“NgabubuRead”

On May 11, 2019 Sekolah Rekonsiliasi (School of Reconciliation) presented a gathering in our partnership office, Peace Generation, Bandung. The participants came from both Jakarta and Bandung; the theme of the program was “Loving Self”. NgabubuRead is our regular agenda in Ramadhan.

The gathering was led by Nenden and Dhuha, trainers of Sekolah Rekonsiliasi. It started with introducing ourselves because some of us were meeting for the first time.  We then had a quiet time, reading books, sharing, and breaking fasting. Through this program, we strengthen our friendship and support for each other.

The quiet time inputs were “What are my motives to come here and what I will take back from this gathering.” One participant shared,” I was interested with the theme of the program and loved to learn here. I want to live a happier life.  Unexpectedly, in this gathering, we didn’t only talk about how to love ourselves but also it turns out how to give benefit to everyone surrounding me. I learned about self-love and now I can understand my parents more.” Another participant said,” I came with a mental illness and I want to be a better person. I feel comfortable and feel accepted here.”

During the reading session, each participant read their parts in the book, “Learning to Love Yourself”, by Gay Hendricks, and then we discussed it. We also shared our thoughts, experiences, and problems which are related to the information in the book. We were guided to have a deeper understanding of what we had read. We will continue reading, sharing, and discussing further in the near future. The last session was having fast breaking together. Food is a basic human need, having meals together will make our bond stronger.

Reported by Siti Rukoyah