Books open doors. That simple truth is why The Darius Tobing Foundation opened the Fajar Baru Community Library, our second library, in the heart of a residential kampung in East Jakarta.
Named Fajar Baru (New Dawn), the library is more than a collection of books. It is a community space: a place where children can do homework, teenagers can discover new interests, and parents can access information that helps their families.
What the Library Offers
The library opened with over 3,000 books covering fiction, non-fiction, science, arts, and children's literature in both Indonesian and English. We also installed four computers with supervised internet access, enabling students to research beyond their school's resources.
Beyond books, the library hosts weekly reading sessions, storytelling afternoons for young children, and monthly workshops on topics ranging from digital literacy to traditional Indonesian arts.
The Community Response
Within the first month, over 500 children registered as members. Teachers from three nearby schools have incorporated library visits into their weekly schedules.
"My daughter used to watch TV all afternoon. Now she reads every day," shared one parent from the neighbourhood.
Sustaining the Library
The Fajar Baru Library is sustained through a combination of foundation funding, community donations, and book drives. We welcome book donations, volunteer librarians, and workshop facilitators.
If you'd like to contribute, please visit our Get Involved page.