PalmCo provides reading houses and book donations to support educational access
Jakarta (ANTARA) - PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) IV PalmCo is providing reading houses and book donations as part of its commitment to expanding educational access and improving literacy within communities surrounding its operational areas.
“Coinciding with National Book Day, we are implementing several literacy programmes targeting children in plantation areas and disaster-affected regions,” said the President Director of PTPN IV PalmCo, Jatmiko K Santosa, in a statement in Jakarta on Monday.
He stated that the company’s support for literacy facilities is part of the implementation of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, specifically within the social and community development pillars. “We are using the National Book Day commemoration as a momentum to review the extent to which the company can contribute to supporting educational access in our operational areas.”
Through its Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) programme, this plantation sub-holding is distributing reading books and providing reading house facilities for the public. One such distribution involved handing over 200 copies of reading books to students at the Asasul Huda Islamic Boarding School (Dayah) in Meunasah Tunong Village, Pante Bidari District, East Aceh Regency. The aid is intended to ensure that children in these areas have adequate reading materials.
In addition to direct book distribution, PTPN IV PalmCo also manages permanent literacy facilities integrated with educational facilities within the company’s environment. These reading houses are provided to support teaching and learning activities in schools managed by the company. The facilities are inclusive, accessible to both the children of employees and children from the communities living around the plantations.
Examples of successfully operational facilities can be found in Sanggau Regency, West Kalimantan, including reading houses at Mariani Kindergarten in Binjai Village, Tayan Hulu District, and Kenanga Kindergarten in Meliau Hilir Village, Meliau District. By placing reading houses in early childhood education environments, the company hopes to help cultivate reading habits from an early age.
Furthermore, efforts to increase reading interest are also undertaken in emergency situations through the role of the company’s women’s community, the PalmCo ‘Srikandi’. When hydrological disasters struck several points in Aceh and Sumatra recently, the PalmCo Srikandi actively provided psychosocial support through literacy. This community distributed dozens of boxes containing hundreds of children’s books to the affected locations. This step was part of a trauma healing programme, ensuring that children in displacement camps still have access to positive educational and recreational activities despite difficult circumstances.
Through the regular provision of reading facilities and book distribution, both by the company and through initiatives like PalmCo Srikandi, the company hopes to provide support that is relevant to the needs of local communities. Jatmiko added that moving forward, the company will continue to map literacy facility needs in other regions to ensure every donation is well-targeted and provides a long-term impact on children’s education.
Tgk H Marzuki M Ali, a representative of the Dayah Asaasul Huda Foundation, welcomed the initiative. He noted that updating reading book collections is essential to maintain the students’ enthusiasm for learning amidst limited physical access to regional libraries. “The presence of these new books helps motivate our students to read more regularly. For us, this aid is a supporting tool that, God willing, will provide very beneficial knowledge to expand their horizons beyond the daily curriculum,” said Tgk Marbit.