Bandung, June 14, 2024 – Widyatama University officially opened the Mother and Child Corner at Pustakaloka with the theme “From Books to the Heart: Building a Love of Reading from an Early Age.” The inauguration took place on Friday, June 14, 2024, and was attended by structural officials from the Widyatama Foundation and University, students, lecturers, teachers, and children from Anglia Kindergarten, Fattahulfikri Kindergarten, and TAAM Rusydah.
The Vice Rector of Widyatama University, Dr. R. Wedi Rusmawan Kusumah, S.E., M.SI., AK., C.A., stated in his speech that the opening of the Mother and Child Corner is part of the university’s efforts to support early literacy education. “We believe that reading is an important foundation for intellectual and character development. With the Mother and Child Corner, we hope to foster a love of reading in children from an early age,” he said.
This Mother and Child Corner is designed with a child-friendly concept, equipped with various storybooks, fairy tales, and other children’s literature. In addition, there are also various educational aids and facilities that are comfortable for mothers and children to read together. With a comfortable and attractive atmosphere, it is hoped that children will feel at home and become more interested in reading.
Sri Juniati, S.E., M.B.A., as the Chair of the Widyatama Foundation, symbolically inaugurated the Mother and Child Corner by cutting the ribbon. She added that, in her opinion, interest in reading in Indonesia is still too low and declining every year. The literacy rate in Indonesia in 2022 is 57.4. It is hoped that the Mother and Child Corner can increase and shape children’s habits of reading from an early age, as well as enable mothers to broaden their knowledge and educate their children.
“Mothers need to have a wide range of knowledge, not only about housekeeping but also other areas, which they often don’t have time to develop due to their busy routines, so this mother and child corner is actually aimed at that,” she added.
The inauguration was also celebrated with various interesting activities such as storytelling, drawing and coloring, as well as reading sessions with the children. During the storytelling activity, the children listened enthusiastically to the stories told by the Bandung City Reading Ambassador.
With the theme “From Books to Hearts: Building a Love of Reading from an Early Age,” Widyatama University hopes to make a real contribution to the development of a culture of literacy in society. The Mother and Child Corner is expected to be not only a place for reading, but also a means of strengthening the relationship between parents and children through shared reading activities.
The presence of the Mother and Child Corner at the Widyatama University Library is expected to inspire other educational institutions to create literacy spaces that support child development and foster a strong interest in reading from an early age.
