Learning to Love Reading
Reading books is not a priority among Indonesians. A research by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development noted that the interest level in reading among Indonesians is the lowest in East Asia. In fact, 34.5 percent of Indonesians are still illiterate and one reason for this is the unequal distribution of books. In an attempt to address this shortcoming, a few organizations have been busy distributing books to raise the level of reading interest of people throughout the country, using creative methods to instill and sustain their interest. The programs include telling stories and a reading competition. Follow the Tempo English Edition report on how the ‘learning to love reading’ program is progressing in South Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara and Bali.
March 9, 2011
THE blazing sun was shining on Balosi hamlet, Pajjukukan village, around 4 kilometers from Maros, a town in South Sulawesi. A group of near-middle-age women packed the sitting room of Nurlia, a resident, that noon. They were members of local women’s Bunga Mawar (Rose) study club. It was very hot in the room measuring 6 x 4 meters with a zinc roof. However, the hostess patiently taught the group to read and do arithmetic.
A pack of paper and a
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