NTT Literacy Workshop: Home‑Grown Reading Culture, the Best Investment for Future Generations.

Kupang, klikinfopol.com. 6 November 2026 – East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena opened the Workshop on Optimising the Role of Provincial and Regency/City Literacy Mother Working Groups at the Sasando Hotel Ballroom. The two‑day event, running from 6 to 7 November, aims to boost the use of quality reading materials and build a sustainable literacy movement for children across East Nusa Tenggara.

The Governor emphasised that literacy represents the most vital investment for future generations, with reading proficiency and critical‑thinking skills needing to be nurtured from an early age. He highlighted the role of families, and Literacy Mothers in particular, as the driving force behind building a reading culture at home.

“The best investment we can make is preparing the next generation. The ability to read and think critically is a fundamental need that we must develop from childhood,” the Governor stated.

The Governor warned that greater access to digital platforms requires children to develop the ability to filter information and think critically, rather than passively consuming online content. A reading culture rooted in the home provides the core foundation for children to grow with strong character, creativity and analytical capacity.

Aligned with the Melki‑Johni Ten‑Point Development Agenda, the Governor proposed three strategic measures: regular evaluation forums covering all levels of education, recognition for individuals and organisations that advance the reading culture, and concrete impact assessments for literacy programmes. He also revealed plans to publish a new book documenting and reflecting on the region’s development journey.

INOVASI Indonesia Deputy Director Handoko praised the East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government’s commitment. He noted that thousands of quality reading books, teachers and literacy volunteers are already in place, making the creation of supportive reading environments for children the primary remaining challenge.

The Head of the East Nusa Tenggara Library and Archives Service explained that East Nusa Tenggara is one of the major recipients of large‑scale high‑quality book donations distributed across its regencies and cities. The workshop brought together Literacy Mothers, Literacy Working Groups from across the province, regional leadership bodies, government agency heads and development partners to design new collaborative models that raise the community’s reading‑interest index.(*)

Source: Administrative Bureau for the Regional Secretariat of the East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government.

Writer: Fara Therik

Photographer: Dio Ceunfin

Editor: Hiro Lukas