Giving Dedication to Increase Literacy

A young nurse pioneers reading group for children

I have a strong passion to return to my hometown after completing my study at Stikes Bethesda in Yogyakarta. After returning to my hometown in Anakalang, Central Sumba, I got a job as a nurse at Waibakul Hospital, Central Sumba, NTT. The health condition of the people in Central Sumba needs to be improved because according to my observation, most of the people in Central Sumba can be grouped into  people who have not been aware of the importance of healthy lifestyle. Most of the patients I served are from economically weak communities with diseases such as hypertension, gout and lungs. Worse, the high number of smokers in community has triggered the increase of unhealthy communities in the area.

The frequent interaction with patients and families of patients and conversations with other health workers, I think about the importance of health awareness among the people. So I often told them about the importance of maintaining health.

Even though I am a nurse, I am active in several communities such as literacy community, a communities that pioneer TBM (reading group) in villages, in collaboration with the regencial library service to bring library vehicle to visit villages every Saturday and Sunday. If there are people in the village who are interested and want to share their time to manage reading group, the community will provide books. This activity continued and visited from one village to another. One of the activities of the community is in Laimajulung, Central Sumba. Its activity is held every Friday and Saturday. Even though there is limitation of books and place to read, children show their enthusiasm for reading, learning and asking questions. Even the teachers began to get involved in mentoring children's learning.

My passion arose firstly when I was studying in Yogyakarta. I joined Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta training. Not only once, but repeatedly I attended the training. I found many lessons and after returning home I felt the benefits of Stube in me. For example, the literacy community that I follow was inspired by Stube's activities in Global Education training.

I remember very well, at that time Eko Prasetyo, the facilitator discussed a lot of things about the world of education which he thought was very cruel and unfair because the cost of education was more and more expensive with limited facilities in rural areas. At the end of the training we were encouraged to write what hopes and contributions we could make regarding education after finishing study and returning home. My commitment at that time, I wanted to open a library in my home for children around my home. Currently the reading group is already established in my house in Galumarada, the Waibakul street, Katikutana, Sumba Tengah.

I realize that young people is a productive group of society, so they should be sensitive to the conditions that occur in their surroundings. Use your youth age for things that are useful, and spirited to be agent of change, at least for your family and at the surroundings where you live in. (Efrin Rambu Leki)