Bridging Gaps Through Storytelling: Advancing Literacy Equity Among Indigenous Children In Bawong, Perak

Abstract

This project presents a community-based literacy intervention conducted at the Community Library of Bawong, Perak, Malaysia, focusing on Orang Asli children who experience limited access to reading materials and exhibit low literacy proficiency despite school attendance. Previous observations and community feedback indicated that many children were unable to read, highlighting a persistent literacy gap among indigenous communities. In response, this project aims to revitalise the underutilised community library as an inclusive learning space and to introduce early literacy through storytelling as a culturally sensitive and relationship-centred approach.

The intervention aimed to provide Orang Asli children with early reading exposure, foster confidence and self-expression and encourage meaningful engagement with library resources. The facilitator acts as a storyteller and literacy guide, conducting interactive storytelling sessions, shared reading activities and complementary creative activities appropriate to the children’s developmental levels. A qualitative observational approach was employed to document changes in children’s participation, interest in books and behavioural responses.

Findings indicate that sustained, personalised engagement, rather than one-off or large-scale initiatives, plays a critical role in building trust, promoting consistent library use and cultivating positive reading attitudes. This project highlights the potential of community libraries as agents of inclusive literacy and social equity and proposes a replicable low-cost model for supporting indigenous children’s access to knowledge within a human rights and sustainability framework.