In 2023 SEEDS partner Yayasan Tunas Aksara (YTA) trained over 200 teachers across Indonesia as part of its Saya Suka Membaca (“I Love Reading”) program. One of YTA’s areas of focus is Nusa Tenggara Timur Province (NTT), where more than half of primary school children read below the expected standard.

YTA has a longstanding partnership with the local education department of NTT, and in recent years has trained more than 50 teachers from local primary schools on the island of Timor.

In July 2024, a team of YTA trainers held a three-day training event in the city of Kupang for 19 teachers from preschools in remote areas on the islands of Timor, Rote, and Sabu Raijua.

YTA trainer Tina Djulete said, “Children who learn to read fluently and with understanding at an early stage in their education, and who love to learn, will receive great benefits throughout their years at school and for the rest of their lives.”

Equipped with practical training, high-quality curriculum and reading materials, these teachers are now ready to return to their villages and serve their communities through education, creating better opportunities for the next generation.

You can learn more about the work of Yayasan Tunas Aksara and the Saya Suka Membaca program on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@sayasukamembaca or at www.sayasukamembaca.org.