Petrus (10) and Gloria (10), along with dozens of their friends, smiled with joy on Saturday (Agu. 10) when they were invited to the reading corner at SD GMIM Alung Banua.
This reading corner is a renovated library created by students from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) participating in the Community Service Program (KKN-PPM) in Bunaken, Manado, North Sulawesi.
This elementary school is located directly across from the church and has four classrooms in an L-shape. In the left corner, there is a small library room. The library had been neglected for some time, with cracked walls due to the earthquake that struck Manado last May.
Termites damaged several bookshelves and damaged the walls and ceiling. Reaching this school requires more than half an hour of travel from the dock using a three-wheeled vehicle, one of the main forms of transportation on Bunaken Island.
UGM KKN-PPM students initiated the project of building the reading corner to improve literacy among elementary school students. In addition to renovating the reading space, the students added new books to the collection.
“We want to improve literacy in Alung Banua, so we added new books and other collections. We collaborated with Kompas, who provided us with 70 to 100 books,” said Pniel Abigail Nathane Saragih.
Saragih mentioned that the library was previously in poor condition, with many books damaged by termites. The bookshelves were also old, so the students repaired them to make them more suitable.
“We want the children to read comfortably and expand their knowledge,” she said.
In addition to renovating the library, the UGM students also taught English lessons to the students of SD GMIM in between implementing the 123 work programs of KKN-PPM.
Austin Anderson, a representative of the UGM KKN-PPM group, explained that the reading corner, which was originally the library, had been vacant and neglected for several months.
“It was empty for about six months. The earthquake also affected it, causing some cracks in the walls,” Anderson said.
“We renovated, organized it, and added new books.”
He mentioned that many of the books provided came from donations. The books available are quite diverse, ranging from arts and culture encyclopedias, Indonesian history and culture, moral education books, and books on crafts and hobbies.
Anderson admitted that he was unsure of the exact number of books, as many of the school’s books were still in good condition and worth keeping.
“The total is in the hundreds, with many books from SD GMIM still in good shape. We removed some that were torn,” he remarked.
Anderson mentioned that since the reading corner was inaugurated about two weeks ago, the student’s enthusiasm for visiting and reading has been quite high.
“Hopefully, the students’ enthusiasm will continue, even after we have completed our KKN,” he hoped.
The Head of SD GMIM Alung Banua, Yureny Tukunang, expressed her gratitude for the KKN students’ presence. She admitted that her school rarely receives visits from KKN students for extended periods.
“Usually, it’s just a survey or a short-term program from a local university in Manado, lasting only a few days,” she explained.
She added that since the arrival of the KKN students, the elementary student’s enthusiasm for staying longer at school has increased, particularly their eagerness to visit the reading corner.
“As a result, the students are happy and excited to meet the KKN students,” she revealed.
Looking ahead, Tukunang hopes that future UGM KKN groups can continue the current programs.
“I hope that this becomes a continuing program. They have helped us a lot here,” she said.
She mentioned that almost every aspect of the Alung Banua area has benefited from the KKN students’ work programs. Everyone from elementary school students to the general community has been actively involved.
“In addition to the school program, there are also water filtration projects and MSME introduction programs, which are very important and helpful,” she concluded.
The Head of Alung Banua Village, Yola Moko, acknowledged that the presence of the KKN students greatly assisted the community in training homemakers to process banana and mango jams into MSME products, repairing water pumps, teaching English lessons, and renovating the school library.
Moko noted that most of the village’s residents, who number hundreds of households, work as fishermen, with some also engaged in farming. As the village leader, she expressed deep appreciation for the various work programs the UGM KKN students carried out.
“We feel that the KKN students have been a great help here,” Moko said.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Photographer: Firsto