PNM Lights Up NTT Children's Dreams with Inclusion and Literacy

Illustration. (IST)

JAKARTA - Behind the natural charm of the Rinca Islands, which is known to the world through a cluster of savannas and komodo habitats, there is a story about children who grow up with limited access to education and literacy. The region in the eastern part of Indonesia not only faces geographical challenges in the form of inter-island distances and limited transportation access, but also socio-economic issues that make learning facilities, especially informal learning, have not developed evenly.

For most people in the Rinca Islands, the sea is the main source of livelihood. Sea activities and daily work are the pulse of the family economy. In this situation, access to reading books, comfortable study spaces, and educational support facilities is often not an easy thing for children to reach. Not a few children grow up without many reading materials outside of school textbooks.

In the midst of these limitations, the spirit of learning for children on Rinca Island actually grew in a simple way. They still come to school, study with friends, and use the space as it is to read and play. This situation then motivated PNM to join in providing a more decent and enjoyable learning space for children in the area.

PNM presents the Rinca Reading Corner Smart Room by building a reading facility, but also trying to present a learning experience that is warmer and closer to the daily lives of coastal children.

Interestingly, the development of this literacy space was carried out through collaboration with a local young man named Irka who has been active in driving literacy activities in the village. The presence of local heroes is an important part of building a more lively learning atmosphere, because they understand the character, needs, and approach that is close to children in Rinca.

Irka assessed that the presence of PNM brought wider attention to the people on the island. According to him, so far many parties know Rinca only from its tourism potential, while the needs of children's education often go unnoticed.

"What I see, PNM comes not only to provide financing to mothers or help the community's business here. But they also think about their children. That's what I think is different, because the education and literacy of children on islands like Rinca also need to be considered," he said.

He also told that children in the village were very enthusiastic when the PNM Smart Room began to be filled with various new books and various comfortable learning support facilities. For some children, the experience of reading picture story books and learning together in a comfortable room is something they have rarely felt before.

"The children here actually have a great curiosity. When there is a learning place that is made comfortable and fun, they are very happy to come, read, even just gather to study together. This PNM assistance gives them a new space to dream," he said.

The Pojok Baca Rinca Smart Room is designed not only as a place to store books, but also a space to grow together. Various children's reading books, picture stories, general knowledge, to learning support facilities are prepared to create a more enjoyable reading experience. The room is also a place for children to gather, discuss, play educational games, and learn many new things outside the environment they see every day.

In many 3T (leading, outermost, and lagging) areas, educational challenges often cannot be solved only through the physical development of schools. The presence of this learning space is important because literacy is not only about reading ability, but also opens a window of dreams for children in remote areas.

From books and simple study rooms, children begin to know about their dreams, professions, and the wider world than the island where they grew up. From empowering financing, ultra micro entrepreneur mothers are able to build their children's dreams to have a more prosperous life.