Read Aloud with Children in Bocah Becik Library
My name is Bungsu Ratih Puspito Rini, I really like being called Ratih (this is the name of a character in a Javanese wayang story) as people close to me call me. I was born and raised in the city of Pati, Central Java. After getting married three years ago, I moved to Surakarta with my husband. I live with my son, Damar and my husband, Sidiq. I am a full-time mom and part-time Friends Peace Teams co-coordinator of Peace Libraries.
I wake up at dawn to pray and cook for my family. After that, I work for 1-2 hours before my husband, Sidiq, goes to work. While Sidiq works, I spend time with Damar playing, doing house chores, visiting the library, or exploring nature. When Damar takes a nap, I usually go back to work or relax with him. On Mondays and Fridays we travel 45 minutes by public transport or motorbike to open the Bocah Becik Library service at noon.
Read aloud with Children in Bakti 15 Kindergarten
Since college I have been very interested in social activities and volunteering. In 2010 when I was in college, together with my friends, I initiated a leadership community for children in Mojosongo, a village in the outskirts of Surakarta (my husband’s hometown, a place that 10 years later became Bocah Becik Library). In 2012 I joined Sahabat Kapas in Surakarta, and for three years dedicated my work to providing assistance to the children in conflict with the law. There I learned how to facilitate children’s needs and encourage community involvement. More and more, I noticed that we are preparing children for the future by how we treat children today.
In 2016 after graduating, my friends and I founded a village library in Pati to give children access to books and a safe and comfortable place to grow up that is in their environment. I think creating a library is a good approach for building a community. In 2019, I became acquainted with the Alternatives to Violence Culture of Justice and Peace Project. This sharpened my understanding of the relationship between literacy and human development; and Justice and Peace.
I am interested in learning how to use children’s books and stories to build a Justice and Peace
community. Now I am working to develop a library program based on a culture of justice and peace in Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. I also coordinate other Peace Libraries in Indonesia (Holei Roo Library and Joglo Library).
I still believe that by treating children peacefully today, we will have a peaceful world in the future.
Ratih and Damar