West Kalimantan Literacy Safari 2025 Increases The Spirit Of Reading The Community

Indonesian Reading Ambassador Gol A Gong fills the launch of the gesut program and storytelling competition held by the Pontianak City Archives Service. ANTARA

The West Kalimantan Community Reading Park Forum (FTBM) initiated the 2025 West Kalimantan Literacy Safari activity which starts from 16 to 20 May by presenting the Indonesian Gol A Gong Ambassador and collaborating with various parties to make this activity a success.

"This activity is part of a series of commemorations of National Book Day which falls on May 17, as well as an effort to enliven the presence of Indonesian Reading Ambassadors on Equatorial Earth," said West Kalimantan FTBM Chairman Anissa Maharani Nasran, in Pontianak, Saturday.

He said that the 2025 West Kalimantan Literacy Safari was the first to be held thoroughly, involving many parties ranging from provincial, city, and district-level TBM forums, and fully supported by a number of strategic agencies and partners.

"This literacy safari is a series of welcoming the Indonesian Reading Ambassador, who was present in West Kalimantan from May 16 to May 20, 2025. In its implementation, we collaborated with the Pontianak City TBM Forum, Kubu Raya TBM Forum, Pontianak City Education and Culture Office (Dispendusive), as well as the Kubu Raya Regency Library and Archives Service (Disperpusib)," he said.

In addition to involving literacy activists, this activity also cooperates with the private sector through the corporate social responsibility scheme (CSR). Among them are Gramedia who participated in distributing book assistance and the Qur'an to a number of TBM managers in West Kalimantan.

"This safari is not just a ceremony, but brings the spirit of real collaboration, including the launch of a flagship literacy program such as the Gesit Literacy Movement from Dispersip, a campaign that likes to read, Talk show Writing Travel Records (Traveling Writing), Literacy reading for families and Talk shows reading for students," he said.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the West Kalimantan FTBM, Umilia emphasized the importance of sustainable collaboration between literacy activists and the government and relevant stakeholders.

"We hope that as representatives of the West Kalimantan TBM Forum and Kubu Raya Regency, this activity will be able to encourage the spirit of reading the community through social inclusion. This means that literacy must be a means of empowerment that reaches all levels of society," said Umilia.

He hopes that the West Kalimantan Literacy Safari can be a trigger for literacy movements in the regions, especially in increasing the culture of reading in West Kalimantan in a sustainable manner.