DENPASAR, Bali (BPN) – Since 2022, Bersama Adya has been committed to developing sustainable literacy innovations to support children’s mental health through the Anak Desa Berkarya dan Berdaya (ADYA) Program.
Through this program, Bersama Adya has successfully trained hundreds of children to create contextual picture books. Three of these children have even published their own contextual picture books and accumulated education savings from their works.
Program evaluations indicate that the children who participated in the program have experienced improvements in skills, self-confidence, and a sense of connection with themselves.
This demonstrates that empowering children is not just about providing knowledge, but also about giving them the confidence to share their stories and build their own futures.
Inspired by these positive impacts, the founder of Bersama Adya was motivated to expand the program’s reach.
The desire to continuously innovate so that literacy can benefit people of all ages led to the creation of the Global Literacy Program, a training initiative designed to create contextual picture books combined with basic literacy education.
This program aims to enhance fluency and responsiveness in cross-cultural understanding, communication, engagement, and participation in an interconnected world.
The Global Literacy Program involves foreigners who participate as volunteer English teachers in the Anak Desa Berkarya dan Berdaya (ADYA) program of the Bersama Adya Community.
Since its launch in August 2024, the program has welcomed volunteers from Egypt, Switzerland, Italy, and Australia.
These volunteers have taught children from the Adya Community at SDN 17 Kesiman. In February 2025, a student from Mongolia also joined in to teach children from the Adya Community at SDN 5 Penatih.
With support from the Denpasar City Library and Archives Department, volunteers not only teach but also have the opportunity to explore the culture of Denpasar and learn how to create contextual picture books alongside students from SMP Dwijendra Denpasar.
This initiative strengthens cross-cultural relationships built on mutual respect.
On February 13, 2024, the training session titled “Read and Share the Book Inside You,” held at the studio of the Denpasar City Library and Archives Department, fostered a sense of camaraderie between volunteers and children.
They seemed to thoroughly enjoy the training and eagerly shared the results of their learning, despite using two different languages (English and Indonesian).
This interaction demonstrated how literacy serves not only as a tool for communication but also as a bridge for mutual understanding and celebrating differences.
Equally memorable was the closing event and farewell before the volunteers returned to their home countries.
The event, called “Be In the Present Moment,” took place at the Container Library in Puputan I Gusti Ngurah Made Agung Field. It was an emotional moment for the students of SDN 5 Penatih who participated in the program.
They wrote letters and expressed their hopes to meet and learn together again with the volunteers. This moment highlighted the profound impact of the bond formed between the children and volunteers.
Despite being from different worlds, literacy and culture became powerful forces that united them.
Through the Global Literacy Program by Bersama Adya, it is hoped that children will not only gain knowledge but also feel stronger in overcoming their mental health challenges.
The literacy they acquire is not only meant to develop their academic abilities but also to equip them with essential life skills to adapt and thrive in an increasingly interconnected world filled with cultural differences.
Bersama Adya is committed to continuously providing innovative empowerment programs that inspire children to reach their full potential while also opening opportunities for them to engage with the outside world through activities that touch on various aspects of life—such as culture, education, and mental health.
This program not only builds literacy skills but also fosters empathy, collaboration, and mutual support, all of which are crucial in the increasingly complex global landscape.
