Help Promote Good Reading Habits in Kalimantan

Times have changed since the outbreak of COVID-19 and each country, each person has had to adapt. The same goes for our community library in Kalimantan. When the first cases of COVID-19 were found in Indonesia, YUM's first response in Bukit Batu was to temporarily close our projects, spread information about the outbreak, reminding everyone to wear a mask, keep washing hands, and to stay at home as much as possible. In collaboration with the local authorities, the messages were communicated through social media platforms and further reinforced through printing banners, posters, and flyers. We also distributed more than 2,000 masks, soaps, and flyers to families living in the 7 surrounding villages. The placement of 200 posters and 12 banners in 14 different locations was another action that YUM took to help slow the spread of the virus. As many families do not have phones or television, the banners and posters provided information about COVID-19 and the steps to take to prevent being infected.

As for the library itself, we still remain in contact with our library members. Our librarian has made a special weekly schedule for home activities. We have prepared educational games, worksheets, some learning supplies and a box of milk for our most active members to take home and work on. Some of the activities are related to COVID-19 and its prevention. Parents can either collect the packages from YUM's Library or have a YUM staff deliver them to their homes.

The Ministry of Education has mandated that schools remain closed until the end of the year and so will the library. Children living in rural areas like in Bukit Batu are unable to follow online learning and this puts them at a disadvantage. That’s why we would like to continue distributing educational packages for our library members and hopefully more students in the area. This is how we adapt: our library team wishes to lend library books, create educational worksheets, create videos related to updated information on COVID-19, promote health and nutrition and impart simple tutorials of art & craft, so that the children of Bukit Batu continue to receive the kind of education they deserve.

For that, we will continue to need your help and support. We cannot achieve this alone and your partnership is essential for us. Please consider sharing this information to your friends and family. Thank you!

Warm regards and stay safe,

Yolanda