Project Description
Year: 2025
Amount: € 2.000,-
Where: Sorong
Learning Begins with Reading
In the city of Sorong, where thousands of children are unable to attend school due to high costs or a lack of safe learning spaces, a group of young volunteers is taking action. They have formed the ‘Street Reading Community’—an open initiative by dedicated youth who quite literally bring reading to the streets.
Twice a week, they set up a small bookstand on the sidewalk near the city center. Dozens of children and young people stop by to read or have a conversation. Sometimes, they watch films together, followed by a discussion on current issues. Twice a month, they organize a book club where youth talk with one another about the world they live in.
This is not a traditional school. There’s no blackboard, no classroom, no rows of desks. But what is there: attention, books, curiosity, and equality. The young people behind this initiative are part of the community themselves and know better than anyone how important it is to have a place where you are seen and heard. The activities are currently supported solely by voluntary contributions, with no structural funding.
What’s Needed?
To keep this street library running, simple but effective materials are needed: books, a sound system (megaphone), a projector and laptops to show films, snacks for participants, and transport reimbursements. The gatherings should also be able to continue in rainy weather—which requires better facilities.
The volunteers believe in the power of reading. Not just to learn, but to express yourself, to dare to ask questions, and to think critically. A child who learns to read also learns to take their place in the world. And that is desperately needed in a region where many young people face structural exclusion.
