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Sorong Regency Literacy Festival which was held at the Ball Room Aimas Convention Center, on Monday - 

The Sorong Regency Government (Pemkab) is committed to instilling literacy in an effort to improve the quality of human resources (HR). Literacy is an essential factor in efforts to build a knowledgeable, innovative, creative and character-driven society. The Sorong Regency Government has three efforts to increase literacy. First to build a literacy house, Acting Regent of Sorong, Yan Piet Moso said, the illiteracy rate in Sorong Regency is still high. For this reason, it is necessary to have budget support and policies through the Library and Archives Service.

"We are building literacy houses on campuses or in the main square. Of course, this commitment must be collaborated and synergized with various stakeholders, both academics and literacy activists," he said at the Sorong Regency Literacy Festival which was held at the Ball Room Aimas Convention Center, on Monday, (8/5/2023).

Second, coordinating with various parties in supporting literacy programs. Real collaboration with various parties, one of which is the mother of literacy. Third, changing and building a positive new mindset in viewing literacy.

"In developing strategies and grounding literacy, it must be holistic and thematic, it is very important to build and change the mindset of the millennial generation towards literacy," he explained.

The Acting Regent of Sorong added, Sorong Regency won the Most Innovative Predicate in 3rd place in the underdeveloped area category in the 2022 Innovative Government Award (IGA) assessment for the innovation of the Fun and Innovative Agile Reading Park (TABAGASI).

"This innovation has many enthusiasts, to date there have been approximately 3,000 applicants who have entered online and offline. I hope that in the future this can be implemented in a system," he added.

In an effort to instill literacy in Sorong Regency, the Central Government through the National Library (Perpusnas) provides its support by providing Special Allocation Funds (DAK) assistance in the education sector in the library sub-sector.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Monday, Head of National Library Muhammad Syarif Bando explained, Sorong District has received DAK of Rp 10 billion for the construction of library service buildings, plus another Rp 1 billion for ICT, furniture and collections. Apart from that, a mobile library car (MPK) has also been handed over.

"This is an affirmation and attention from the central government to realize President Joko Widodo's program on improving the quality of human resources. Of course we are very selective in choosing areas that will receive assistance," he explained.

Not only in Sorong Regency, Head of National Library of Indonesia said that the construction of library buildings has also been built in Merauke Regency and Jayapura Regency.

"The central government's attention to the people in Papua is extraordinary, but a joint commitment is needed, both from the government, community leaders and academics," he continued.

On this occasion, the Head of the National Library of Indonesia received two books by the Acting Regent of Sorong, with the titles Secrets behind Prophetic Prophecies and Prophecies for Theophanic People Tribe A3 and Anu Beta Tubat Mutual Mutual Assistance for the True People of Maybrat. On the same occasion, the Acting Regent of Sorong, Yan Piet Moso confirmed Dr (Can) Anace Mosso as Mother of Literacy for Sorong Regency. The Acting Regent also confirmed 30 District Literacy Mothers throughout Sorong Regency.

Mother of Literacy in Sorong Regency, Dr. (Can) Anace Mosso said that the existence of Mother Literacy acts as an inspirational figure for the community in increasing the cultivation of a love of reading.

It is said, there are various programs that will be carried out by the mother of literacy. Among them, setting up reading corners in each district, reading aloud campaigns, and storytelling.

"This activity is a step towards mother literacy to increase the literacy of the people of Sorong," he said.

The Sorong Regency literacy festival was also enlivened by a literacy exhibition which was attended by a number of schools in Sorong Regency. Each literacy exhibition stand held various activities. One of them, at the SMA N 5 literacy exhibition stand in Sorong Regency, asked school students to rewrite local wisdom stories based on the fairy tales read. Apart from that, there is also a writing competition, activities to make pencil cases from ice cream sticks, decorations from balls and coconut shells//VOI