By: Kosye Patty

Itawaka, East Saparua – October 3, 2025

SD Negeri 298 Maluku Tengah is an elementary school located in Itawaka Village, East Saparua District, Maluku. Reaching the school is a challenge, as the route involves steep uphill roads. Teachers and students travel to school on foot, by motorcycle, or by car. Most students walk to school because they live nearby. The school is also located adjacent to SD Negeri 221 Maluku Tengah.

In 2025, SD Negeri 298 Maluku Tengah was selected as one of the beneficiaries of the Child-Friendly Library Programafter successfully passing a competitive selection process involving 17 elementary schools across Saparua and East Saparua Districts.

Following the selection, SD Negeri 298 Maluku Tengah signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yayasan Heka Leka alongside three other selected schools, formalizing their partnership to implement the program. The school’s next responsibility was to renovate its existing library, which had several damaged areas, and transform it into a welcoming, child-friendly space where students could comfortably read, learn, and participate in educational activities.

The school understood that meaningful change could not happen without community involvement. Before beginning the renovation, the school organized a meeting with the Itawaka village government, the school committee, and parents to introduce the program and explain the benefits that students would receive through the workshops and the Child-Friendly Library initiative.

The response from the community was overwhelmingly positive. The village government, school committee, and parents expressed their full support and agreed to contribute to the renovation process. The following day, the school purchased the necessary construction materials and painting supplies. Teachers invited fathers to volunteer for painting and renovation work, while mothers – particularly those without a male family member available to help- contributed by preparing meals for the volunteers. To ensure every family received the invitation, first-grade teachers also sent handwritten notes home with their students.

On the scheduled renovation day, nearly every parent came to participate. Together, they dedicated almost one month to transforming the library. Through their collective effort, they did more than renovate a room-they built a shared sense of ownership and created a learning space that reflected the hopes of the entire community.

By early October 2025, the renovation was nearly complete. Structural repairs, interior painting, and educational murals had all been finished. Only about five percent of the work remained, consisting of the final touches to the front entrance, including the installation of the “Child-Friendly Library” signage.

The story of SD Negeri 298 Maluku Tengah demonstrates that creating quality learning environments requires more than financial support. It takes collaboration, shared commitment, and community spirit. When schools, local government, parents, and community members work together toward a common goal, a library becomes more than just a building-it becomes a place where children can learn, dream, and grow.