Fostering the Spirit of Learning and Love of Reading

Written by Asih Iffah, Tanoto Scholar from Universitas Hasanuddin Makassar

A simple habit, if carried out with conviction over a period of time, is likely to create an impact. If one person has the habit of reading regularly, for example, overtime such habit will likely become a part of his or her personal culture. Subsequently, this habit will likely impact his or her academic performance and other aspects of his or her life positively.

As part of the activities of Tanoto Scholars Association of Universitas Hasanuddin Makassar, we have been trying to instill a habit of reading in our younger brothers and sisters from Lakkang Village, Makassar. By reading books to them, we let them learn more about the values of friendship, honesty, and heroism. We also ask the children to express themselves using the pictures in the book. We feel that these of activities will encourage the children to love books more and create the habit of reading in the long run.

These activities have been inspired by the founder of Tanoto Foundation, Bapak Sukanto Tanoto. He is known for his love of reading and use of books and other sources for his continuous learning. Although Bapak Sukanto Tanoto was not able to continue his formal education, his learning continues. We would like to spread such love of learning and reading to our brothers and sisters at Lakkang Village as well as others.

Although the habit and love of reading might not seem glamorous for many people, we strongly believe that the love of reading will open the window of knowledge of the young generation and increase their chance to have a better life in the future.

Finally, as recipients of Tanoto Foundation Scholarships, or Tanoto Scholars, in addition to the financial support, we are also given the opportunities to improve our skills in different fields. We have been trained to improve our presentation skills or ability to manage a small library efficiently. We find these training sessions very useful for us as we will be part of the work force soon.