A Gift of a Library to a Village in Indonesia

Dear Friends,

I would like to invite you to consider giving a unique gift to some children in Indonesia: a library. First, I’d like to explain what is unique about this gift. I have been involved with a non-profit organization for many several years in my home village, locally known as Forum Peduli Pendidikan Toulour (Toulour’s Forum of Educational Concern). This organization has been keeping the children in my village going to school, successfully re-schooling some kids who had dropped-out, helping students move onto higher education, conducting a tutoring program to help children with their school lessons, and providing English and computer courses for free. This organization is also committed to cultural preservation and advocating for children’s rights.

The children have been eager and faithful in studying, playing, and dreaming about the future. When you see the pictures below, you might be intrigued to know that some of the instructors you see were actually participants when we started this effort in 2003. A library will make them very happy.

When I say “a library,” I don’t mean that they don’t have one. Their library is called “Kebun Buku” (which literally means Garden of Books) and mostly consists of magazines and textbooks (as you can see in photo 4, 90% of them are stacked on the floor because they don’t have book racks yet).

           

Your gift of children books (new or used) will give them an improved library that will help them to see the world, get motivated, grow their imagination, and learn English. We would like to acknowledge your gifts with a Gift for a Future certificate that will hang in the library, where your name will be written and remembered in a village (unless you would prefer to remain anonymous).

           

At SFTS’s Student Lounge, there is a location where you can bring your books. I also will be happy to pick them up from you if that is more convenient. The books will be collected and sorted before being sent to Indonesia in mid-Spring 2011.  Lastly, if you imagine other ways to support this idea, please feel free to do so.

My dear friend would like to join me in thanking you for considering and contributing to this effort:           “When I was visited Toulour two summers ago, I was astonished by the children and my immediate friendship with them (or rather how they befriended me). During Thanksgiving Day, we played an English & Bahasa game, where I was the “Phone a Friend,” helping them think of the English word for coconut, canoe or moon.  They are wonderful kids, and it would be beautiful to add more books to their library.  I know when I was a child, books were one of my most favorite things!  Thanks for considering participating in this vision and learning more about the children in Toulour.” Elizabeth Campbell

Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

Many blessings

ray_maleke[a]yahoo.com