or librarians.

Currently we are working on school selection in the Sumba Barat Daya regency, East Nusa Tenggara. Hopefully, many schools are indeed ready to accept our presence, not only from material side, but their readiness to continue in maintaining and taking care of the library, even though we will not be there forever. Amiin.

Once a library is established, it opens a window for hundreds of children in the remote area. The more Taman Bacaan Pelangi are set up, the more windows will be opened. One step towards for a better Indonesia.