National Coordination Meeting for Development of Village-Based Literacy and Innovation - 

Villages in Indonesia need more attention from the central and local governments. With a population of around 75 thousand, villages are communities where Indonesians live, interact, engage in economic activities, and socialize.

The government's policy in disbursing village funds is considered very appropriate to support village development. Deputy for Coordination of Mental Revolution, Promotion of Culture and Sports Achievement at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Didik Suhardi, said there were many challenges in efforts to improve literacy in Indonesia, especially in villages. Moreover, reading culture is not an instant process to be formed, but a long process that must be taken.

“This reading culture cannot be direct, there is a civilizing process that starts from childhood. So adults don't suddenly enjoy reading," he explained at the National Coordination Meeting for Development of Village-Based Literacy and Innovation which was held in a hybrid manner, Wednesday (22/6/2022).

Furthermore, Didik hopes that the village as an entity is able to improve the literacy and innovation capabilities of its people so that they can play a more active role in development in Indonesia. He emphasized that village development is the key to alleviating poverty, reducing stunting, increasing literacy, innovation, and creativity. According to him, in an effort to improve the reading culture of the people, the National Library of Indonesia (NLI) has a big role.

Deputy for Library Resource Development, National Library of Indonesia, Deni Kurniadi, said that the Literacy Culture Improvement Program had entered the 2020-2024 RPJMN through developing a culture of reading fondness, developing a book system and strengthening literacy content, as well as increasing access and quality of libraries based on social inclusion.

"Libraries contribute greatly in building a knowledge society through collective efforts to foster reading traditions and culture in society," he said.

To support the reading culture of the community, the library does not only contribute to educating the community. The library has also been transformed into a strategic institution to improve public literacy and improve the welfare of the community by providing a real impact on improving the family economy so that it is able to alleviate poverty in Indonesia.

"In this case the Social Inclusion-Based Library is a library that facilitates the community in developing their potential by looking at cultural diversity, willingness to accept change, and offering business opportunities, protecting and fighting for culture and human rights," he explained.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Thursday (23/06/22), Secretary of the Directorate General of Village and Rural Development, Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration, Rachmatia Handayani, explained that the paradigm of village development has changed. The village is no longer the object of development, but has become the main subject of development. Thus, the village is recognized as a community-based government.

"We, the government and the community must be involved in all aspects of development in the village," said Rachmatia.

The village has 18 objectives, one of which is Quality Village Education. There are several targets that must be achieved considering that education is an investment that determines the nation's future. In addition, education is also an important requirement in improving the quality and competitiveness of human resources, especially in villages.

Therefore, the village government must ensure the availability and affordability of quality education services and easy access for village communities. Preschool education services, non-formal education and the availability of village libraries must be presented.

"We have collaborated with the National Library of Indonesia to be able to realize a village library, both through the village fund budget and other assistance in realizing Quality Village Education," he concluded//VOI