Nita Juniarti, 28, tirelessly brings books to remote villages to encourage children to read. The Sigupai Mambaco Reading Park is proof of Nita\'s love for her home village, Aceh Barat Daya.
By
Zulkarnaini
·5 minutes read
ARSIP PRIBADI
Nita Juniarti
Nita Juniarti, 28, tirelessly brings books to remote villages to encourage children to read. The Sigupai Mambaco Reading Park is proof of Nita\'s love for her home village, Aceh Barat Daya.
After completing her undergraduate studies at Ar-Raniry State Islamic University, Banda Aceh, in 2015, Nita thought about what she could give back to her homeland in Aceh Barat Daya regency, Aceh Province. Armed with collection of books of her own and her parents, she opened a library in late 2017, two years after she had finished college.
The initiative was named Sigupai Mambaco. Sigupai is the nickname for Aceh Barat Daya and mambaco means “to read”.
Aceh Barat Daya regency is located in the west, about 350 kilometers from Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province. When she was still a student, Nita had been active in many social activities on the sidelines of her busy studies.
Nita was active in several literacy communities, one of which was the backpack library community.
The idea to open a library for residents in her village had emerged when she was still in college. Nita was active in several literacy communities, one of which was the backpack library community. Using backpacks, they carried books to rural and remote areas.
Nita and the volunteers in the community worked selflessly. There was a feeling of happiness every time they saw children in the villages read books. "So far, they have not been able to get good books," said Nita to Kompas, Monday (11/1/2021).
The volunteer spirit grew when Nita joined the teaching team in the Indonesia Teaching program. In 2016, Nita was sent to East Luwuk village of Banggai regency in Central Sulawesi for a year.
In this remote village, Nita taught at an elementary school and became the homeroom teacher. Aside from the prescribed curriculum, Nita sought to stoke the enthusiasm of the children there, so that they would dare to dream big.
In Banggai, Nita met a man and his wife who had opened a library at home. One of their remarks made an impression on Nita\'s heart: "In our place, there are no intellectuals, we want the children here to be smart," said Nita.
Nita was embarrassed. As an undergraduate, she felt that she had not done anything for her homeland. "At that time I was determined that what I was doing in Banda Aceh and Banggai should be brought back to Aceh Barat Daya," said Nita.
ARSIP PRIBADI
NIta Juniart.
At the end of December 2017, Nita started the Sigupai Mambaco movement. Every weekend she brought books on a motorbike to Ujung Serangga Beach, in the town of Blang Pidie, Aceh Barat Daya. The books were spread out on plastic mats.
Nita could only carry about 100 books on the motorbike, and her entire collection was still small at the time, only some 400 titles, and most of the reading material was more appropriate for adults than for children.
The books were displayed on the beach. On weekends many visitors enjoyed the beauty of the sea. Beach visitors could read books while enjoying culinary delights.
What made the mobile library special was that the books could be read in any feasible place, such as the yard of a prayer room, or on a soccer field. The open library made children feel freer.
At its launch, the field library did not have many visitors. More than a few people even mocked her movement. For three months, there were no visitors. Many people thought she was selling used books. Nita almost gave up, but her family and friends continued to encourage her.
As a form of support, her father and younger brother occasionally brought books to the field. "My family are the first people who supported my dream," said Nita.
Gradually a larger number of visitors came. Sigupai Mambaco’s activities were uploaded to social media. Many people donated books and offered themselves as volunteers. Soon, the number of books collected had reached 1,000 titles, managed by 30 volunteers.
Using a motorized pedicab, the volunteers would tour the villages with an increasing number of books.
In 2018, Sigupai Mambaco received assistance in the form of carts, books and shelves from insurance firm Astra Asuransi. Using a motorized pedicab, the volunteers would tour the villages with an increasing number of books. This activity was called “bukling” or traveling books.
Seeing the children\'s interest in reading there start to grow, Nita altered one corner of her house for a library. She wanted the children in her village to be able to read anytime without having to wait for the weekend.
Within a month, the number of readers at the Sigupai Mambaco library reached 150, and the number of books borrowed reached 300. The Sigupai Mambaco library also supports other activities, such as writing classes, book discussions, conservation and waste recycling.
Nita considers herself very lucky to have her family’s full support. Her mother, father and younger siblings take turns maintaining the library at home. "The place is still small, I want to make it better, but the funds are not available," said Nita.
All facilities have been purchased using her own money. Nita also often hunts for books by participating in competitions with book prizes. Currently, Nita is not working, so she has no regular income. She invites the community to get involved in building the Sigupai Mambaco movement.
Nita wants Sigupai Mambaco to be a door for children in Aceh Barat Daya to see the wider world. For Nita, reading is not only a way to increase knowledge, but also to sow hope.
Nita Juniarti
Born: Aceh Barat Daya, June 9, 1993
Education:
- SD Negeri 1 Rawa state elementary school, Susoh, Aceh Barat Daya (2005)
- MTs Negeri Unggul state Islamic junior high school, Susoh (2008)
- SMA Harapan Persada senior high school (2011)
- S-1 degree, History of Islamic Culture, Faculty of Adab and Humanities, Ar-Raniry State Islamic University, Banda Aceh (2015)
Occupation:Coordinator of Sigupai Mambaco (since 2017)
Award:Inspirational Woman, Rank III at Aceh Province Level 2020
