Many new storybooks in our school
Children in Papua build reading and numeracy skills through the Early Grade Literacy Programme.
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On an early Monday morning, 9-year-old Gian dressed in his red and white uniform and packed his books into his bag as he got ready to go to school. After saying goodbye to his mother, he and his older brother Wabu rushed to their first class of the day at YPK Urmboridori Elementary School in Supiori District, Papua.
As they approached the school gate, Gian and Wabu met Yustina, Gian’s friend in fourth grade. After waving goodbye to his brother in the corridor, Gian headed to class with Yustina. They both could not wait to go to the reading corner that had just been restocked with many new storybooks.
“My favourite book is “The Left Hand is Also Agile,” says Yustina, who is left-handed. “I was surprised and very happy when I read that using your left hand is not embarrassing because it is considered weak. So now when I write and help my mom, I feel proud to use my left hand.”
For children in early grades such as Gian and Yustina, access to books and reading materials is essential to building literacy skills and increasing interest in reading.
However, their school in the village of Urmboridori is a two-hour drive from Sorendiweri – the capital city of Supiori District – which is the only area in their district that has bookstores and libraries with adequate collections. The long distance and poor infrastructure makes it difficult for children like Gian, Yustina, and Wabu to easily access books. Please donate to UNICEF to support quality education programmes for children in 3T (Frontier, Outermost, and Disadvantaged) areas.
To help improve access to reading materials and increase children’s literacy levels, UNICEF, along with the government and partners, launched the Early Grade Literacy Programme with support from Prudential Indonesia. The programme also includes a financial literacy training for teachers who then teach these skills to students and families.
“We are proud to be the first district in Papua to have learned financial literacy,” says Dorsila, a teacher at YPK Urmboridori Elementary School who participated in the financial literacy training. “Initially, when I received money (salary), I used to spend it first without planning. Now that I understand the four concepts of good financial management, I will teach them to students and families so they don’t repeat the same mistakes.”
Since the programme commenced, more than 18,800 reading books and learning modules have been distributed to 40 elementary schools in Supiori District, reaching over 2,500 students, which has helped improve children’s literacy and numeracy skills. Will you support UNICEF’s work like this?
“I am happy because our school gets a lot of books, I have read several story books given to me by my teacher; the stories are fascinating!”
Your gift today will help UNICEF to reach more children to ensure they have access to reading materials and enhance their literacy levels. Your donation can help UNICEF continue its work to support children's education.
