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The culmination of this collaboration was the launch of the "Kita Membaca" (We Read) program on Tuesday (November 4, 2025). During the event, a donation of 400 books and four dormitory bookshelves was handed over to the school, witnessed by teachers, guardians, and students.

The program was initiated by the ITB Patriot Expedition Team Tana Toraja. The team was originally tasked with conducting a Transmigration Area Evaluation Recommendation Study as their primary research focus. However, driven by a spirit of community service, they took the initiative to design a program with direct social impact.

The Coordinator of the ITB Patriot Expedition's Community Service Program, Jaka Ramdani, S.Tr.Sos., M.S.P., M.Kesos., explained that the expedition goes beyond just research reports. "We wanted our presence to bring tangible benefits. That's why we partnered with BRIN and Gramedia to strengthen the literacy ecosystem, enabling children in the transmigration area to use their free time for positive activities like reading," he stated.

The "Kita Membaca" program aims to boost the reading interest of 75 elementary and high school students at SRT 62. SRT 62 is a free boarding school under the auspices of the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs (Kementerian Sosial RI), dedicated to children from underprivileged and extremely poor families (decile 1) with the goal of breaking the cycle of poverty through education.

In this collaboration, BRIN contributed scientific books and educational references, while Gramedia enriched the collection with inspirational and contextual children's books. The four donated bookshelves were placed in the boys' and girls' dormitories, complementing the school's "Book Nook" reading center.

More than just donating books, the program utilizes a participatory "Peer Reading" ("Sebaya Membaca") approach. Through this method, more fluent student readers are encouraged to mentor their peers, creating a collaborative learning atmosphere and fostering empathy.

"We believe social development cannot be measured by economics alone. Literacy is the foundation of progress that fosters public awareness and independence," Jaka Ramdani added.

The Headmaster of SRT 62 Tana Toraja, Margarita Lestari B. Rante Allo, S.Pd., M.Pd., expressed her deep appreciation for the support.

"This donation is a tangible manifestation of care for improving the quality of education and literacy at our school. We hope this provides a positive impact and inspires our students to continue learning, improve their skills, and grow to love the world of books because we know that books are a window to the world," she stated.

This collaboration is expected to provide a strong foundation for SRT 62 Tana Toraja to cultivate a productive reading culture, transforming leisure time in the dormitories into moments of sharing knowledge and building new hope for the young generation of Tana Toraja.

Reporter: Chysara Rabani (Mining Engineering, 2022)