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    Area librarian exchanges books for literal trash.

    Jonny Diamond
    By 
    November 15, 2021, 10:29am

    Here is your feel-good story for a dull November Monday.

    An Indonesian librarian has started a mobile book-exchange in which she lends out books to children in exchange for literal trash. In an effort to increase literacy in Java island children—while also encouraging less waste and more recycling—Raden Roro Hendarti rides around on a big three-wheeler loaded with a selection of some 6,000 books as local kids line up with bags of garbage they’ve collected, all for the chance to read a book.

    Raden made her goals quite clear to TRT World:

    Let us build a culture of literacy from young age to mitigate the harm of the online world. We should also take care of our waste in order to fight climate change and to save the earth from trash.

    Raden collects about 200 pounds of garbage a week and sorts it, recycles it, and even sells some of it to raise funds for the library.

    If you are a billionaire reading this, please give Raden a grant to further her work? This is so much better than flying to Mars.

    bookmobiles Indonesia librarians literarcy Raden Roro Hendarti recycling

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