The Power of Book Donations

Komunitas 1001buku, a local NGO, is facilitating book donations to remote regions across the archipelago in order to preserve the reading culture that is beginning to fade away within the local society.

The reading culture in Indonesia and around the world may have been shifted thanks to the digital revolution. Many of us are nowadays more used to finding information on the Internet or social media, which in fact do present contents with even more immediacy and flexibility compared to print materials. But for many children in remote regions with limited access to the new media, books still count as a fundamental source of knowledge.

Komunitas 1001buku works to distribute books into the hands of underprivileged communities across Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara and Papua. So far the community has established up to 450 networks across the nation and is looking to develop programmes that could educate disadvantaged children through books. The foundation also comes up with a variety of projects that would help improve local children’s literacy rates. Not only that, Komunitas 1001buku also invites the public to participate in their volunteering programmes to protect the reading culture and expand the foundation’s network.

One of Komunitas 1001buku’s most essential programmes is Taman Baca Anak, which works to maintain the sustainability of local libraries and reading communities. This year alone, the number of book donation has reached up to 6391. Komunitas 1001buku has also gathered 786 children magazines and 776 text books.

Instead of giving away books that we’ll no longer read, donating them to those in need should be a better idea. A single book that may appear to be too worn out can actually change the lives of others. To contribute in making this change please visit www.1001buku.or.id/r2.