Motorcycle Library Educates Children in Crowded Area

World Vision Indonesia has long operated mobile libraries, and thousands of children in several Area Development Programs (ADPs) have reaped the benefits. 

One challenge for the mobile library programme in urban areas is that many children live in crowded areas that are not accessible by car. 

Enter the generosity of Tokio Marine Insurance company.

The company offered two units of motorcycle libraries and World Vision happily received the assistance. Each of the motorcycle libraries has more than 70 book titles and there are three copies of each, for a total of more than 200 books.

The motorcycle libraries visit different neighborhoods in Penjaringan village, North Jakarta, every day, Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. 

Mardina and Ajeng are loyal readers and users of the motorcycle library. When it arrives, Mardina and Ajeng quickly choose a book and start to read.

“I like the pictures in this book. If I diligently read books, I will be able to read fluently,” says Ajeng, who is still learning to read.

Mardina says that she loves reading very much. “Every day I read books after school, after lunch, after Quran study, and before going to sleep,” says Mardina, giving the reasons why she comes to the site of the motorcycle library.

In a different neighbourhood Eka, Mutia, Dwi, Rini, and other children are also happy with the presence of the motorcycle library too.


“I like the Barbie book. I read the book by myself,” says Mutia, 8, a second grader.


“I also like Doraemon book,” adds Mutia, who always read books from the motorcycle library when it visits her neighborhood.


Dwi, 9, in third grade, says that she reads books from the library while she is waiting for her breakfast. “Books that I like most are books about cakes." She dreams of being a chef in the future. 

Parents welcome the presence of the motorcycle library because it motivates children to read. “Now my daughter prefers to stay at home reading books. Previously, she liked to hang around,” says the mother of Madina.



Besides providing reading books, the motorcycle library also brings paper and crayons to enable children to color pictures during the visit.



Each day, the library can visit multiple places, and at each visit there are 16-20 children coming to read or draw. During holidays, even more children come to the library.

At first, there were only children’s books in the library.

Later as parents also became interested, World Vision provided several books for adult readers too.

By: VO/Uran Fabianus, Senior Field Facilitator in Penjaringan Operational Office & BM