Sharing Hope

Young boy teaching with books in hand, surrounded by village children under a tree in rural Indonesia.

READ

PARENT-TEACHER GUIDE

Sharing Hope

Average Rating: 0.0

Country: Indonesia

Author: Tyas Widjati

Illustrator: Hanny Juwita

Ages: 8-10

Publisher: Room to Read

Story Source: Literacy cloud

About The Story

Alvian was once a distracted student in South Borneo, Indonesia. But a personal tragedy drove him to change. Wanting to make his mother proud, he worked hard, joined outreach programs, and soon discovered that many children in remote villages couldn’t read. With his friends, he formed the Banua Children's Literacy Club. Pooling their pocket money, they traveled—sometimes through forests, over hills, and across rivers—to teach. Despite resistance, they brought literacy to 14 villages. This is based on a true story of how one small act can spark big change. Alvian is the winner of several awards for his contribution to children’s literacy.

Themes

Community

Social & Emotional Learning

Biography

Sub Themes

Resilience

Empathy

Parent-Teacher Guide

Learning Outcome

Students will understand how young people can create change through determination and empathy.
Students will recognize challenges that children in rural or marginalized communities may face.
Students will reflect on their own capacity to help others, regardless of age or background.
Students will gain exposure to life in South Borneo and think critically about how different environments shape access to education.

Activities

1. Map Exploration – Locate South Borneo on a map. Research what daily life might be like for children there. What do schools look like? How far do some children have to travel?
2. Hope Posters – Ask students to create a poster showing one thing they could do to help someone learn something new.
3. Roleplay – Students take turns acting out teaching a younger child how to read a simple word or phrase.
4. Interview Project – Interview someone (a family member, teacher, or neighbor) about a time they helped others or were helped when learning something new. Share what was learned.

Story Discussion Guide

Before reading

Have you ever helped someone learn something new? How did it feel?
Do you think all children around the world can go to school? Why or why not?

During reading

How did Alvian’s loss change his attitude?
Why was it surprising to him that some 10-year-olds couldn't read?

After reading

What obstacles did Alvian face? What helped him overcome them?
Why do you think people doubted him at first?
How do you think Alvian felt when he saw the children learning?
What does this story tell us about hope?

Applicable Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 4 – Quality Education

The core of the story is about bringing literacy to underserved children.

SDG 10 — Reduced Inequalities

The story highlights efforts to bridge the inequality gap in rural areas.

SDG 17 — Partnerships for the Goals

Alvian’s initiative grew by involving friends and communities—demonstrating the power of partnerships.

Comments

There are no comments