Nagekeo – For approximately one year, Taman Bacaan Pelangi has been providing assistance at SD Katolik Mabhambawa, from April 2023 to June 2024. The assistance provided by Taman Bacaan Pelangi ranges from room preparation and library management trainings to monitoring the implementation of a child-friendly library.

The condition of the SDK Mabhambawa library after implementing the child-friendly library concept in partnership with Taman Bacaan Pelangi

SD Katolik Mabhambawa is one of the three school partners of Taman Bacaan Pelangi in 2023 in Keo Tengah subdistrict, Nagekeo district, East Nusa Tenggara. “Thank you, Taman Bacaan Pelangi, for helping SD Katolik Mabhambawa to increase students’ reading interest,” said Renya Maria Soo, the Principal of SD Katolik Mabhambawa.

Before partnering with Taman Bacaan Pelangi, the library at SD Katolik Mabhambawa was like other libraries, with many textbooks, teaching aids and other equipments, resulting in minimal student visits to the library. But now, with a neat and comfortable library containing quality books, students and teachers routinely visit the library to read and borrow books.

The condition of the SDK Mabhambawa library before partnering with Taman Bacaan Pelangi

According to data collected by the librarian, students at SD Katolik Mabhambawa reached 651 book checkout by May 2024. This is an extraordinary achievement, proving that the reading habit at SD Katolik Mabhambawa has increased. This habit becomes a benchmark for the need for sustainability efforts by the school as the Taman Bacaan Pelangi’s assistance period nears its end.

SDK Mabhambawa students take a photo with the committee chairman, the principal, teachers, and TBP staff after the sustainability meeting

SD Katolik Mabhambawa has drafted a sustainability plan outlined in a sustainability MoU. The involvement of all parties, continuing the effectiveness of the child-friendly library, plans for book purchases in 2025, and parent visits with students to the library are points in the SD Katolik Mabhambawa sustainability MoU. Witnessed by students and teachers, the signing of the SD Katolik Mabhambawa sustainability MoU by the Committee Chairman and the Principal of SD Katolik Mabhambawa was carried out on May 27, 2024, in the child-friendly library of SD Katolik Mabhambawa