Padang (ANTARA) - Fog began to descend from the slopes of Mount Singgalang, W Sumatra. At the same time cold winds from the valleys of Mount Merapi and Mount Tandikek also make cold. There, in a small town that stood between the three mountains they met.
Then, the afternoon sun in early November seemed to sink into the fog in the small town, Padang Panjang. The atmosphere suddenly felt dark. Even though it's still 05:00 p.m. There was still some time for several books before dusk, while accompanied by gulps of coffee.
The coffee had just been brewed in a simple shop in one corner of Padang Panjang City, in Silaiang Bawah Village.
The shop is ordinary. Have a room that is not too big with a table flanked by two bench chairs. Several types of snacks arranged neatly in the middle of the table, displayed on one line. Similar to most people's shops in W Sumatra.
The difference is that the shelves are filled with hundreds of books with various titles on the edge of the wall so, they can immediately attract the attention of visitors. The books can be read free of charge.
a place to drink coffee as well as a place to read the book is named the Rimba Bulan reading room. The shop was founded by two brothers Alvin Nur Akbar and Jumadil Fajar together with a number of volunteers on October 14, 2018.
In a world that has "fallen" of digital, reading books physically began to be ignored. Book paper has changed pdf files or other files.
Some visitors were busy reading a book while drinking coffee. That book is not a new book. It was a donation book from various parties concerned with literacy.
Books collected by volunteers who are members of the Rimba Bulan reading room by making announcements and contacting the relations one by one.
Sepriadi, a volunteer who was asked as a Literacy Captain in Rimba Bulan said that their main target was actually school-age children who were in the Silaiang Bawah neighborhood, Padang Panjang. Children aged elementary to high school.
"Now children's interest in reading is very alarming. They just play games. We are trying to establish the Rimba Bulan Reading Room to invite them to return to reading," Sepriadi said.
Setting up a place of reading in the midst of digitalization and online games is not an easy matter. After struggling to "set up" places and get books through relationships, they have to struggle extra to get children to come read.
Firstly, they invited the children to move to play the game in the Rimba Bulan reading room without any invitation to read.
After quite a lot of children who often gather, the volunteers start the "mission" by teaching several applications that can attract attention, such as video editing.
After they were interested and asked many questions, the volunteers immediately pointed to the book. That all their questions can be answered by reading a book.
Music and painting are the next strategy. Some of Rimba Bulan reading room volunteers are reliable musicians and painters. Their skills are honed at the Indonesian Institute of Art (ISI) Padang Panjang. No wonder their work is so interesting to enjoy.
The music is like a magnet that attracts children to come. The same is true of paintings.
Some ask to be taught music or to paint so they can become "great". The children's imagination began to come back to life. Their desire is burning to be able to learn. That is the important point. After that it becomes easier to attract them to the world of books.
"Kaciyo" is the Minangkabau language for piggy bank. "Kaciyo" was placed in the Rimba Bulan reading room by its management. As a Community Reading Park (TBM) that is managed independently, the budget sometimes does become an obstacle. Especially if the activities have started a lot.
It is hoped that the people and officials who come to this place often can fill the “kaciyo”, to help the program that was initiated.
Currently, the Rimba Bulan reading room in addition to inviting children to read also opens music classes, paints, to discussions by presenting various figures as speakers.
Transleted by: Mutiara Ramadhani
Baca juga: 187 sekolah di Padang selenggarakan pendidikan inklusif
Baca juga: LL Dikti Wilayah X kenalkan budaya dan tempat wisata di Sumbar ke delegasi MCUT dari Taiwan
Baca juga: LL Dikti Wilayah X gelar pertemuan dengan Ming-Chi University of Technologydari Taiwan
